THE Mariga family’s Coolmara Stables upped the ante in their flat investment when buying broodmare Helenium through bloodstock agent Conor Quirke for €600,000 on Wednesday. The Frankel half-sister to Calyx was one of five lots to sell for six-figures at Auctav’s sale of stock owned by leading owner/breeder Jean-Pierre Dubois, who bought back 47 of the 100 horses offered.

Helenium was offered in foal to Kingman, and therefore carrying a close relation to Calyx (Kingman), as she was when going unsold for €775,000 at Arqana in December and when bought by Narvick International for 625,000gns in December 2023.

Frisella underwent a drop in value when selling to Pegasus Farm for €390,000, despite her son Grand Scoop gaining blacktype since her last sales date. The Juddmonte-bred Frankel mare had brought €650,000 from Narvick International three years ago.

Dubois’s homebred mare Salerne, meanwhile, justified his decision to retain her for €9,000 three years ago, when knocked down to Nicolas de Watrigant’s Mandore Agency for €260,000 on Wednesday. The close relation to Prix du Moulin heroine Sauterne was offered in foal to Auguste Rodin, a month after her two-year-old Special Wood made a winning debut at Vichy.

Special Wood was withdrawn from the sale but Dubois sold another homebred two-year-old winner, Siciliano, to Le Marais for €250,000. By Time Test and from the family of Midday, the colt was the highest-priced horse-in-training of the sale.

The next seven highest-priced lots were bought back for prices ranging from €100,000 to €245,000. The 53 lots sold accrued a turnover of €3,187,500, producing an average price of €60,142 and median price of €35,000.