Deauville

There was a huge upset in Tuesday's G3 Prix Imprudence at Deauville as Guy Pariente and Satoshi Kobayashi's Showna (Kendargent) emerged strong to land odds of 64-1 with no hint of fluke. Like the Djebel winner the beneficiary of two starts already in 2026, the winner of a 6 1/2-furlong handicap on the Polytrack here in January was delivered from rear by Marvin Grandin to overwhelm the 6-5 favourite My Highness (Ghaiyyath) in the final half furlong and register a 2 1/2-length success. There was another 1 3/4 lengths back...

Coming into Tuesday's G3 Prix Djebel with two runs already under his belt this year, Al Shaqab's Afandy (Mehmas) made that count as he led from the break to take Deauville's Classic trial. Already gelded and unable to contest the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained homebred who had surrendered his unbeaten record to the filly Baklawa (Stunning Spirit) in Cagnes-sur-Mer's Listed Prix de la Californie in February showed abundant zest from the outset under Cristian Demuro. A sitting duck for all the big contenders up the centre of...

Over 200 two-year-olds, one of them a St Mark's Basilica half-brother to G1 Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Galileo), have been catalogued for the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale. Breezes will take place over the Deauville turf on Thursday May 7 from midday, before the sale begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 9. Set to sell as lot 174, the bay is also a half-brother to G1 Railway Stakes heroine Bounding (Lonhro), while multiple group winner and sire Kuroshio is under the second dam. Other choice lots include lot 19, a...

G3 Prix Antoine de Vazelhes heroine Lovran (No Risk At All) (AQPS) is one of three wildcards added to the Arqana February Mixed Sale, set for February 17-18. Consigned as lot 130, she is a half-sister to the Group 1-placed Kahula (Authorized) (AQPS). Joining her is second out winner Recollect (Recoletos) (lot 365), who hails from the family of Group 1 winners Harzand, Emily Upjohn (Sea The Stars), Seal Of Approval (Authorized) and Hurricane Lane. Rounding out the trio is Mystere Du Repas (Choeur Du Nord). Lot 365A is a...

A pair of debut winners were added to the Arqana February Mixed Sale as wildcards, set for February 17-18. Dante Nonantais (Hunter's Light) (lot 355) won over 1900 metres at Deauville last week. The GI Santa Anita Handicap hero Urgent Request (Rainbow Quest) is a member of the three-year-old colt's extended family. Joining him in the catalogue is Highbourne Karisma (Doctor Dino) (lot 360). The five-year-old mare claimed a 2300-metre win at first asking. She is a granddaughter of multiple stakes winner and G1 Prix Alain du Breil runner-up Katkovana...

The two-day Arqana February Mixed Sale features 400 lots, including Sign And Seal (Hurricane Run), the dam of Group 1 winner Beaute Cachee (Literato), on February 17-18. The catalogue includes 152 mares and 81 fillies, as well as 50 short yearlings, and the complete dispersal of Al Shahania's thoroughbreds, and four stallion shares set to go under the hammer during the first session. The second session will consist of the second breeding stock portion, following on from the dispersal of Franck Leblanc, a selection of two- and three-year-old stores, 14...

Sam Sangster's gathering of smart mares with which to launch the new National Stud stallion Diego Velazquez continued on the third day of the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale in Deauville, where he bought the session-topper, Invaluable (Invincible Spirit), in foal to first-season sire Vandeek for €121,000 from the Fairway Consignment. The unraced Invaluable (lot 774), now nine, is a sister to the Listed winner Emmaus, while their dam Prima Luce (Galileo) won the G3 Athasi Stakes. Recent G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern winner Bay City Roller (New Bay) features under...

In a recent conversation with TDN's very own Sue Finley, I realized that we were facing the same, and admittedly awful, conundrum: where will we eat out in Deauville this December? It is an understatement to say that the eating and drinking scene in the Normandy resort has undergone quite a changeover in the last few years. In fact, most of the venues where racing and bloodstock folks used to gather at the end of a long day on the Arqana sales grounds have either closed or changed hands -...

A total of nine wildcards, including group winner Half Sovereign (Ten Sovereigns), have been added to Arqana's Vente d'Elevage catalogue. They will be offered on the first evening of the sale on Saturday, December 6. Offered as lot 195 from Consign, Ltd., the G3 Prix Miesque winner is from the same family as dual Group 1 winner Jack Hobbs, as well as group scorers Pollenator (Motivator), Stellaria (Kizuna), and Golden Pond (Don't Forget Me). Arcadia Elevage consigns G3 Prix de Flore second Ginalyah (Chachnak) (lot 205). Rated 106, she is...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a daughter of a G1 Matron Stakes winner. 12.32 Newmarket, £10,000, Nov, 2yo, f, 7fT Juddmonte's hitherto unraced SERENETTA (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is out of G1 Matron Stakes victrix Emulous (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and thus a half-sister to multiple Group 1-winning Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe...

DEAUVILLE, France -- Trade may have slightly shifted down a gear, as is to be expected of a graded sale, but right from the word go on Wednesday there was a noted surge in demand, along with a new wave of faces on the ground for this second session, which saw a rise in the clearance rate to 82.5 per cent, up by five per cent on the equivalent day last year. That in turn led to an increase in both average and median as well as the session's aggregate,...

Conditions were desperate at Deauville on Wednesday and while there won't be any prizes handed out for time performances Prince Faisal's homebred filly Sindalah (Dubawi) shaped with promise on her winning debut. Allowed her own way in front under Maxime Guyon in the mile debutantes race for fillies, the Andre Fabre-trained half-sister to the international heavyweight Mishriff (Make Believe) held on to prevail by a head from Flash Girl (The Grey Gatsby). A descendant of the Prix de Diane heroine and stellar broodmare Rafha, the winner returned at 4-1. The Aga Khan Studs...