By John Berry
All eyes will be on Deauville this weekend. The G1 Darley Prix Morny will be the feature of a terrific afternoon of racing on Sunday; while Arqana's August Sale, which is held over three days from Saturday, raises the curtain on Europe's season of high-class yearling auctions. Arqana graduates have been enjoying yet another successful season on the world's racecourses, so the young horses on offer will be keenly scrutinised by owners or trainers serious about competing at the highest level. Included amongst their tour of inspections will be the first yearlings offered by many of the new bunch of first-season sires, and it is always exciting to see which of these young stallions seem to be throwing quality stock.
An extremely strong intake to the stallion ranks wordwide in 2016 means that yearlings buyers will be spoilt for choice when it comes to the offspring of Classic winners. The Ashford Stud-based 2015 US Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) and Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), the 2015 Investec G1 Derby, G1 Coral-Eclipse S., G1 QIPCO Irish Champion S. and G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero who stands at Dalham Hall Stud, are arguably the two biggest names among the group.
American Pharoah, whose stock sold eye-catchingly well in Saratoga last week, is discussed elsewhere in this issue; while we are sure to hear plenty of Golden Horn around the Arqana sale-grounds, where he has six fillies and two colts in the August Sale.
Golden Horn is not the only British Classic winner to have first-crop yearlings in the August Sale. His fellow Darley sire Night Of Thunder (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) has two colts and three fillies in the sale, conceived at Kildangan Stud in 2016 after a racing career which had yielded victories in the 2014 QIPCO G1 2000 Guineas and 2015 G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S.
The year after Night Of Thunder lowered the colours of Kingman (GB) and Australia (GB) in the 2000 Guineas, Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) landed a similarly thrilling victory in the same race. The beautifully-bred colt then followed up in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas and the G1 St. James's Palace S. (having previously taken the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. as a 2-year-old) and is clearly a very exciting young sire. He has eight yearlings in the August Sale including two whose pedigrees have recently had notable updates. Lot 8 is a filly out of Nuit Polaire (Ire) (Kheleyf) whose current 3-year-old Intellogent (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) took the G1 Qatar Prix Jean Prat last month. Lot 298 is a filly out of Elitiste (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) whose half-sister Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) has landed a stellar four-timer in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Coronation S., G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. and G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois during the summer.
Two other 'Guineas' winners also have an interesting first-crop representation in the August Sale. Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein) took the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains in 2014 before ending that year in a blaze of glory by landing the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita. He retired to Gainesway in Kentucky in 2016 and has one son in the sale. Make Believe (GB) (Makfi {GB), winner of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains in 2015 before taking the G1 Qatar Prix de la Foret in the autumn and then retiring to Ballylinch Stud, is represented by one sons and two daughters.
Another young Irish-based sire with top-class form linked in with the cream of the European Classic crop is Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparal {Ire}) who has two fillies catalogued. The former Moyglare Stud colourbearer has minor placings behind two Derby winners on his CV: second to Australia (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 ICON Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Trial S. as a juvenile and third behind Golden Horn in the G1 QIPCO Irish Champion S. as a 4-year-old. He had preceded that latter performance by taking the G1 Prince of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot.
Another Royal Ascot winner to have first-crop yearlings on offer in the August Sale is Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), the brilliant sprinter who began a sensational run of success in the summer of 2015 by taking the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. He subsequently followed up by taking the G1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket, the G1 LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville and the G1 QIPCO British Champions' Sprint S. at Ascot.
If his six Arqana yearlings are any guide, Muhaarar has been given every chance to succeed at stud. All six of them have top-drawer pedigrees, including a half-sister to the 2013 G1 Irish Oaks heroine Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and to recent G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
While one could call Muhaarar the best sprinter to have first-crop yearlings in the August Sale, fans of Brazen Beau (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) might dispute that assertion. Brazen Beau was brilliant during the 2014/'15 season in Australia, most notably landing impressive victories at Flemington in the G1 Coolmore Stud S. and the G1 Lexus Newmarket H. In between those triumphs he registered an excellent second place behind the mighty Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) (who then chased him home in the Newmarket H.) in the G1 Lightning S.
Brazen Beau probably didn't show his best form when, having come to Europe, he could only finish seventh behind Muhaarar in the July Cup, and he is better judged on his second place behind Undrafted (Purim) in the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot. He has one yearling in the August Sale, lot 231, a half-brother to Charm Appeal (Fr) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) who won three races last year including the Prix Volterra at Maisons-Laffitte.
Another very fast young stallion represented at Arqana is Gutaifan (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who retired to Yeomanstown Stud in 2016 at the age of three, having won four of his seven starts including two Group 2 sprints: the G2 Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte and the G2 Flying Childers S. at Doncaster. He has one colt and one filly to be sold this weekend.
A stablemate of Gutaifan in Richard Hannon's stable during 2015 was Ivawood (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) who notched three excellent minor placings that year: third behind Muhaarar in the G3 Greenham S. at Newbury and then third to Gleneagles in both the G1 2000 Guineas and the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas. He had won three races the previous season including the G2 July S. at Newmarket and the G2 Qatar Bloodstock Richmond S. at Goodwood. Now based at Coolmore, he has two colts in the August Sale.
Two other former high-class juveniles represented in the August Sale are the young Darley sires Outstrip (GB) and Sidestep (Aus). Both are sons of Exceed And Excel (Aus), with the former standing at Dalham Hall Stud and the latter at Haras du Logis. Outstrip enjoyed his finest hour when taking the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in 2013, having previously beaten The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) by three lengths in the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster. Sidestep is best remembered for his two roup victories at Rosehill: the G2 Pago Pago S. over 1200m as a 2-year-old and the G2 Royal Sovereign S. over the same distance at three.
Among the young sires represented in the August Sale is one who has already been a star of this special weekend but whose stud career was a short one as he died earlier this year. Having previously won a maiden race at Ayr and the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot, The Wow Signal (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) extended his unbeaten record by taking the G1 Darley Prix Morny in 2014. The Wow Signal sadly never raced after his rewarding juvenile season. Poor fertility meant that his crops were small, but lot 35, his daughter of Sister Golightly (GB) (Mtoto {GB}), will be sure to attract plenty of attention.
Of the French-based freshmen represented in the August Sale is Galiway (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) who stands alongside Kendargent (Fr) (Kendor {Fr}) at Haras de Colleville. Galiway won two races including the Prix Le Fabuleux at Maisons-Laffitte and is one of four stakes performers produced by his Group 3-winning dam Danzigaway (Danehill) who herself is a half-sister to the former Haras du Quesnay stalwart Gold Away (Ire) (Goldneyev). Galiway's only yearling in the August Sale is lot 320 Kenway, a son of the Group 3-winning Kendargent mare Kendam (Fr).
There is also a strong representation of first-season sires in Arqana's V2 Sale, five of whom do not have yearlings in the August Sale. One of them stands in France: the three-time Group 1 winner Hunter's Light (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) who stands under the Darley banner at Haras du Logis. Also representing Darley is the eight-time stakes winner French Navy (GB) (Shamardal) who stands at Kildangan Stud. Also Irish-based is the G3 Round Tower S. winner Cappella Sansevero (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) who stands at Bridge House Stud. Young British-based stallions represented in the sale are G2 Temple S. winner Hot Streak (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Lacken S. winner Due Diligence (War Front) who are based at Tweenhills Farm & Stud and at Whitsbury Manor Stud, respectively.
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