THE two-day Arqana February Mixed Sale produced a solid set of results from a smaller catalogue this year.

Wednesday’s second session saw a continuation of the breeding section of the sale, and recorded results close to those of the first day. With some 68 less horses offered for sale this time, the overall sale came close to last year’s excellent turnover, while the median and average figures climbed.

The average increased by 17% to €15,797 while the percentage of horses sold reached 80%. The turnover was down a few percentage points, mainly due to the reduction in the number of horses presented.

The top two prices of the day were for lots purchased by BBA Ireland. Already very active around the ring during the first day, the company’s Michael Donohoe and Eamon Reilly struck for five fillies and mares, led by the top price of the day, Rasmiya, who realised €315,000. Offered in foal to Mehmas by Haras de Bouquetot, the daughter of Galileo is a half-sister to Group 3 winners Above Average and Sent From Heaven, and to the listed winner Freyja.

Rasmiya’s first three foals are all winners. Her second produce, Jouza, a daughter of Toronado, won a listed race last season, while her fourth and fifth offspring are a two-year-old Shalaa filly and a yearling colt by Ectot. “She’s a very nice mare,” said Donohoe. “She’ll first go to Ireland and have her foal, and then we’ll decide afterwards which stallion she’ll be covered by. She’s been bought for one of our clients.”

Zarkava

A little earlier in the day, the duo went to €200,000 for Zerziyna, an unraced granddaughter of the brilliant racemare and champion Zarkava, who was undefeated in seven starts, five at Group 1 level. At two she won the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac, and the following year added two classics, the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches-French 1000 Guineas and Prix Diane-French Oaks, the Prix Vermeille and the 2008 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. At stud, her four winners include a trio of stakes winners, notably Group 1 winner and emerging sire talent, Zarak.

Eagerly anticipated, the Aga Khan Studs homebred is a daughter of Fastnet Rock and a half-sister to last year’s Australian listed winner Zeyrak, by Sea The Stars. After signing the docket, Eamon Reilly said: “We’ve bought her for an Irish client. We’re very happy – she’s a lovely filly from a great family. She’ll be covered by Lucky Vega.”

Another significant purchase by the Kildare agency was Bay Of Sands, an 11-year-old daughter of Dubawi. She was not covered last year, and her first produce is the listed-winning Sea The Stars mare Bharani Star. Bay Of Islands is a half-sister to German and Italian Group 1 winner and sire, Saddex, and to the dam of the high-class New Zealand filly, Lizzie L’Amour, a dual Group 1 winner.

Yearling high

Normandie Breeding offered a mid-April yearling colt from the first crop of Haras d’Etreham sire Persian King. That son of Kingman won the 2019 Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains-French 2000 Guineas, the Group 1 Prix du Moulin and the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan.

Hamish Macauley had the final say at €105,000 for the half-brother to Group 3 winner Alistair who comes from the family of Group 1 winners Goldmark, Gabina and Galetto. “He’s a lovely colt and very athletic,” said the bloodstock agent.

“He’ll go to Tally Ho Stud, with the objective being to give him a bit of time before putting him through the sales again later.”

Jacques Rossi spent €60,000 to secure ownership of the unraced No Nay Never filly Rsheeda, sold from Haras de Bouquetot as a breeding prospect. The filly is the first produce of the listed winner and Group 2 Park Hill Stakes runner-up Frankel mare Aljezeera. She, in turn, is the best of the five winning offspring from the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes winner Dynaforce.

The same vendors also sold Al Andalus to Brian Grassick Bloodstock for €57,000. An unraced daughter of Olympic Glory, and carrying her second foal by Toronado, Al Andalus is a half-sister to the stakes winner and group-placed Dubawi mare Mashael, and their dam is an own-sister to the Oaks winner Was and the Derby-third Amhran Na Bhfiann. Al Andalus has a yearling colt by Mehmas.

Group 3 winner lights up the ring

THE first auction of the year at the Elie de Brignac complex in Deauville, the Arqana February Mixed Sale, began on Tuesday with flat and National Hunt horses-in-training followed by two-year-olds, stores and the first half of the breeding stock section.

Top price of the day was for the pattern winner Air De Valse. The Group 3 Prix de Petit Couvert winner was knocked down for €240,000 to Bridge Consignment. The Corine Barande-Barbe trained seven-year-old mare has also been multiple group-placed, including when runner-up in the 2021 Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp. She won seven of her 36 starts and almost €350,000.

Jérôme Glandais, the director of Haras du Logis Saint-Germain, said: “She’s been bought for Mr. Benaroussi, who continues to invest in breeding. For the moment we haven’t decided what stallion she will go to, or where she will be boarded.” A daughter of the little-known Mesnil Des Aigles, Air De Valse is the best produce of the stakes-winning Poliglote mare, Air Bag.

Ireland-bound

Among the final lots to go under the hammer on Tuesday, Majal sold for €102,000 when she was knocked down to Eamon Reilly of BBA Ireland. Offered from Haras de Bouquetot, the daughter of Shalaa is out of the German Group 3 winner Peaceful Love, and Majal is one of eight winners from that mare. Her siblings include Pao Alto, winner of the Group 3 Prix de la Force, and the group-placed Fort Hastings.

Peaceful Love is a half-sister to Palmas, victorious in the Group 1 Preis der Diana, and to the Group 3 winner Peace Royale, now a multiple stakes producer. Afterwards Reilly said of the four-year-old: “She’s a lovely filly that moves nicely and has an exceptional pedigree page. She’ll come back to Ireland and start her broodmare career.”

Partnership

Offered from Haras du Lieu des Champs, the three-time winner over jumps Santa Fix was knocked down for €92,000 in favour of Paul Basquin, who signed the docket on behalf of a partnership between Haras du Saubouas and Haras d’Etreham.

Barren in 2022 after producing a daughter and son of Great Pretender, the nine-year-old daughter of Saint Des Saints is a half-sister to Grade 2 chase winner A Mi Manera, the listed jumps scorer Fixe Le Kap, and the listed hurdle runner-up Zambezi Fix. The well-bred mare hails from the family of Grade 1 winners Kotkijet, Kotkita and Kotkikova.

“She’s a magnificent mare that moves really well. She’s from a lovely family and by Saint Des Saints, an excellent broodmare sire. She’ll be covered by Paradiso, a stallion that we regard highly and want to support by sending him mares of this quality,” said Basquin.

€62,000 raised for the Red Cross thanks to Coolmore’s generosity

Offered by Coolmore’s Tom Magnier in support of the humanitarian aid effort deployed to those affected by the earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria at the beginning of the month, a nomination to Camelot was sold for €62,000 to the Irishman Harry Fowler, owner with his wife Lorna of Rahinston Stud and Farm. All the proceeds will be donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

“I’ve bought it for a client of the farm, an owner/ breeder who wants to breed the nomination to race if all goes well, said Harry Fowler. We’re delighted to support such a worthy charity, especially one that is at the forefront of all our minds. When the opportunity arose for such a lovely stallion and such a good cause, we felt we should support this very generous offer from Coolmore.

“It’s also great of Arqana to facilitate the sale. A stallion like Camelot is not easy to get into; he’s a beautiful horse and has a phenomenal record. We’ve an idea which mare we will send to him but we’re not 100 per cent sure; let’s see how they all foal. However, the progeny will be kept to race.”

Camelot stands for an advertised fee of €60,000, and the dual champion is responsible already for 10 Group 1 winners in Ireland, Britain, the USA, Australia, Germany, and France. He covered 159 mares in 2022 at Coolmore.