FIVE lots selling for six-figure sums was the highlight of a lively trade at the seventh edition of the Arqana v.2 Yearling Sale in Deauville on Tuesday. Four of these prices were achieved for fillies.

Shalaa had his first yearlings sell this week and it was a member of that initial crop who topped the v.2 sale, realising €135,000. Signed for in the name of Agence BHB, it was Alex Waugh of Jedburgh Stud who was the successful bidder, revealing that the filly would race in partnership with Isabelle Corbani, owner of Group 1 winner Signs Of Blessing. The filly is a half-sister to three winners, notably the Group 3 runner-up More Of A Dream.

After making the purchase, Waugh said: “We already have a filly by Shalaa at the stud, and he’s a stallion that we believe in - the mating is one that we like a lot. She’ll become a broodmare at the end of her career. We haven’t decided on a trainer yet.”

No Nay Never had a son and daughter who both sold for €120,000. First to the mark was the filly, a first foal out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Great Trip, herself a daughter of a group-placed own-sister to Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg and Singapore International Sprint winner Iron Mask. The winning bid came from Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International and was made on behalf of Middleham Park Racing. He said: “She’s a two-year-old type and a very nice filly. I’ve been very lucky for Middleham Park - I bought Boitron and Tigre Du Terre for them, so they were happy to give me another chance to buy another horse for them.”

Shortly afterwards the same price was paid by Laurent Benoit from Broadhurst Agency for another first foal, this time a son of Ida The Fox who was placed on seven occasions as a three-year-old. The dam’s half-sister bred the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat winner Zelzal. The colt is slated to make a reappearance at next year’s breeze-up sale in May.

The Wootton Bassett filly out of the unraced Manduro mare Darnella is closely related to the sire’s best runner, the champion European three-year-old Almanzor. His eight victories included the Group 1 Irish Champion stakes, the French Derby and the Champion Stakes in Newmarket. He is a son of Darnella’s unraced half-sister Darkova. Bloodstock agents Bertrand Le Metayer and Jean-Marie Callier combined to pay €100,000 for the filly who will race in France for a new partnership.

Completing the line-up of six-figure lots was a full-sister to this year’s juvenile Kenlova, a winner in France and placed in a couple of group races. The daughter of Kendargent is trained by Pascal Bary and the trainer won the battle to secure her year younger sibling at €105,000. The fillies are the first two foals from the listed winning Ice Love.

Following the sale, Arqana president Eric Hoyeau said: “The 2019 edition of the v.2 was particularly dynamic thanks to many French trainers and agents looking for precocity and mature yearlings, as well as from the foreign buyers already present from the August Yearling Sale. This sale, which is also now an objective for breeders, completes the auction and highlights the progeny of a wide range of stallions. The results of the sales are encouraging indicators for our industry.”