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140 yearlings out of black type mares and 111 siblings to black type performers

Year after year, ARQANA’s yearling sales have underlined their prowess at producing the winners of the best races in the world at every price range. In 2017, for the first time in the history of the Deauville sales, the winner of the legendary Epsom Derby was a graduate of the ARQANA sales ring. WINGS OF EAGLES was bred and consigned by Haras de Montaigu before being purchased at the August Sale in 2015 for €220,000 by M.V. Magnier on behalf of the Coolmore conglomerate.

Just 12 months earlier, the August catalogue had produced subsequent European Champion Three-Year-Old Colt ALMANZOR, bought for €100,000 and now the winner of three Group 1s. His return to the racetrack is eagerly awaited in the next few weeks.

Almanzor’s contemporaries in the sale include the very talented filly QEMAH, the recent winner of the Gr.2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes following on from her Gr.1 Coronation Stakes and Gr.1 Prix Rothschild victories last year. MEKHTAAL also recorded his first Group 1 in the Prix d’Ispahan lately, stepping up in grade once more after taking the Gr.2 Prix Hocquart last season. Others such as SIGNS OF BLESSING, one of Europe’s best sprinters, NATIONAL DEFENSE, the only two-year-old trained in France to win a Gr.1 in 2016, THE RIGHT MAN, winner of the Gr.1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan, and recent Group 1 placed horses LE BRIVIDO, SISTERCHARLIE, SEA OF GRACE, and PAKISTAN STAR were also purchased at ARQANA as yearlings.

The successors to these outstanding performers can without doubt be found in the 2017 August Yearling Sale catalogue, which is now available online. It contains 334 yearlings from the best French and European nurseries, that will come under the hammer from Saturday 19 to Monday 21 August around the Gr.1 Prix Morny weekend.

Leading stallions strongly represented

Europe’s leading stallions are strongly represented in the catalogue, spearheaded by nine yearlings by Galileo, 10 by Frankel, four by Dubawi, two by the much-missed Scat Daddy and as many by Shamardal. Not to be outdone, French-based stallions, which thanks to their produce have repeatedly shone on the international scene recently, are also well represented with 24 yearlings by Le Havre, the largest amount in the catalogue; 23 by Le Brivido’s sire Siyouni; 15 by Dabirsim, the only first season sire in Europe to have produced a Group winner so far in 2017 courtesy of Albany Stakes heroine DIFFERENT LEAGUE; eight by Intello, already represented by some promising juveniles in his first crop; eight by Kendargent; six by ALMANZOR’s sire Wootton Bassett; two by Style Vendome as well as one by Rajsaman, the sire of this year’s dual Classic winner BRAMETOT. Other established stallions also include: Cape Cross, Dark Angel, Dutch Art, Exceed and Excel, Iffraaj, Invincible Spirit, Kitten’s Joy, Kodiac, Lope De Vega, Sea The Stars, etc.

The sale also gives buyers the first opportunity to discover yearlings by the exciting new sires Anodin, Australia, Charm Spirit, Kingman, No Nay Never, Olympic Glory, Slade Power, Toronado, Verrazano and War Command.

Exceptional depth in female lines

In addition to the physical quality of the yearlings, which buyers will appreciate during the sale, the 2017 catalogue stands out through the very high proportion of colts and fillies out of black-type mares or that have already produced black-type performers.

No less than 140 yearlings are out of a mare that gained black-type on the racecourse, making 42% of the catalogue and 53% in Part 1, corresponding to the first two days of the sale. These two figures represent a marked increase from previous years, a reflexion of the ongoing effort made by breeders in France to improve the quality of their broodmare bands.

The number of yearlings out of young broodmares has also increased, as 41% of the yearlings catalogued are first or second foals. Of the lots that are out of mares with foals of racing age, two thirds (or 111 yearlings) are siblings to a black-type performer. Therefore, the large majority of the mares that have yearlings catalogued have proved their quality on the racecourse and/or at stud.

Yearlings from the best European and French breeding establishments

A total of 41 different consignors will be present at the August Sale, a figure that shows the extensive selection process by ARQANA.

The largest offering comes from Ecurie des Monceaux, managed by Henri Bozo, which will consign a total of 34 yearlings, the same number as in 2016. They include:

• Lot 37: a daughter of Invincible Spirit out of Group winner Pacifique, hence a half-sister to PARABELLUM, the top price at the sale in 2015 and impressive winner of his latest start;
• Lot 47: a half-sister by Kingman to Group winners PACIFIQUE and PRUDENZIA;
• Lot 51: a daughter of Galileo out of Prudenzia, i.e. a half-sister to Classic winner CHICQUITA;
• Lot 79: a half-sister by Siyouni to SISTERCHARLIE, winner of the Gr.3 Prix Penelope and an unlucky second in the Gr.1 Prix de Diane this year;
• Lot 88: a Galileo half-brother to stallion MOST IMPROVED, multiple Group 1 winner ECTOT and three-year-old NAJASHEE, who opened his account in style June 24.

Haras des Capucines consign 24 yearlings including:

• Lot 73: a daughter of Invincible Spirit, the first foal out of a sister to multiple Group 1 winner STACELITA, the dam of Japanese Champion SOUL STIRRING;
• Lot 82: the second foal out of Listed winner and Group 3 placed Table Ronde by Le Havre;
• Lot 103: a half-brother by Siyouni to ZAGORA, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and Diana Stakes, Gr.1;
• Lot 171: a colt by Invincible Spirit who is a full-brother to the talented juvenile HIGH CELEBRITY, winner of the Gr.3 Prix d’Arenberg and placed in the Gr.1 Cheveley Park Stakes.

Anna Sundström’s Coulonces Sales will consign 23 yearlings including two by Frankel as well as:

• Lot 96: a Lope De Vega colt who is the first foal out of the Group 3 victrix and four-time Group 1-placed VENUS DE MILO;
• Lot 97: a colt by Kendargent out of Vezina, hence a half-brother to Gr.1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud scorer MORANDI.
  

A total of 21 yearlings will be offered from Haras d’Etreham, of which:

• Lot 7: the first foal by Invincible Spirit out of a sister to RHODODENDRON, the winner of the Gr.1 Dubai Fillies’ Mile at two and twice Classic-placed this season.
• Lot 52 : a daughter of Shamardal, the second foal out of a half-sister to Classic hope SEPTEMBER, the impressive winner of the L. Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot, herself a daughter of Champion PEEPING FAWN;
• Lot 67: a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner SHARETA, by Declaration Of War;
• Lot 143: a full brother to European Champion Three-Year-Old Colt ALMANZOR.

Haras de Mezeray consign 21 yearlings including:

• Lot 80: an Invincible Spirit half-sister to Group 1-winning two-year-old NAAQOOS and the very promising Frankel colt STRAIGHT SHOOTER, a winner on debut by seven lengths.
• Lot 105: a daughter of Lope de Vega, the first foal out of dual Group winner Aigue Marine, herself a half-sister to MEKHTAAL;
• Lot 151: a son of Lope de Vega, the first foal out of a daughter of German Champion ELLE SAME, herself a half-sister to triple Group winner ELLE SHADOW.

Of the other remarkably-bred yearlings, the following lots stand out:

• Lot 10: a half-brother to QEMAH by Charm Spirit, offered from Haras du Cadran;
• Lot 54: a daughter of Frankel from Haras de Colleville, the second foal out of Gr.2 Critérium de Maisons-Laffitte winner and Gr.1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes third Restiadargent;
• Lot 57: a half-brother by Frankel to Champion Two-Year-Old and promising young stallion DABIRSIM, consigned by Haras de Grandcamp;
• Lot 101: a half-sister by Kingman to recent Gr.1 Epsom Derby winner WINGS OF EAGLES, from Haras de Montaigu;
• Lot 43: an own sister to the ill-fated VOLTA, second in the Gr.1 Prix Rothschild et third in the Prix de Diane last year, offered from Haras d’Ellon.
• Lot 50: a half-sister to ANABAA’S CREATION and LEO’S STARLET, hence a close relative to SISTERCHARLIE, from La Motteraye Consignment.
• Lot 84: a sister to Group 2 winner SWORD FIGHTER, consigned by Camas Park & Glenvale Studs;
• Lot 85: a half-brother by New Approach to recent Gr.2 King Edward VII Stakes victor, PERMIAN, also offered by Camas Park & Glenvale Studs.
• Lot 86: the first foal out of Gr.3 Prix d’Arenberg THIS TIME, this son of Frankel is consigned by Haras du Petit Tellier;
• Lot 136: a son of Dubawi, the first foal out of Gr.3 Prix Allez France winner DAKSHA, from Newsells Park Stud.
• Lot 160: consigned by Haras de la Perelle, this son of Dubawi is the second foal out of Group 1 winner Giofra;

ARQANA CEO Eric Hoyeau, commented on the catalogue: “We can say without a doubt that the quality of the August Sale catalogue keeps improving year on year. This is the result of a combination of favorable factors – the track record of our graduates, the improving standard of the stallion roster in France, the relentless efforts from French-based breeders to upgrade their stock, matched by those of our bloodstock team to headhunt some special individuals all around Europe. The input of the first factor may be bigger than usual this year, with the arrival on the market of the best-bred yearlings by Le Havre and Siyouni as well as of progeny of some young sires who have already gained international recognition such as Dabirsim, Rajsaman and Wootton Bassett. On the track, the 2017 racing season has been off to a flying start, emphasised by the historical victory of Wings Of Eagles, the first Derby winner ever to have been bought at Deauville. The entire team that took part in the selection process share my confidence in the fact that the catalogue we are unveiling today will reveal many more outstanding racehorses, and we can’t wait for buyers from all around the world to see them”.

Sales times

Saturday, August 19 – 5:00pm

Sunday, August 20 – 5:00pm

Monday, August 21 – 1:00pm

Catalogue available on www.arqana.com

For further information:

info@arqana.com / +33 (0)2 31 81 81 00