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M.V. Magnier has revealed an exciting plan by the Coolmore team to put a string of yearlings by American Pharoah in training with Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle.
Magnier spoke of the strategy at the Arqana Yearling Sales in Deauville moments after he paid €750,000 for the first yearling by American Pharoah to be sold in Europe.
The Coolmore representative outbid Phoenix Bloodstock for the the athletic bay filly, a half-sister to the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks and Prix Vermeille heroine Shareta and was consigned by Haras d’Etreham.
Magnier said: “She is a beautiful individual out of a Group 1 producer and Bob Baffert has always said that American Pharoah could have been just as good on the grass.
“My grandfather [Vincent O’Brien] founded Ballydoyle on American dirt horses —that’s where Galileo comes from, that’s where Sadler’s Wells came from. It all goes back to the American classic horse.
“And we strongly believe in American Pharoah. He really could be the next big thing. Be it him, or Justify, we think that a horse of that type can once again have a transforming impact on European bloodlines. So that’s what we want to do: to get the best American Pharoahs we can, put them in Ballydoyle, and try to make him a new Northern Dancer. Remember Scat Daddy was an all-American hero, too, and look what he has been able to do on turf in Europe.”
FIGURES STEADY
The opening session of the August Yearling Sale on Saturday evening returned a promising set of results following a very similar trend to the 2017 renewal.
With Part I only halfway down, the average price of €230,776 proved extremely close to the 2017 figure for the combined two sessions while the aggregate is just short of half last year’s Part I total.
Ironically, the top lot on Saturday was a Galileo filly who is heading to America.
Topping the session was a Galileo half-sister to the high class juveniles Kenya, Zantenda and Single consigned by Haras des Capucines, with Justin Casse as the winning bidder at €810,000.
The filly’s dam Tender Morn was bought by Horse France at the Arqana 2012 Breeding Stock Sale from Wertheimer et Frère. “What’s not to like about her?” quipped the agent. “She is from a very good family with a lot of quality about her and a lot of substance for a Galileo. She will go to the US and be trained by my brother [Mark].”
The very first lot in the ring, a daughter of Galileo out of the Grade 2 winning mare Naissance Royale, set proceedings off to a strong start when commanding €600,000 from Narvick International’s Emmanuel de Seroux. From the prominent draft of Ecurie des Monceaux, the slick bay is set to travel to Japan for an undisclosed client.
FRANKEL COLT FOR GEORGE PECKHAM
The same price tag was matched later in the evening by a Frankel colt who was also raised and consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux. The relative to Best Of The Bests attracted a closing bid of €600,000 from Oliver St Lawrence, who was standing alongside Bahrain owner-trainer Fawzi Nass.
“He is a big, scopey horse with a nice staying model, quite unfurnished at the moment but who could hopefully go on to win the St Leger, offered the agent. He will be trained by George Peckham.”
The Coolmore team showed a lot of support to second season sire Camelot, who had four yearlings sold for an average of €292,500. The most popular was a €560,000 half-brother to this year’s Group 3 Chester Vase winner Young Rascal for which M.V. Magnier signed the docket.
The grey was consigned by Anna Sundström’s Coulonces Sales on behalf of Elisabeth Fabre’s Ecurie Peregrine.
Anthony Stroud, bidding alongside David Loder, sealed the deal at €475,000 for a Lope De Vega filly brought to the ring by Ecurie des Monceaux. “She is very athletic and a great mover,” commented the agent on the relative to sprint veteran Muthmir.
DARK ANGEL COLT
A grey son of Dark Angel, again offered by Ecurie des Monceaux, caused a serious bidding battle which eventually saw Michel Zerolo give way to Stephen Hillen at €450,000. The colt is a half-brother to two stakes horses in Buthela and Deemster who both went through the same ring.
“He has a good physical and is very much in the mould of the sire,” said Hillen. “He behaved beautifully in the ring, and obviously the record of Ecurie des Monceaux is second to none. He will be trained by Henri-François Devin for a new client.”
David Redvers wasn’t going to be denied on a half-brother to classic heroine Chicquita and Group 2 Ribblesdale scorer Magic Wand, from the first crop of Nunnery Stud’s Muhaarar. The agent kept upping his game until a €420,000 bid closed the deal for the Ecurie des Monceaux offering.
Redvers commented: “He is for Qatar Racing and is one of the few colts we need to buy to fill the gaps of our breeding programme. He is a fantastic individual with a stallion’s pedigree, and his physique gives credit to where he’s come from. He looks speedy and is very much in the type of the sire.”
SISTER ACT
Peter Brant has been on a phenomenal ride with Ecurie des Monceaux-bred Sistercharlie, who has now annexed three Grade 1 races Stateside after running second in the Group 1 Prix de Diane.
Not content with having produced such a talented athlete, her dam Starlet’s Sister has also been responsible for her year-younger sister My Sister Nat, who took second in the Group 3 Prix Chloé after the catalogue was printed.
The White Birch principal already returned to the well a year ago when securing a Siyouni colt for €340,000 and was back for more this time around with Michel Zerolo having to stretch to €400,000 to secure the Charm Spirit yearling half-brother.
“The dam has obviously proved that she is a tremendous breeder,” commented Zerolo. “This colt will go into training with Jean-Claude Rouget like his year-older half-brother who is set to make his racecourse debut on Tuesday. We have high expectations with him.”
€400,000 was also the price American agent Gatewood Bell had to shell out for a filly from the first crop of dual classic scorer Gleneagles whose dam has already produced Group 1 Prix Jean Prat scorer Intellogent as well as listed performer Lightupthenight. Once again raised and sold by Ecurie des Monceaux, she hails from the family of German classic winners Nightflower, Night Petticoat and Next Desert.
“She is a half-sister to a Group 1 winner out of a young stallion that I really like. She will start in Europe before heading to America if she proves good enough. She is for Everett Dobson of Cheyenne Stables.”
Late in the evening, Charles Gordon-Watson also matched that price tag for a Camelot colt from Coulones Sales, the second foal out of the classic placed Venus De Milo.
FULL ARQANA SALES REPORT & YORK EBOR MEETING NEWS IN THE IRISH FIELD NEXT WEEKEND
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