Arqana

The catalogue for the Arqana February Mixed Sale on February 13-14 was released by the sale company on Friday. Featuring 363 horses comprised of horses-in-training on the Flat and over jumps, broodmares, maidens, 2-year-olds and yearlings, with eight wildcards still to be announced, sessions will begin at 11 a.m. daily. The Arqana February Sale, which last year sold the G2 Prix du Petite Couvert winner and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye-placed Air De Valse (Fr) (Mesnil des Aigles {Fr}) as a broodmare prospect, this year offers a trio of fillies-in-training who...

The Siyouni (Fr) filly Gypsy Gold (Fr), who was rated 91 at her highest, is one of several late additions to the Arqana January Online Sale. Bidding will open at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25 and last until 5 p.m. that evening. Consigned as lot 6, the 4-year-old is offered out-of-training and is a daughter of the Classic-placed mare Glorious Sight (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}). A two-time winner, Gypsy Gold is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Glycon (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) and a full-sister to the multiple stakes-placed Glaer...

Almost €15,000 was raised at the Octobre Rose fundraising initiative in association with the Centre Francois Baclesse in the fight against cancer during the Arqana October Yearling Sale, the sales company announced on Thursday. Beginning on Monday, Oct. 16 and lasting through Friday, Oct. 20, vendors and members of the Arqana team took part in a charity step challenge. Their participation and the sale of 556 caps, raised a total of €14,329.89 for charity, with all proceeds going to the cause. The Centre Francois Baclesse, located in Caen, Normandy, is...

The breeding stock sales are, by definition, where many of the best broodmares and foals are offered under the hammer, but many fine racing prospects have emerged from these sessions in recent years.  Some farm the sales better than others, notably trainers Joseph O'Brien and Paddy Twomey, who have made a habit of replenishing their stables with high-class runners each winter.  So who fared best this winter? O'Brien and Twomey were back again, with the pair signing for some interesting prospects with a view towards next season, while a number...

The four-day Arqana Vente d'Elevage concluded on Tuesday, with four fillies and mares making €1 million or more, and 668 horses (77%) marked as sold for a gross of €47,135,000. Overall, the average was down 8% to €70,561, however, the median rose to €20,000, an increase of 16% off of 2022's mark. The sale was topped by Group 1 winner Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) at €4.025 million from leading buyer Portofino Bloodstock. Taking just Tuesday's trade into account, 109 lots sold (79%) for a gross of...

By Brian Sheerin and Katie Petrunyak Danish buyer Morten Buskop was left thanking his lucky stars on Sunday that his unnamed but long-standing client was more stubborn than him as he came out on top for the €190,000 Zarak (Fr) foal who led the way at the second session of the Arqana breeding stock sale.  There's nothing quite like seeing the sales house back up when a highly regarded horse walks into the ring and it became evident pretty quickly that the Haras de Montaigu-drafted colt had plenty of suitors...

DEAUVILLE, France-- On Nov. 19 at Aqueduct, Leslie's Rose (Into Mischief--Wildwood Rose {Ire}) by Galileo {Ire}) made a spectacular debut, demolishing the competition by almost 10 lengths, becoming her sire's 42nd 'TDN Rising Star'. Nothing new there. But the Into Mischief cross with a Galileo mare got Mike Repole thinking. Repole, the American entrepreneur who looks set to earn his second straight Eclipse Award with a champion juvenile, this time with his homebred GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Fierceness (City of Light), has become more and more invested in the...

A winner of the G1 Prix de Diane, CHANNEL (IRE) (Nathaniel {Ire}--Love Magic {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) (lot 215) was knocked down for €1.2 million on the bid of Katsumi Yoshida/Narvick International during the first day of Arqana's Vente d'Elevage. In foal to Wootton Bassett (GB), the granddaughter of G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Magical Romance (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) was consigned by La Motteraye Consignment.   The seven figure mark has been broken again at the ❄️#VentedElevage as CHANNEL (lot 2️⃣1️⃣5️⃣), Prix de Diane (Gr.1) winner in foal to #WoottonBassett...

Frankel (GB)'s Sibila Spain (Ire) (lot 204) was another mare to reach seven figures at Arqana on Saturday, bringing €2 million from Newsells Park Stud while carrying her first foal by Dubawi (Ire). Consigned by Haras de l'Hotellerie, the bay won the G2 Prix du Muguet and is a full-sister to group winner and Group 1-placed Master Of Reality (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). The duo are out of L'Ancresse (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), a listed winner who ran second in the G1 Irish Oaks and the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare...

A member of the Gestut Ammerland dispersal, listed winner Sea The Sky (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Sanwa {Ger}, by Monsun {Ger}) realized a €1.25 million final bid from Godolphin during the opening session of Arqana's Vente d'Elevage in Deauville Saturday. The €820,000 Baden-Baden September yearling purchase is a full-sister to German Derby victor Sea The Moon (Ger), out of a full-sister to German Classic winners Schiaparelli (Ger), Samum (Ger) and Salve Regina (Ger).

There were emotional scenes in the early parts of the Saturday session at Arqana when Without Words (Mendelssohn), who Mick Murphy and Sarah O'Connell of Longways Stables failed to sell at the breeze-up here in May, was knocked down to Justin Casse on behalf of Joseph O'Brien for €450,000.  Without Words carried O'Connell's colours to victory on her second start for trainer Francois Rohaut at Toulouse. There was a kaleidoscope of significance to the win and subsequent sale with Murphy revealing afterwards that his wife had recently been diagnosed with...

Arqana boss Freddy Powell says he is optimistic the sales company can end the year on a high as leading vendors Gwen Monneraye of la Motteraye and Charles Brière of the Fairway Consignment reported strong footfall on the eve of the breeding stock sale.  The sales figures for the breeding stock sale in Britain and the foal sales in Ireland took a dip on the whole this year and Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said 'certain sectors are facing into a headwind' when acknowledging the struggles facing operators in the middle...