A DAY of horses in training and stores comprised the catalogue for the first day of the Arqana Autumn Sale, followed by two days of yearlings, the first time the sale was held over three days. The sale started with a bang, the two-year-old Silverwave selling for a record €420,000, even though the catalogue vendor and the buyer were the same.

Trainer Alain Couetil acted in both cases but the unbeaten juvenile changes ownership while remaining with his handler. Winner of both his starts in recent weeks, the three-parts brother to Prix Jean Prat winner and sire Stormy River is highly regarded by his trainer.

Jonjo O’Neill was busy at the sale and topping his list of purchases was The Saint James, runner-up in the Grade 2 Prix Congress at Auteuil at the beginning of the month and a wild card entry to the sale. The three-year-old son of Saint Des Saints is the better of two winners out of the Sagamix mare Aimela, herself a winner over jumps at three years. The Saint James cost O’Neill €320,000.

His other purchases included Box Office for €185,000 and a yearling colt by Martaline, the best priced of his age group at €150,000. Box Office, an AQPS son of Great Pretender (by King’s Theatre), has won three of his four starts to date, including his only start on the flat over a mile and a half.

His two recent wins over jumps include a victory at Enghien and the three year-old is out of a winning mare by Video Rock.

The Martaline yearling colt Not At All was the standout among the yearlings sold during the week and his price reflected his outstanding pedigree. The colt is the first foal out of a full-sister to Nickname and two other stakes-winning jumpers and a half-sister to three other blacktype winners.

Nickname was a Grade 1 winner in France and Ireland, landing the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown before embarking on a successful stud career. His dam Newness, by Simply Great, was a listed winner over jumps and her six stakes-winning offspring included No Risk At All, the Group 1 placed colt who won the Group 3 La Coupe and is another successful sire. The yearling was bought by O’Neill in the presence of Kieran McManus.

Highflyer Bloodstock is always prominent at the sales in France and its leading purchase was Auvergnat, winner on the flat and twice over jumps at four years in 2014. He has only once finished out of the frame in eight starts. An AQPS-bred son of Della Francesca, he is one of four winners from his dam who herself won nine times over jumps. Her best runner to date is the Grade 3 Auteuil winner Une Epoque. Highflyer’s Anthony Bromley was unable to say where the gelding would be trained next.

Emerging trainer Francis-Henri Graffard sold the three-time winning Dalakhani gelding Kingoverthewater for €155,000 to Laurent Benoit of Broadhurst Agency.

The three-year-old gelding is a model of consistency, finishing in the first three on all but one of his 10 starts to date in 2014 and on his most recent start he was runner-up in the Listed Grand Prix du Nord, only beaten in a photo-finish. He is a half-brother to Group 2 Prix d’Harcourt winner Boris de Deauville.

IRISH PURCHASE

Another AQPS horse to sell well was Adimelo, a four-year-old son of Honolulu. Unraced last year, he made amends this year and won three times on the flat and was placed second twice in six outings. He cost T.J. Bloodstock €150,000. Toby Jones said of the purchase that he would be brought to Ireland before future plans are made.

Given the success he has had with Quevega it was no surprise to learn that Willie Mullins will take charge of the four-year-old Robin Des Champs filly Retour En France. A winner over jumps at Enghien last year and placed five times from eight starts up to last month, she is the first foal out of a half-sister to nine winners and to the dam of Mullins’ Grade 2 Irish winner Djakadam. Harold Kirk gave €120,000 for her.

The only other lot to make a six-figure sum was the four-year-old Nickname gelding Yala Enki, another wild card entry. He has faced the starter 11 times, winning twice and placing seven times. His most recent form was a third-place finish in the Listed Prix Triquerville at Auteuil over just short of two miles six furlongs. He sold to busy French agent Guy Petit for €110,000.

The sale concluded on Thursday with increases across the board. The aggregate rose 38% to €7,612,500, the average advanced 12% to €18,025 and the median rose 19% to €9,500. The clearance rate was an impressive 81% when compared to 70% a year ago.