THE National Hunt market showed no signs of waning at the Arqana Summer Sale, where British and Irish buyers bid boldly for proven and unproven stock.
Miss Wood, a Grade 3-winning full-sister to Henry de Bromhead’s Ryanair Chase winner Heart Wood, was the clear top lot at €340,000. Erwan de Chambord’s EDC Agency signed the docket after client and owner Edward James saw off determined rivals.
While James has yet to decide on a trainer for the Choeur Du Nord mare, he has a long-term plan in mind – to showcase her talents in the UK, just as Nietsche Has did for the Highbourne Stud owner. The well-related mare will then visit that same son of Zarak at Haras de Montaigu.
“She’ll go to England,” James reported. “She was obviously heavily penalised in France, and I think she can do a lot better across the channel.
“When I bought Nietzsche Has, he was a Group 2 winner, but it was in Britain that he really showed what he was capable of. I hope I can do the same with her. She has a future on the racecourse, as well as at stud. I’ve got a stallion, maybe one of the best in Europe, that will give her every opportunity that she deserves at stud.”
Wednesday marked a significant increase in sales value for Miss Wood, who went unsold in the same ring three years ago. She went on to win a listed and Grade 3 hurdle for Donatien Sourdeau de Beauregard, as well as place in the Grade 1 Prix Renaud du Vivier, before being offered by Katie Rudd’s Busherstown on Wednesday.
First crop success
Joseph O’Brien’s Irish Derby victor Latrobe has made a promising start with his first four-year-olds, led by Grade 3 winner Olga De Kiev, and Wednesday’s session further boosted the young stallion’s profile as debut winner Noble Sea brought €250,000 from Willie Mullins, Harold Kirk and Pierre Boulard.
“He’s a lovely horse that won well on his debut,” Boulard said of the Gabriel Leenders-trained and co-bred four-year-old. “Latrobe is a good stallion and his dam is by Great Pretender. He ticks a lot of boxes and seems to have an ideal profile.”
Le Citadin will also make the trip to Ireland after Joel Boisnard’s three-year-old was knocked down to Valentin Adam on behalf of Gavin Cromwell.
After signing for the City Light gelding, who has won his last two starts over a mile and a half, Adam commented: “His trainer had a lot of good things to say about him. He’s a lovely horse that has already proved himself on the flat and also has experience over jumps.
“He has everything to do well in Ireland. I wish him/her every success and would like to warmly thank Gavin Cromwell for the trust he has placed in me.”
Avide continued the trend of the choicest lots going for export when bringing €220,000 from Jerry McGrath, Toby Jones and Donald McCain. Successful over a mile and placed over further for Andre Fabre, the Wertheimer homebred is bred in the purple, being by Dubawi and out of Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud heroine Plumania.
Two horses in training fetched €155,000 and both are bound for Britain – Matt Coleman and O’Neill Racing secured Xavier Blanchet’s debut scorer Nelouba, while Magic Dream’s three-year-old hurdle winner Mix Match sold to Jamie Snowden and Tom Malone.
TUESDAY’S opening session, which was primarily made up of two-year-old stores, made major gains, but the sale’s final turnover dipped from last year’s. However, this was solely due to fewer horses being offered.
The median price rose by 18% to €26,000 and the average price grew by 3% to €41,479. The store section was particularly strong, with the average price of €52,579 and median price of €38,000 marking respective increases of 27.5% and 21%.
The number of six-figure stores rose from nine to 14, and five sold for €200,000 or more, whereas €180,000 was the top price 12 months ago. This year’s highest bid of €240,000 was provided by Nat Barnett for a Doctor Dino gelding from Haras de Montaigu.
Barnett and his client, Will Sangwin, are both British but their purchase is set to remain in France to be trained by Hugo Merienne.
“We bought three yearlings in November and we came back to buy one more horse,” Barnett explained. “This horse was our first choice. He’s magnificent - by an exceptional stallion with a great pedigree page. We saw him on Sunday and we didn’t need to be convinced.”
Their purchase is the second foal out of the blacktype No Risk At All mare Out Of Risk, whose first foal made a winning debut at Compiegne in May.
Despite Barnett’s intention to buy just one horse, the agent bought another two that afternoon, including a gelding named Celtic Chief for €160,000. By promising young sire Telecaster, The Channel Consignment’s offering is a half-brother to two blacktype horses by Doctor Dino.
Top sire
The second highest priced store, like the top lot, was by Doctor Dino and bred by Thierry Storme. Tom Malone gave €220,000 for the Haras des Sablonnets-consigned filly out of a listed-placed sister to dual Grade 1 winner Echoes In Rain.
“She’s a real queen,” Malone commented. “We loved her at first sight when we saw her this morning. She’s out of a blacktype mare and her second dam is also. She walked better than most of the geldings today, which really impressed us.
“I’ve bought her for Oliver Brendon, who already has several horses in training with Jamie Snowden. We really like her and we hope that in time she will be a top-level performer.”
Doctor Dino, now aged 24 and advertised at €24,000, was responsible for three highest priced horses of the opening session, all of which were out of blacktype mares. Despite that seemingly obvious profile, Timmy Hillman had managed to snare a yearling for €40,000 at last year’s Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale and just over seven months later, the chesnut resold through Windermere Stud for €205,000.
Mags O’Toole signed for the chesnut colt out of the Grade 2 scorer and dual listed winner Annie Mc. The likeable mare herself sold in foal to Golden Horn last December for €68,000.
Mandore International’s €200,000 purchase was another with a familiar pedigree, as the Kapgarde filly is out of Willie Mullins’ Royal Bond heroine Statuaire, herself a half-sister to State Man.
Her vendor, The Channel Consignment, were rewarded with the same price for a Saint Des Saints filly hailing from the family of Akeed Mofeed. Broadhurst Agency’s selection is a half-sister to promising four-year-old Quart d’Espoir, who won her first two starts.
While most of the highest-priced lots of the day appeared to be bought by end users, there were plenty of pinhookers reinvesting profits earned at the Irish store sales, including Tom Howley’s Brook Lodge Farm, Tally-Ho Stud, Church Farm Stables, Peter Nolan Bloodstock, the Bleahen brothers and Moanmore Stables.
New stallion for Ireland
The €100,000 mark was breached twice for breeding stock, most notably for Irish-bound stallion King Edward. Darren O’Dwyer stretched to €190,000 for the Grade 3-winning son of Martaline, who was consigned by Katie Rudd’s Busherstown.
King Edward’s first crop of four-year-olds include Milan Rouge, who finished fourth in a Grade 3 AQPS flat race. He has yet to have a runner in Ireland or the UK, though that looks set to change soon, as one of his fillies sold to Gerry Hogan and Paul Nolan for €70,000 at the Goffs Arkle Sale last month.
“His offspring sold very well at Goffs,” O’Dwyer said. “We had several clients looking for a stallion, and when he was put on the market, we seized the opportunity.
“He’s got a very solid profile, his stats speak for themselves, and he’s got a very good pedigree.
“He’ll now go to Ireland. We haven’t decided yet where he will stand, but we’ll talk to the team and choose the best option for him. We’re very happy.”