ARQANA

THE opening sale of the year at Arqana was expanded to two days for the first time but the final figures failed to get near to last year’s comparative numbers and were more in line with the results in 2013.

The leading lots topped their respective days and were some way ahead of the rest. The overall best price was achieved on Tuesday when one of the very last lots in the catalogue, Ponte Bawi, sold for €80,000. The dual winning daughter of Dubawi is a half-sister to the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay winner Ponte Tresa and the winning bid was landed by Herve Brunel of Agence FIPS. He revealed that the filly will be covered by Kendargent at Haras de Colleville where she will join the broodmare band owned by Guy Pariente.

On Monday, it was the three-year-old Gentlewave colt Vangaug, a winner last year at Angers, who led the day’s trade and he sold for €70,000 from trainer Henri-Alex Pantall’s yard to join Pia Brandt’s stable in Chantilly. Andriy Ostapchuk signed for the purchase in the name of his Imperial Agency on behalf of an existing owner of Brandt’s.

Heike Bischoff is the new owner of Waldblume, a winner-producing daughter of Halling that sold for €47,000. Carrying to Makfi, the mare is a half-sister to the German Derby winner Waldpark, and to the dam of the Doncaster St Leger winner Masked Marvel. Pierre Boulard’s PB Bloodstock Services were listed as the purchaser in the ring.

The consistent New Approach three-year-old filly Enough Paint won and was in the first four on four of her six starts last year and Italian agent Marco Bozzi bought her for €46,000 on behalf of trainer Gianluca Bietolini who has his string at Maisons-Laffitte.

Princesse Winner, successful over jumps as a three-year-old at Enghien, was sold with a covering by leading jumps sire Saint Des Saints for €40,000. She is a full-sister to the smart The Saint James and she will now head to stud in south-west France at Haras des Granges.

Another broodmare heading to Germany is Representera, a winning daughter of Lomitas and due to foal in mid-April to Havana Gold. She realised €37,000 and now heads to Holger Faust’s Gestut Karlshof where she will be covered by their new stallion Dabirsim. She is a half-sister to the French 2000 Guineas winner and sire Tin Horse.

The winning Montjeu mare Montebella was sold with a most attractive covering by Le Havre and was purchased by Sylvain Vidal’s Haras de la Cauviniere where the Prix du Jockey Club winner stands. Given that his fee for 2015 is set at €20,000, she looks to have been well bought at just €35,000.

Consecutive lots sold for €30,000 each on Tuesday. The Royal Applause mare Dicara won in Germany and she is out of the German 1000 Guineas winner Diacada. She sold privately to Jean-Pierre Deroubaix of FBA in foal to Makfi. She was followed into the ring by the Invincible Spirit mare Lettre Intime who never won but was placed 10 times. She was sold in foal to George Vancouver and purchased by Agence Equus’ Yann Houyvet.

On Monday that €30,000 price was achieved when the unraced four-year-old Nuance, a full-sister to the Grade 1 hurdle winner Grandouet, was sold in foal to Saint Des Saints and bought by Guy Petit for an Irish client of the agent. Yet another mare in foal to the same stallion made €30,000 on Tuesday and this was Tops Island, an eight-time winner over jumps, and this Kapgarde mare was signed for by George Mullins who was acting for Irish breeder Philip Heskin.