IRISH vendors were to the fore as Arqana posted record figures for its Breeze Up Sale last weekend and produced one of the best markets so far this year, with turnover breaking the €10 million barrier for the first time, while the average of €110,347 was the first in six-figure territory. A daughter of Frankel, offered from Brendan Holland’s Grove Stud sold for €800,000, the best price ever achieved by the company for the sale.

The previous day Frankel’s first runner won and this success was timely as Al Shaqab Racing, through Mandore International Agency, made its second and most significant purchase of the day. The sale-topping filly is the second foal from the dual listed winner Rose Bonheur, a daughter of Danehill Dancer. This was the third year in succession that Grove Stud sold the top priced lot and their 10 sales for €1,556,000 made them the leading vendors.

Grove Stud had the first lot into the ring and this was a daughter of the recently deceased Big Bad Bob out of a Shamardal half-sister to a stakes winner in Germany. Purchased as a yearling for €35,000 last August in Deauville, her value soared to €200,000 this time and Stroud Coleman signed for her.

Another Irishman to make a splash was Mark Dwyer, selling through his Oaks Farm Stables. He received €775,000 from Stephen Hillen for a daughter of Redoute’s Choice out of the stakes winner Sunday Nectar (by Footstepsinthesand) and this was more than 10 times her yearling sale price in the same ring last October. Hillen made half a dozen purchases and was under bidder on the top lot.

MOST EXPENSIVE

David Redvers made four purchases and the most expensive of the quartet was the leading colt at the sale, a son of Sea The Stars out of a Refuse To bend half-sister to Grade 1 winner Creaking Board who cost €600,000 and will race for Sheikh Fahad. Sold by Mayfield Stables, this was the colt’s third sale appearance. He sold for 65,000gns as a foal and 100,000gns as a yearling.

Charlie Gordon-Watson was the leading purchaser, with eight lots costing €1.75 million. These included a Siyouni half-sister to Group 1 winner Odeliz at €400,000, sold by The Channel Consignment who missed out on being leading consignors by €13,000. This filly was a €250,000 Arqana yearling last August and now joins Andre Fabre.

The agent made two other significant purchases from the same vendors, paying €275,000 for a Galileo half-brother to the Group 1-placed Surfrider and €250,000 for a colt by Redoute’s Choice from the immediate family of the Arc winner Peintre Celebre.

Gordon-Watson’s buying spree also included the only yearling by Distorted Humor in the sale, Gaybrook Lodge Stud’s first produce of Ms Margaret H who won twice in the USA and was third in the Grade 1 Test Stakes.

She cost €220,000, while the agent paid €200,000 for a son of Lope De Vega, sire of two Group 1 winners over the weekend, and this €110,000 foal was sold by Mocklershill, one of three consignors to aggregate more than €1.5 million.

Willie Browne’s consignment also included an Invincible Spirit half-brother to four stakes winners for €320,000, Broadhurst Agency’s Laurent Benoit winning the bidding battle for him, while the draft also parted with a colt from the first crop of Excelebration to Mandore International Agency for €200,000.

A yearling colt by Sepoy, successful with his first runners in Australia and Europe, out of the King’s Best mare Kocooning sold for €30,000 last August and he made exactly 10 times that amount this time when sold by Haras de Saint-Arnoult to Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock, one of seven purchases by the agency. His dam is a half-sister to the dam of Group 1 winner The United States.

There was a spectacular pinhooking success for Ger Kennedy of Sherbourne Lodge when his €12,000 yearling purchase became a €275,000 breeze up sale to Anthony Stroud for Simon Crisford. The last lot in the sale and a late entry, this was a son of Lawman and out of a half-sister to Lockinge Stakes winner Virtual and Coventry Stakes winner Iceman.

Knockanglass Stables sold an Exceed And Excel half-brother to Grade 1 winner Reggane to Richard Knight for €240,000 and this was just over four times her yearling price last October in Deauville.