Arqana December Closes With New Records

The four-day Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale ended its run on Tuesday with a number of record highs. The gross of €31,783,000 was the first time the stand had broken the €30,000,000 barrier, while 690 lots sold from 871 offered for a clearance rate of 79%. The overall average was €45,444, up 22% from the 2016 edition, while the median was €19,000 (+19%). Tuesday's results, featuring prominent National Hunt bloodlines, were similarly encouraging, with 114 horses marked as sold from 141 offered. The clearance rate improved to 81%, while the average of €18,811 was up 14%. The median also moved up, rising 30% to €13,000.

Topping Tuesday's trade was lot 912, the 9-year-old listed jumps heroine Shanon du Berlais (Fr) (Turgeon) in foal to Saint Des Saints (Fr). The Haras du Berlais consignee and half-sister to graded jumps winners Madison du Berlais (Fr) (Indian River {Fr}), Hilton du Berlais (Fr) (Saint des Saints {Fr}) and listed jumps scorer Jameson du Berlais (Fr) (Royal Charter {Fr}), brought €140,000 from David Minton of Highflyer Bloodstock.

“She is for one of our clients, John Lightfoot, for whom we consign foals” explained Juliet Minton. “She is a beautiful mare from a top-class family and we will try and breed her to Martaline. She will be boarded at Richard Powell's Haras du Lieu des Champs.”

The second dearest mare on the day was Ladies Wish (Fr) (Turgeon) (lot 820) from Haras du Mesnil. Purchased for €80,000 by Agences Fips, the grey, who won once over jumps and was second in a stake, is out of the National Hunt SW Ladies View (Ire) (Comrade in Arms {GB}) and is a full to Grade 3-winning jumper Ladies Choice (Fr) (Turgeon) and SW Ladytown (Fr) (Turgeon). She is carrying to Doctor Dino (Fr).

Andriy Ostapchuk's Greenfield Consignment sent young stallion and G1 Premio Vittorio di Capua hero Shamalgan (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) (lot 808) through the ring, and the first-season sire provided the second-highest price on Tuesday, going to Simon Springer for €135,000. Springer is also associated with successful sire Dabirsim (Fr) (Hat Trick {Jpn}), who also had his first runners in 2017.

“Mr. Springer has been following the stallion for two years and was very impressed with his first 2-year- old runners,” said Daniel Haeser, Springer's racing manager. “We are delighted to

have bought him and will send him to Haras de Grandcamp, where Dabirsim also stands. We will support him with our own mares as well as promote him actively to outside breeders.”

This was the sixth time through the ring for Shamalgan who stood at Haras du Lion during the 2014 and 2015 seasons, before returning to the track. He spend 2017 standing in the Czech Republic and his first crop of 31 2-year-olds have already yielded three winners from only six runners, including the listed-placed Anima Rock (Fr).

Arqana CEO Eric Hoyeau delivered the following assessment of the overall sale, “Trade has been nothing short of phenomenal over the last four days and most importantly demand was strong at every level of the markets. We didn't lose momentum as we progressed through the sale, and this is down primarily to the quality of stock brought to the market by our vendors, as well as to the hard work produced by our international representatives with the skillful support of the Arqana and FRBC teams. Together, we left no stone unturned whether in Japan, America, Australia, Australia, New Zealand, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Northern Africa and of course on both sides of the Channel. We wish to thank all the buyers who supported the sale this week and trust that the seeds have now been sown for French bloodlines to continue to produce classy winners across the world and in both disciplines.”