AS the return of the National Hunt season ‘proper’ nears, Willie Mullins continues to add to his powerful string, with agents Harold Kirk and Pierre Boulard going to €470,000 for one of the feature lots at Saturday’s Arqana Arc Sale.

Making his way to Closutton is Henri Devin’s Wild Card entry Quinteplus, with Boulard reporting: “He has an excellent profile for jumping. He’s a horse that has stamina and is by a stallion that seems to produce nice horses. We’re very happy.”

Quinteplus is a three-time winner from six starts, and finished third in a listed race over a mile and a half on his penultimate start. He returned in late August to finish fourth in a Group 3 over a mile and seven furlongs, beaten six lengths.

The three-year-old gelding hails from the first crop of Dante Stakes victor Telecaster, who Mullins showed his appreciation for when underbidding Devin’s debut winner Macao at the Arqana Summer Sale, where he fetched €320,000.

Paul Nicholls and Anthony Bromley gave €300,000 for Telecaster’s Auteuil hurdle winner Gold Coast at the same sale.

Changing codes

Boulard and Kirk earlier secured Group 1 performer Mr Hollywood on behalf of Mullins for €80,000; the joint lowest price of the sale. Runner-up in the German Derby and Grosser Preis von Baden in 2023, the grandson of Adlerflug has not been the force of old since switching to Henri-Alex Pantall this season.

Jerry McGrath’s name appeared on the buyers’ sheet alongside French-based agent Toby Jones, as the pair combined to buy Hugo Merienne’s promising hurdler Fire Warning for €340,000.

The four-year-old son of The Grey Gatsby got off the mark in August when scoring on the level at Moulins and went close on his hurdle bow earlier this month, finishing second to a well-backed favourite at Auteuil, beaten three-parts of a length.

Difference of opinion at top of the market

TWELVE months ago, four lots sold for seven-figure sums, but last weekend, the six highest prices achieved on the night were for unsold horses, ranging from €650,000 to €1.2million.

The million mark was breached by the Andre Fabre-trained two-year-old Seneque, who emerged as an exciting colt when bolting up by five and a half lengths on debut at Chantilly last month. The Aga Khan Studs retained Ridari for €950,000 following his second pattern win in the Group 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein.

Of the 39 horses offered, 59% sold and the lack of standout sales saw the turnover drop by almost 40%. The average price also suffered, falling by almost 35%, while the median declined by 9%.

BBA Ireland’s Michael Donohoe was active at the sale, buying listed-winning sprinter Cacofonix, and offered an explanation as to why the sale posted disappointing returns.

“The sale was well down,” Donohoe noted. “I think a lot of the vendors set quite high reserves on their horses this year. They set unrealistic reserves and that was one of the reasons why the sale results were significantly down on last year.

“Buyers from the Middle East, Australia, America and the domestic European market were there. There were very few people missing, if any, and I know that plenty of people were ready to bid online as well, but it was just one of those scenarios where the vendors’ expectations weren’t realistic.”

International market

Donohoe gained some compensation when securing the Wertheimer home-bred Cacofonix for €460,000. As well as landing listed races over six and seven furlongs, Yann Barberot’s charge had finished fifth in the Prix Jean Prat.

“He’s bought for an existing client in the Middle East,” the agent said of the three-year-old son of Lope De Vega. “The plan is to ship him out, and ideally, he’ll head for the sprint race on the turf on Saudi Cup day in February. That’s the immediate plan for him and maybe we’ll look at something then back in Dubai on Super Saturday and the Dubai World Cup, hopefully, if he gets up to that level.”

Another bound for sunnier climes is the Aga Khan Studs’ dual Group 3 winner Zabiari, who brought €450,000 from Australian-based agent Louis le Metayer of Astute Bloodstock. Switched to Francis-Henri Graffard this term, the four-year-old son of Wootton Bassett finished fifth to Ridari in the Prix Daniel Wildenstein earlier that day.

“He’s a lovely horse, that is well-bred and has been trained to perfection,” Le Metayer commented. “I think he has everything to become a Group winner in Australia, and that’s what we hope. We’re very happy.”

TOP lot honours went to Francois Rohaut’s hugely progressive filly Rabbit’s Foot, who was knocked down to Oceanic Bloodstock’s Michel Zerolo for €625,000. It marked an eventful few hours for the three-year-old, who produced a career-best to take third in the Group 1 Prix de Royallieu earlier that day - the same position she filled in a Group 2 and Group 3 on her two previous starts.

The first crop daughter of Golden Horde made it two from two in a listed race in April, taking her value past the €50,000 Meridian International gave for her at the Arqana October Sale as a yearling. Meridian’s Ghislain Bozo also celebrated Rabbit’s Foot’s Group 1 placing for the update it gave her Victor Lodurum half-sister, who he secured for €75,000 in August.

Al Aali was another success story from the Arqana October Yearling Sale, as trainer Lucie Pontoir’s €38,000 purchase resold for €500,000 following three blacktype placings. Successful buyers Billy Jackson-Stops and George Scott were spurred on by their Group 1 win with Caballo De Mar in the Prix du Cadran earlier that afternoon.

“I’ve bought him for Fawzi Nass, that really liked his profile,” the colt’s new trainer revealed. “Winning my first Group 1 and having the opportunity to buy such a horse has made this a very special day.”

A three-parts brother to Group 3 runner-up Silvestri, Al Aali was one of two by Haras d’Etreham’s promising young sire City Light to fetch €500,000 on the day. Chris and Yann Lerner’s listed winner Relaxx will continue her career in the US after Mandore International secured her on behalf of Miguel Clement, who took over the reins from his late father Christophe.

Placed at Group 3 level on multiple occasions, Relaxx is a granddaughter of a Group 3 winner, from the family of Prix d’Ispahan victor Never On Sunday.