Deauville

Nominations for the €1.2-million Arqana Series, now in its second year, are now open until June 1, the sales company announced on Thursday. Consisting of five races reserved for foals offered at the 2022 Arqana Vente d'Elevage and 2-year-olds sold at the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale, the series features four races for 2-year-olds and one for 3-year-olds. A trio of juvenile races and the 3-year-old race will take place at Deauville on Aug. 15. The final 2024 Arqana Series race will be held at ParisLongchamp on Arc Weekend, Oct. 5....

1/ST and France Galop have partnered with the aim of increasing international participation, the two companies announced on Wednesday. The new partnership will begin with the $100,000 GIII Gallorette S. at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, Preakness Day. Whichever horse wins the Gallorette, will automatically qualify to run in the €250,000 G1 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet S. at Deauville on Aug. 18. A travel stipend will also be provided. 1/ST has previously partnered with Ascot Racecourse on Gulfstream Park's Royal Palm Series which targets Royal Ascot's juvenile races, as...

For some, Deauville is a summer playground. Horse sales, racing, good food and a spot of shopping. We have the Duc de Morny to thank for that. Having been instrumental in the construction of the racecourse at Longchamp in 1857, Napoleon's half-brother turned his attention to the Normandy seaside and by August 1864, racing was underway at Hippodrome la Touques in the town which has continued to draw the rich and famous, both for horse racing and film festivals. Nowadays, Deauville is no longer home solely to the August meeting....

Keeping his unbeaten record intact in style at Deauville on Tuesday, Nurlan Bizakov's Lazzat (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) made all in a G3 Prix Djebel that he turned into a war of attrition. Taken straight to the front by Antonio Orani, the Jerome Reynier-trained Listed Prix de la Californie winner stretched his rivals to breaking point, with only Keran (Fr) (Blue Point {Ire}) able top give any meaningful pursuit. At the line, the 7-10 favourite had 2 1/2 lengths to spare, with five lengths back to Devil's Point (Ire) (New Bay...

The catalogue for Arqana's annual Breeze-up Sale, set to be held May 9-11 at Deauville, is now available online. This year 207 two-year-olds are on offer, including the progeny of leading European stallions such as Dubawi (Ire), Frankel (GB), Sea The Stars (Ire) and Siyouni (Fr), as well as top US-based sires such as Gun Runner and Justify. More than 80 stallions are represented altogether. The breezes will take place on the grass at Deauville-La Touques Racecourse on Thursday, May 9, followed by a day of inspections on Friday, May...

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...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Insights features Blush (Ire), a daughter of Grade I winner Lady of Shamrock.   15.45 Deauville, Mdn, £30,000, unraced 2yo, f, 7 1/2f (AWT) Alain and Gerard Wertheimer's BLUSH (IRE) (Kingman {GB}) is a daughter of GI American Oaks and GI Del Mar Oaks heroine Lady Of Shamrock...

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...

Carenot (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), a half-sister to the G1 Phoenix S. winner Dick Whittington (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), topped the third day of the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale in Deauville at €72,000. The 10-year-old mare is a dual winner and her first three foals have all also won two races, including the Listed-placed Liberalist (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Offered in foal to Earthlight (Ire) as lot 582 from Haras du Lieu des Champs, Carenot was bought by Whitehorn Bloodstock on behalf of Emir Alkas of Alkas Stud in Turkey. Alkas's...

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...

In 2012, bloodstock agent Alex Solis and Jason Litt traveled to the Arqana December Sale in Deauville on behalf of LNJ Foxwoods, who were just getting started in establishing an operation now known all over the world. Solis and Litt came in search of foundation mares for the fledgling operation, and found just that in Gold Round (Ire), a half-sister to Goldikova (Ire) whom they purchased from the draft of Wertheimer and Frere for €520,000. Twelve years later, they are back to offer one of her daughters, Golden Attitude, a...