Arqana

Abdullah Saeed Almaddah purchased a 1/50th share in smart, young sire Zarak (Fr) (lot 1) for €410,000 to top the Arqana Online January Sale on Tuesday. The son of Dubawi (Ire) and Arc heroine Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar) is already the sire of 15 stakes performers led by Group 1-placed Purplepay (Fr) (La Parisienne (Fr) and Times Square (Fr), as well as group winners Sirjan (Ger), Baiykara (Fr), Lavello (Ire), and Lizaid (Ger). He stands for €60,000 in 2023. Second in the sold column was lot 10, a 1/50th share in...

One day after a nine-lot catalogue of stallion shares and breeding rights was announced, the Arqana Online January Sale has increased by four more lots, led by a 1/50th share in young Haras d'Etreham stallion Persian King (Ire). The son of Kingman (GB) is a French Classic winner and added two more Group 1s to his resume at four. Slated as lot 10, the share gives the buyer the right to two coverings a year, and Persian King stands for €25,000 this term. Besides the share in Persian King, three...

The catalogue for the Arqana Online January Sale, featuring a 1/50th share in rising stallion star Zarak (Fr) (lot 1), is now online. Featuring nine lots split between breeding rights and stallion shares, the sale will be held from 3-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Standing under the Aga Khan Studs' banner at Haras de Bonneval for €60,000, the son of Dubawi (Ire) and the Arc heroine Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar) already has 15 black-type winners to his credit, including the Group 1-placed Times Square (Fr), Purplepay (Fr), and La Parisienne...

What was your first job in the Thoroughbred industry? I did an internship at Haras de Montaigu about 10 years ago during my school holidays. The biggest influence on your career? I have always had the chance to work for great people all over the world that always pushed me to go forward in the industry. Ballylinch Stud has been one of them. I learned everything there, about horses and all industry. They gave me every opportunity to learn. Favourite racehorse of all time, and why? It must be Allaho....

Kingman (GB)'s Mathletic (Fr) (lot 1), second by a neck in the G3 Prix de Fontainebleau, topped the Arqana Online December Sale at €500,000 from Ballymore Stables Australia/Paul Moroney Bloodstock. Also second in the Listed Prix Tantieme, the dual winner is a half-brother to GIII Seaway S. heroine Marbre Rose (Smart Strike), as well as the stakes-winning multiple graded-placed Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and the Listed Prix de Saint-Cyr victress Aviatress (Ire) (Shamardal). The extended family features GI Selene S. winner Zoftig (Cozzene) and her Grade I-winning daughters Zo Impressive...

A late addition to the Dec. 15 Arqana Online December Sale is a share in Grade 1-siring National Hunt stallion No Risk At All (Fr) (My Risk {Fr}) as lot 20. The chestnut is a half-brother to champion jumper Nickname (Fr) (Lost World {Ire}), and has sired four Grade I winners over jumps to date. His stores sold for up to €195,000 this year, and he stands for a fee of €18,000.

The Group 3-placed Epic Poet (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (lot 18) and a share in Classic winner Persian King (Ire) (lot 11) are two of the highlights of the Arqana December Online Sale at 3-5 p.m. on Dec. 15. The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Epic Poet won the Listed Prix Pelleas at Compiegne in July. Third in the G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange on Sept. 4, he was most recently second in a pair of listed races at Marseille Borely. Persian King, who won the G1 French 2000 Guineas among his...

Indices remained above average, as a record-breaking Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale concluded in Deauville on Tuesday. Despite more horses on offer, demand remained strong at 80% with 740 head sold of 926 offered. The gross breached the €50-million mark for the first time, totaling €56,800,500. The overall average of €76,757 was up 27%, and the median increased 15% to €17,250. Tuesday's session posted a clearance rate of 83.5%, as 127 sold from 152 for an aggregate of €714,500. The median was unchanged at €3,500, and the average improved 23%...

One day after the Aga Khan-bred and -consigned Shahnameh (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) topped the proceedings at the Arqana Vente d'Elevage, another of the operation's 3-year-old filly was the star turn in Deauville, as the unraced Vazzana (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) was knocked down for €120,000 to lead the way during the penultimate session of the auction. Catalogued at lot 716, the bay filly is a daughter of Vazira (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), winner of three of her six career starts, including the 2014 G1 Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp one start...

   As entertaining as he is brave, Philipp Stauffenberg has dominated the top bracket of the pinhooking table despite buying only a select number of foals each year.    Stauffenberg was once again in the spotlight in October when five of his yearlings took Tattersalls by storm when selling for a combined figure of 2,345,000gns at a memorable Book 1 sale.     Back at Tattersalls, where he was searching for his next Book 1 star at the December Foal Sales, the never-boring and cigarillo-smoking Stauffenberg spoke with TDN Europe's Brian...

On a day where BBA Ireland tightened its grip on yet another sale by signing for the top lot for €175,000, Haras d'Etreham boss Nicolas de Chambure was breathing a sigh of relief as the progeny of two of the stud's newbies Persian King (Ire) and Hello Youmzain (Fr) took flight. Persian King enjoyed a particularly strong session. The G1 French 2000 Guineas winner, who stood for €30,000 in his debut season at stud, saw seven foals sell for €516,000, headed by a colt (lot 306) knocked down to Alex...

Christophe Clement said he always looks forward to his annual trip to Deauville for the Arqana December Sale. It's a bit like stepping back in time for the U.S.-based trainer as he wanders the grounds that were once the setting of childhood summers spent working for his father, French conditioner Miguel Clement Sr. The youngest of three, Clement is still often called 'Little Clement' while in Deauville. "That always makes me laugh," said Clement, whose own son Miguel has a handle on their stable in America while his father is...