The vagaries of alphabetical order had resulted in the catalogue proving stronger on the opening session as opposed to a year ago, thus making for contrasted daily comparisons – the average price was up 38% on day 1 and down 11% on day 2. Referring to cumulated figures over the first two nights offer a more accurate analysis.
With a slightly more condensed catalogue, 122 yearlings sold out of the 160 offered through Part I, achieving a 76% clearance rate (80% in 2016). The average price reached a whopping €240,008, up 12% from last year, while the cumulated aggregate slipped 2.9% at €29,486,000, with 17 less horses sold.
Pérelle on top once again
Haras de la Pérelle is no stranger to sale-toppers, having previously led through the ring a Galileo filly who dominated the 2012 August Yearling Sale when selling for €1.7 million.
Five years on, Jürgen Winter's boutique nursery brought three colts to the auction, one of which became a focal point of attention as soon as he set foot on the sales complex.
Selling as lot 160, the son of Dubawi exceeded all expectations when knocked
down for €1.55 million to Kerri Radcliffe after a protracted bidding duel
against Shadwell's Angus Gold. The handsome bay was an extremely rare proposition in a sales ring as the second foal out of the Gr.1 Falmouth Stakes heroine GIOFRA, herself a half-sister to four black type winners.
The family has been nurtured at Haras de la Pérelle out of the Gr.3 Prestige Stakes scorer GRACEFULLY, who has turned into a foundation mare for the elite farm.
A relieved Kerri Radcliffe sighed: "He is just a gorgeous individual, I wasn't leaving Deauville without him. He will go to André Fabre and we are hoping for the best ."
Wings Of Eagles' sister makes €750K to Redvers/Meridian partnership
Another eagerly expected lot was the Kingman half-sister to this year's Derby hero WINGS OF EAGLES (lot 101), which caused the sales pavilion to fill up to the boards in a matter of minutes.
Bidding duly took off at a frantic pace until David Redvers and Ghislan Bozo, who were acting from the restaurant in company with Laurent Dassault, offered a closing bid of €750,000 for the grey.
Her dam Ysoldina was placed 5 times at Group level including in the Gr.1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and has produced two more black type performers. She is herself a half-sister to the Gr.1 Prix Saint-Alary victrix BELLE ET CELEBRE and three other Stakes winners.
"It is very hard to buy a sister to a recent Derby winner so we knew she would be expensive and feel terribly lucky to have her ," said Redvers. "She is for a syndicate including Qatar Racing and two clients of Ghislain's. We will have a discussion regarding where she is to be trained ."
Ghislain Bozo identified his clients as Laurent Dassault and a new Chinese investor for whom he has been active in the Deauville sales ring since the start of the season.
Invincible Spirit grandson of Surfside to Shadwell for €420K
The underbidder on the Dubawi colt out of Giofra, Angus Gold bounced back to secure a son of Invincible Spirit from the draft of Haras des Capucines (lot 171) for €420,000.
The bay is a full brother to the Gr.3 Prix d'Arenberg scorer and Gr.1 Cheveley Park Stakes 3rd HIGH CELEBRITY.
The second and third dam both acquired champion status in America, namely Champion three-year-old filly SURFSIDE and Champion two-year-old FLANDERS.
"Sheikh Hamdan loved the horse since he saw him and was very keen to have him, " commented Gold. "We have been lucky with Invincible Spirit and hopefully if this one can run he could be a stallion ."
Japan back to the fore with €400K Dubawi colt from Newsells
Newsells Park Stud was offering the only other colt by Dalham Hall Stud's flagship sire Dubawi in the catalogue (lot 136), the first foal out of Gr.3 Prix Allez-France winer DAKSHA.
He became the first Deauville purchase by Japanese up-and-coming owner Koichiro Yamaguchi on a closing bid of €400,000.
The CEO of a successful hedge fund in Tokyo, Yamaguchi got a foretaste of racehorse ownership at a member of the U Carrot Farm syndicate that raced Gr.1 Yasuda Kinen and George Ryder Stakes hero REAL IMPACT, and was making his first trip to Deauville. "I wanted to buy either a Frankel, a Kingman or a Dubawi ," said a thrilled Yamaguchi. "I was underbidder on lot 66 yesterday and am delighted to be able to buy this one. It is my first purchase in Deauville ."
The contingent of Japanese buyers attending the sale is the largest ever seen at this auction and they surely left their mark on the leaderboard. Akira Katayama bought a pair of fillies by Kingman and Invincible Spirit for a total €500,000 while Shadai Farm spent €510,000 on daughters of Camelot and Siyouni.
Mayfair/Coolmore partnership support No Nay Never with €400K purchase
It was rather fitting than only hours after the Darley Prix Morny was run at Deauville racecourse, a colt from the first crop of 2013 winner No Nay Never (lot 126) caused a stir in the sales ring located just across the road when selling for €400,000 to the powerful partnership of Mayfair Speculators and Coolmore.
Peter Doyle signed the docket for the son of Gr.3 Prix de Psyché victrix CHAIBIA who was offered by Camas Park & Glenvale Studs.
"We always try to support a new stallion and were underbidder on the other No Nay Never yesterday [lot 4 who sold to Kerri Radcliffe Bloodstock for €480,000]," commented Doyle.
"This colt is a two-year-type who looks racy. We haven't made our minds up about who will train him ."
The sale continues tomorrow with Part II of the catalogue, starting at 1:00pm.
Arqana Release
