THE five-day Arqana October Yearling Sale, a barometer for the health of the French breeding industry, came to a successful end yesterday. With final figures set to come close to last year’s record-breaking numbers, the team at Arqana can be well pleased with the outcome of the week.

The quality of the catalogue is graduated, with Part 1 taking place over the first day and a half, followed by Part 2 on Wednesday and Thursday, and Part 3 bringing the curtain down yesterday. Just two lots on Wednesday made it into six-figure territory, all the rest coming at the first two sessions.

While the top price did not come close to the 2021 mark, and 11 yearlings sold for €200,000 or more, down four from last year, the other comparative numbers were well up. Some 35 yearlings brought €150,000 or more, an increase of 11 on last year’s tally, while 69 lots were traded for €100,000 or more, and this was well up on the 54 yearlings to do so 12 months ago.

The sale leader appeared on day one of the auction, a son of Sea The Stars out of listed winner Shamtee, a daughter of Shamardal, sold from Haras du Mont dit Mont to dissolve a partnership. The gavel fell at €340,000 in favour of trainer David Menuisier for the colt who comes from a family of Group 1 winners, such as Territories, Helen Street, Street Cry, Victor Ludorum and Shamardal himself.

Menuisier revealed that the colt would race for Didier Reed’s Prime Equestrian. The yearling, a late entry for the sale, had been through the Deauville sale ring in August when he was knocked down to Chauvigny Global Equine for €675,000.

Anthony Stroud was busy during the sale, most of his purchases under Stroud Coleman Bloodstock, but he signed in the name of Godolphin for another son of Sea The Stars, the third highest price of the week.

Consigned by J.K. Thoroughbreds, the son of Gilltown Stud’s leading sire is out of a half-sister to one of the stallion’s best sons, Group 1 Prix Ganay winner Cloth Of Stars. This is the family of Group 1 winners Light Shift, Ulysses and Shiva. He will be trained by Charlie Appleby.

At the conclusion of the first two days of selling, Eric Hoyeau, the president of Arqana, and Freddy Powell, its executive director, explained the new format this year. They said: ‘‘We have adapted to production levels, which explains the 40% increase in yearlings in the first part of the catalogue. With the sale having passed a milestone last year, our aim was to consolidate on those results, which has been achieved.”

Lope De Vega in huge demand

THREE yearlings by Ballylinch Stud’s Lope De Vega were among the top 10 lots of the week.

Bidding beside Deauville-based trainer Yann Barberot, Gitte and Philippe Allaire went to €310,000 for a daughter of the dual classic winner consigned by Anna Sundstrom’s Coulonces. The Haras de Saint-Laurent homebred is out of the listed winner Alzubra, and that daughter of Dansili has already produced this year’s Australian Group 3 Premier Cup winner Arapaho, himself a son of Lope De Vega, and the recent listed winner, Alula Borealis.

“She’s a lovely filly and is very elegant. We really liked her, as did Yann,” said Gitte Allaire. “She’s from a great family and a sibling to three blacktype horses. We previously bought Bouttemont, who was also bred by Elisabeth and André Fabre, so we hope the story continues with her!”

Sold from Haras d’Etreham to Stanford Bloodstock for €220,000 was a son of Lope De Vega out of Penny Lane, a listed winner and group-placed in France. The dam is a full-sister to the Group 1 German Oaks winner Palmas. The colt’s sale prospects received a timely boost when his two-year-old half-brother won both his starts after the catalogue was printed.

Another son of Lope De Vega, also from Etreham, headed the session on Tuesday, and consolidated the position of Anthony Stroud as the leading buyer at the sale. He was bidding on the telephone for the first foal of the German listed winner Cherry Lady, and this daughter of Soldier Hollow is out of the group winner and German 1000 Guineas runner-up Cherry Danon. The hammer fell at €210,000 for the colt.

Stroud and Etreham combined as buyer and seller on another of the week’s leading lots, a son of the champion sire Frankel. The agent signed the docket at €260,000 for a half-brother to Lope De Vega’s Duke Of Hazzard, winner of the Group 2 Celebration Mile. His dam is an Invincible Spirit half-sister to Group 1 Racing Post Trophy winner Palace Episode.

Stroud said: “He’s a lovely colt with a great pedigree. He ticks all the boxes and will be trained by Simon Crisford. We’re very happy.”

Stroud’s spending spree boosts sale

IN the name of his agency and with Godolphin, Anthony Stroud and his team spent just over €2 million this week at Arqana. Among their purchases was a colt with Arc de Triomphe written all over him.

The son of Nathaniel, sire of Enable, is out of a half-sister to the champion, and dual Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner, Treve. Offered from Haras du Quesnay, the colt is a half-brother to listed winner and group-placed Lady Day, as well as this season’s group-placed Maximus. He cost €260,000.

“I’ve bought him for a client of Simon Crisford’s,” said the agent. “He’s a good-looking colt and walks very well.”

Stroud signed for a Wootton Bassett colt from the La Motteraye Consignment at €185,000, and this half-brother to Group 3 Prix La Force winner Pao Alto is out of a group-winning half-sister to the Group 1 German Oaks winner Palmas. This is the same family as the Lope De Vega yearling which sold two lots later for €220,000.

The top two lots on day two were bought over the telephone by Anthony Stroud. They included a daughter of Zarak out of Group 2 Prix de Malleret runner-up Fuse for €180,000.

Offered from Haras du Hoguenet, the filly was bought in utero at the 2020 Arqana Breeding Stock Sale by Thierry Delègue of Pégase Bloodstock on behalf of Guillaume de Saint-Seine. Fuse is a half-sister to the dam of this year’s listed-winning juvenile Around Midnight.

Three yearlings for Klaravich Stables

MAKING his presence felt during the opening session was Oceanic Bloodstock’s Michel Zerolo, and he had the final say for three daughters of Wootton Bassett on behalf of Klaravich Stables

The trio was headed by a half-sister to the recent Chantilly winner Keziah, the two-year-old daughter of No Nay Never winning on her debut. From Écurie des Monceaux, the granddaughter of Grade 1 Beverly D Stakes winner Royal Highness is from a stellar female line, and sold for €250,000.

Also offered from Écurie des Monceaux was a filly by Wootton Bassett out of a winning Lawman mare whose own dam is a half-sister to the Group 1 winners Ectot and Most Improved. She cost €210,000. Earlier in the day the team struck for the first foal of the group-placed Le Havre mare Malevra from Haras de l’Hotellerie. She was knocked down for €200,000.

Representing the interests of White Birch Farm and Coolmore, Zerolo went to €210,000 for a son of Siyouni, sire of both St Mark’s Basilica and Sottsass, also offered from Monceaux. The full-brother to group-placed Paramount is out of a Zamindar half-sister to the Group 1 winning juvenile Paita. White Birch added a Siyouni filly, a half-sister to two group-placed winners, to their purchases for €170,000.

Almost a third of the top 22 lots sold this week were sired by Coolmore’s Wootton Bassett, and in all he had 26 yearlings sold which averaged €115,808.

Haras de la Louviére sold a colt out of a half-sister to Joshua Tree for €180,000 to Paul Nataf, Haras d’Ellon’s colt out of a winning half-sister to Volta cost FR Bloodstock €175,000, while Jean-Claude Rouget spent €170,000 on the second foal of a winning two-year-old by Choisir.