TWO sons of Mastercraftsman dominated the 2018 renewal of the Arqana Summer Sale held on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both lots were offered on the second day and bloodstock agent Gérard Larrieu bought both.
Jassim Ghazali will take over the training of the three-year-old colts who will have the winter programme in Qatar as their target. The sale topper Esteve had a significant catalogue update as he landed the Listed Derby du Languedoc at Toulouse over a mile and half in mid-June with some authority to complete a hat-trick of wins. He was trained by Jean-Claude Rouget who purchased him as a yearling for €80,000.
Winning two-year-old Masterpiece has been listed placed twice this year and came from the yard of André Fabre. He cost Larrieu €345,000 and will now carry the silks of Shael bin Khalifa Al Kuwari, one of Qatar’s most prominent owners who notably won the HH The Emir’s Trophy in 2016 and 2018 thanks to former Arqana purchase The Blue Eye.
The six-year-old Le Havre mare Gonzeville received an important update to her pedigree when her half-sister Teppal won this year’s Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, French 1000 Guineas. She was sold for €150,000 to Crispin de Moubray in foal to first season sire Recorder.
The Haras de Montfort et Préaux offering hails from a family replete with classy fillies, and afterwards de Moubray said: “She is going to stay in France but unfortunately I can’t name my client.
“This is a family I have known for a long time as I bought the dam Jummana as a yearling on behalf of Maurice Lagasse and advised him with the matings all along. I notably chose Camacho because Jummana is a very big mare who needs to visit smaller stallions - and the result was Teppal.”
GRADE 1 WINNER
David O’Meara purchased Grade 1 winner Mondialiste at this sale in 2014, and last year bought the recent Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes runner-up Lord Glitters. Now he will take charge of the Aga Khan Studs homebred Markazi after Jason Kelly paid €140,000 for the son of Dark Angel on behalf of the Thoroughbred British Racing Syndicate. Now a seven-time winner who landed the Listed Prix Omnium last year, the four-year-old gelding has been a model of consistency this year.
“We can’t deny that we’ve been lucky with this sale and it definitely helps giving you that extra bit of confidence”, Kelly said.
“We bought four horses this time around and this one looks like he can be competitive in handicaps.” The Aga Khan Studs sold a second six-figure lot, receiving €102,000 from Gérard Larrieu for the three-year-old winning Shamardal colt Daneyan. He is one of a pair of winners from a winning half-sister to Daylami and Dalakhani.
Willie Mullins has had great success with purchases from the stables of Chantilly trainer Nicolas Clément, enjoying graded successes with Limini, Meri Devie, Melon and Law Girl.
Now he takes over the handling of the three-year-old gelding Staking, winner over a mile at ParisLongchamp just a few days before the sale, therby prompting his wild card entry.
“We have had a very successful association with Nicolas,” said Harold Kirk who signed at €140,000 for the son of Stormy River, “and he recommended this horse warmly. Although he has only run over a mile to ten furlongs, his dam stayed a mile and a half and he was always finishing strongly in his races, so there is every chance that he will stay the trip.”
Kirk bought another wild card entry for €120,000 when he acquired Frere Tuck, a three-year-old AQPS by Secret Singer who made his racecourse debut last week a winning one. Kirk commented: “The trainer liked him and he has sold good horses before; he definitely knows what a good horse is. He has a big frame to fill and will be a bit of a long term project for us but is a lovely horse with ability.”
Also selling for €120,000 was the now dual winner Lignou, a three-year-old son of Rajsaman offered by Jean-Claude Rouget. He went the way of Mags O’Toole and will likely be next seen in the colours of Gigginstown House.
RECORD PRICE
The opening session of the Summer Sale saw a new record for a store at Arqana established. The object of desire was a Poliglote half-brother to the seven-time Grade 1 winner over fences Silviniano Conti who was offered by Jean-Marie Callier.
Galleo Conti, a two-year-old Poliglote half-brother to Silviniaco Conti, sold for a record €180,000 at Arqana on Tuesday. Photo Zuzanna Lupa
Guillaume Macaire made the opening bid of €100,000 and the price swiftly rose to €180,000, the gavel falling in favour of the Royan-based trainer. Macaire was standing with Pierre Pilarski who owned champion trotter Bold Eagle.
“Pierre and I are going to partner in this horse,” said Macaire. “I know the family well as I used to train Silviniaco Conti and Ucello Conti among others.
“We are looking for quality horses and couldn’t bypass this one. He is also one of the very last Poliglotes around, so we are thrilled to have him.” Jean-Marie Callier sold six stores on the day for €372,000.
Leading sire Martaline had three lots which sold for €100,000 or more. One of these was Haras des Loges’ two-year-old Galant Du Chenet who realised €145,000 from Haras du Saubouas and Paul Basquin.
The gelding is the first foal out of Viviane Royale who won the Grade 3 Prix Bournosienne and is herself a daughter of the dual Grade 1 runner-up Ma Royale. She is a sister to the top National Hunt performers Saint Du Chenet, Tanais Du Chenet, Galant Moss and Irish Royal. “He is a fantastic looking horse with a very loose walk,” said Basquin. “We will take him back to the farm and have a think about his future.”
Guillaume Macaire, along with Pierre Pilarski (left), paid €180,000 for the half-brother to Silviniaco Conti. Photo Zuzanna Lupa
SIX-FIGURE TRANSACTION
Haras de Cercy had the first six-figure transaction in the store section when the Martaline two-year-old Grand Paradis commanded a bid of €120,000 from Pascale Ménard.
The agent was standing with John Dwan of Ballyreddin Stud and commented on the half-brother to Grade 2 Prix Georges Courtois scorer Vezelay: “He is such a spectacular individual from a beautiful family, we just had to have him.
“Initially it was only going to be a couple of partners but I think there might be more people interested now! We haven’t decided yet where he will go.”
Another son of Martaline to bring €145,000 was Haras de la Hêtraie’s Clerval. His dam is a half-sister to the smart chaser Royal Auclair. Willie Browne signed the docket in the name of George Mullins and indicated the gelding would be offered for resale next year.
Bertrand Le Métayer had to go to €100,000 to take home a son of Saint Des Saints out of the Kahyasi mare Popova offered by Charles Brière’s Fairway Consignment.
“He is for James Douglas-Gordon,” said Le Métayer. “We have been lucky with Saint Des Saints before and felt that the pedigree of this horse offered some guarantees of precociousness.”
Le Métayer was not to be denied for the final lot into the ring on Tuesday, a son of Masked Marvel offered by The Channel Consignment.
“He is for a client who keeps his horses with Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé,” explained Le Métayer.
“I was underbidder on the two Martalines who sold for €145,000 and am delighted to be taking this one home. I think the sire could be very good with his jumpers”.
Final figures, apart from the median, for the two-day sale were on a par with their 2017 counterparts, the aggregate reaching €7,467,700 (up 4%) and the average price settling at €26,566 (down 4%). The clearance rate of 73% was slightly back on last year’s 75%, but the median tumbled by 22%.