MA Filleule and Gitane Du Berlais were among the high-profile National Hunt broodmares sold by racehorse owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede at the Arqana December Sale in Deauville on Tuesday.

The 21 mares owned by the pair that went through the ring grossed €1,287,500 and averaged €61,310, with three of them breaking the €100,000 barrier.

Richard Aston of Goldford Stud secured Ma Filleule for €220,000 on behalf of client and breeder Dominic Burke.

The Topham Chase scorer won a total of eight races and was also placed twice at Grade 1 level.

Peter Molony of Rathmore Stud offered an opening bid of €100,000 but Richard Aston was not to be denied and went to €220,000 to secure the daughter of Turgeon who unfortunately slipped to Martaline this year.

“The first thing was to buy her”, replied Aston when asked about what attracted her to the beautiful grey. “We’ve admired her for five years probably and never thought we would have the opportunity to own her. The opportunity arose so we dug deep and bought her. It’s a definitive project, we want to try and breed something of her looks and ability. It’s not a commercial proposition. She’s going to breed racehorses we hope, and they will race."

Molony was determined not to let go of Gitane Du Berlais. When trained by Willie Mullins, the daughter of Balko won the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase as well as a pair of Grade 3 events in France and Ireland. She was offered carrying her third foal by Martaline.

“Those type of mares don’t come on the market normally," said Molony, “so you have to take the opportunity when it comes along. We’ve been here for three days and I wanted to buy either her or Ma Filleule. We ended up being underbidder on Ma Filleule so I am delighted to get one of them. She has been bought by a client in the UK to breed to race."

Anthony Bromley had the last word at €120,000 for Utopie Des Bordes on behalf of another client of Highflyer Bloodstock, whose name he could not reveal. The 10-year-old won the Grade 1 Prix Maurice Gillois and is a full or half sister to three listed or graded winners over jumps. She was offered in foal for the third time, to Gitane Du Berlais’s sire Balko.

Highflyer also secured Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle scorer Une Artiste, carrying to Martaline for €85,000. The same price was reached by listed winner Loxlade, in foal to Saint Des Saints, who was knocked down to Hervé Bunel’s Agence BHB on behalf of Ecurie Papot, and Grade 3 performer Daring Rose, carrying to the same sire, who went the way of Ryan Mahon.

FOAL SALE

Foals by the best jumps sires proved consistently popular and three of them commanded prices north of €70,000. Laurent Benoit’s Broadhurst Agency forked out €85,000 for the sole colt foal by Saint Des Saints in the catalogue, a half-brother to Auteuil listed winners Ultra Lucky and Good Lucky, offered by Haras de la Placière.

Early in the day, Haras de Montaigu’s Kapgarde colt, a full brother to the Grade 3 winner and Grade 1 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure runner-up Dalia Grandchamp commanded €75,000 from Paul Basquin’s Saubouas Bloodstock.

That price was matched minutes later by an Authorized half-brother to the top class chaser Sceau Royal, in which co-breeder Guy Vimont bought out his partners.

LOTS MORE BLOODSTOCK SALES NEWS IN THE IRISH FIELD NEXT WEEKEND