With the yearling sales now in full swing TDN quizzes industry figures on past purchases, life during lockdown and gets their perspective on the sales for the next few weeks. Nicolas de Watrigant answers our questions today.
TDN: What was your best yearling purchase over the last few years? And your favourite?
NDW: From the 2014 Arqana August sale, Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) was definitely one of the very best horses I have purchased. Winning both the Prix Rothschild G1 at Deauville and the G1 Coronation S. during Royal Ascot, in front of Her Majesty The Queen, is one of my fondest racing memories and it was an amazing moment for H.E Sheikh Joaan Al Thani and all of the filly's connections.
TDN: Is there any positive you have taken from how the sales have been conducted this year?
NDW: Absolutely, I think the different sales companies in the world have managed to adapt really well to the problem, whether with re-arranging sales dates and locations, but also giving more information to the buyers online and the opportunity to buy online. This is a great step for the future. The sales companies who have combined their efforts and worked together, have in my opinion, shown true intelligence in a difficult moment.
TDN: How has your business adapted?
NDW: As we couldn't move from home during lockdown, it gave me the opportunity to spend time with my family while I was getting news on the phone from the different trainers that we're working with. It enabled me to continue reporting to our clients. As soon as lockdown was over we got back to a nearly normal life, on mornings going to the various training centers in France to check clients' horses and sourcing new horses for others clients. We realized that, in France, we were lucky that racing resumed shortly after, even though we weren't able to attend racing.
TDN: In general what are your thoughts on the 2020 yearling catalogues? And what progeny of new stallions are you most looking forward to?
NDW: The 2020 Arqana Select Sale catalogue appears to be a very good vintage with the offspring of many proven stallions such as Galileo (Ire), Dubawi (Ire), Sea the Stars (Ire), Frankel (GB), Kingman (GB), Lope de Vega (Ire), Invincible Spirit (Ire), Le Havre (Ire), Siyouni (Fr), Kodiac (GB), Wootton Bassett (GB), Dark Angel (Ire), etc. I believe that it really is a year of opportunities, and the chance for owner/breeders to get into big European families from England, Ireland, Germany and Italy at more reasoned prices.
The Arqana Select Sale has proved over the years that it is a great source of top class horses, more recently with G1 horses like Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) who won the French Derby for Peter Brandt, or with Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) who is a Breeders' Cup Mile & triple Grade I winner in the USA, which I was lucky to purchase in association with Bradley Weisbord for Madaket and their partners.
As for the new stallions, I am naturally looking forward to see the first yearlings of Al Wukair (Ire), whom I purchased as a yearling for Al Shaqab Racing. Al Wukair won the G1 Jacques le Marois as a 3-year-old just like Kingman and Dubawi, and was a close third in the G1 2000 Guineas to another young and talented horse, Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
TDN: Did you develop any new interests or hobbies during lockdown?
NDW: I think my wife, Meryl, was hoping for me to improve my cooking skills during that time, but it didn't happen. I love gardening, during lockdown it was a great excuse for me to exercise this passion with my kids.
TDN: Who's the most interesting person you know?
NDW: Without hesitation I would say Mrs. Tsui, the owner of Sea The Stars, who I am lucky to work with. I have a lot of admiration for what she has achieved in her life. Mrs. Tsui won the Arc twice with both the incredible mare Urban Sea (Miswaki) and her son Sea The Stars, nearly three times with Sea Of Class (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) beaten a nose by Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). She is a women who is very knowledgeable in many sectors of many industries.
TDN: What's one mistake (if any) you made in your career, and what did you learn from it?
NDW: I am always following my instinct to make the right decision but not listening to my wife was my mistake in the past, as she is great adviser. I now make sure I listen to her.
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