Arqana Summer Sale

Two-year-olds for both codes were the order of the day as the Arqana Summer Sale began its three-day run in Deauville on Tuesday.  It was the young store horses who held sway over their Flat counterparts, and the opening session's top lot (159) was a son of No Risk At All, offered by The Channel Consignment. Named Ironhorse Has and sold on behalf of his breeder Hamel Stud, the two-year-old half-brother to Grade 3-winning chaser Irouficar Has (Dream Well) was signed for by Guy Petit at €180,000. "Pedigree, conformation, attitude...

Last year's G3 Prix de la Rochette winner Houquetot (lot 416) is one of 13 new additions to the catalogue for the Arqana Summer Sale, which takes place between Monday, June 30 and Thursday, July 3. Trained by Christopher Head, the son of Wootton Bassett and G3 Athasi Stakes scorer Happen (War Front) was last seen finishing sixth in the G3 Prix Paul de Moussac. He will be offered by Haras de Bouquetot, along with fellow three-year-old Zekret (lot 414), a son of Zarak who recently finished fifth in the...

Last year's G3 Derby-Trial winner Augustus will be offered as a wildcard during the Arqana Summer Sale, which takes place between Monday, June 30 and Thursday, July 3. The full catalogue is available to view here. The son of Soldier Hollow will be consigned by trainer Waldemar Hickst, having finished third behind the top-class Goliath (Adlerflug) when making his most recent appearance in the G3 La Coupe at ParisLongchamp earlier this month. A Listed-winning juvenile, he followed his Derby-Trial success last year with a third-place finish in the G1 Deutsches...

A quartet of wildcards, including Love Affair (Study Of Man) (lot 520), have been added to the Arqana Summer Sale set for Deauville from June 30-July 3. The 4-year-old filly is in foal to Good Guess, and she is a half-sister to group winners Lazy Griff (Protectionist) who was second in the G1 Betfred Derby on Saturday, and Lambo (Protectionist). The other three wildcards are as follows: listed winner Maturlo (Starspangledbanner) (lot 397); the 89-rated winner Motion (Lope De Vega) (lot 398); and the stakes-placed Alanya (Le Havre) (lot 519),...

A trio of Flat horses-in-training have been added to the Arqana Summer Sale as wildcards. The sale will be held from Monday, June 30-Thursday, July 3. The Satoshi Kobayashi-trained Short Final, who won the G3 Kronimus Badener Meile in Germany last week will be consigned as lot 412. Rated 108, the son of Zelzal will be joined by lot 400, Dioptase. By New Bay and rated 102, Dioptase was runner-up in the G3 Prix Greffulhe and is a winner over 1500m and 2000m. Rounding out the trio is Kirchner (Pinatubo)...

The catalogue for the Arqana Summer Sale, featuring over 560 horses bred under both codes, is now available online. Past graduates include Mgheera (Zoustar), a multiple group winner on the Flat, while in the jumping sphere, Game Of Storm (Motivator), Haiti Couleurs (Dragon Dancer), Mambonumberfive (Born To Sea) and Nietzsche Has (Zarak) all won over hurdles in France and across the channel. Set for June 30-July 3, the sale features 73 Flat-bred 2-year-olds, 160 2- and 3-year-old NH stores, as well as 88 mares and fillies-out-of-training. Juveniles will be put...

For the third consecutive year, Arqana's Summer Sale broke the €10-million barrier by gross, with 326 lots (67%) marked as sold from 488 offered in Deauville. Buyers, more selective than in 2023 when the sale boasted an 83% clearance rate, paid €10,711,000 across the three day stand. However, the 2024 catalogue was bolstered by an additional 113 horses compared to the 2023 version. The average closely tracked last year's edition as well at €32,856 (-3%), while the median dropped 19% to €16,000. Thursday's session, which featured breeding stock, added €1,142,500...

Top-notch jumps prospects lit up day two of the Arqana summer sale on Wednesday where top French agent Bertrand Le Metayer went to €450,000 to secure the promising Mambonumberfive (Fr) (Born To Sea {Ire}) (lot 526), who was second in a valuable three-year-old hurdle at Auteuil when last seen. Trained by Francois Nicolle, Mambonumberfive was consigned by Eric Ventrou, who was left visibly emotional by topping the sale. He said, "I had three weeks to prepare him so I was a little bit shocked. We did what we could but...

A €210,000 daughter of Too Darn Hot (GB) headlined what was a predictably tricky two-year-old section to the Summer Sale at Arqana as the curtain definitively came down on the 2024 breeze-up season.  It was Brendan Holland's Grove Stud who consigned the day one top lot, who was bought by bloodstock agent Arthur Hoyeau on behalf of MyRaceHorse.  "She's been bought for MyRaceHorse and will go to the United States," said Hoyeau. "She's a very interesting filly with lots of qualities and has the perfect profile to go to the...

An additional six wildcards have been added to the Arqana Summer Sale in Deauville on July 1-4. On the Flat, Nardaran (Fr) (Waldgeist {GB}) (lot 478) will sell after a debut third at Saint-Cloud. He is out of multiple group winner Narniyn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Another Flat-bred horse is Fang Mich (Ger) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) (lot 503), who has a win and a placing from two starts. The half-sister to G1 Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon Ger}) is joined by jumps horses Policasta (GB) (National Defense {GB})...

The winner Griselda (Fr) (City Light {Fr}) (lot 502) is one of seven more Flat and NH wildcards added to the Arqana Summer Sale.  She is a half-sister to group winner Nikkei and is from the family of Group 1 winner Neatico (Ger) (Medicean {GB}). For the National Hunt additions, Latopix (Fr) (Beaumec De Houelle {Fr}) (lot 516) is a winner over 2400 metres at Vichy last month; Irisante (Ger) (Tai Chi {Ger}) (lot 524) was third in the G3 Prix Sagan; a winner over hurdles is the listed-placed Sony...

A juvenile colt by Justify is one of 134 Flat-bred 2-year-olds catalogued for the mixed Arqana Summer Sale on July 1-4. The mixed sale features the 2-year-old breezes on Monday, July 1 beginning at 1 p.m., while the Flat juveniles and 176 2- and 3-year-old stores will sell on Tuesday, July 2 at 10 a.m. Wednesday's session features 200 horses-in-training from 2 p.m., and the final session, on Thursday, July 4, includes 115 mares and filles, beginning at 11 a.m. Graduates of the sale have enjoyed success on the Flat...