A quality catalogue had drawn the who’s who of international breeding to a Christmassy Deauville for the Breeding Stock Sale, and that winning combination resulted in a very strong set of figures. Last year’s record-breaking turnover was surpassed, with the 163 filles, mares and foals on offer grossing €22,997,000 and the clearance rate took a 4 point leap for 82%. Only the average price took a slight dip while remaining a healthy €141,086 (-6%).
Frankel mare has Too Darn Hot date
The excitement in the air was palpable when it came to FRANKEL LIGHT (lot 153)’s turn in the ring, which eventually saw her knocked down for €1,3 million. Offered by Haras du Mezeray carrying her first foal by Dark Angel, the Listed winning daughter of Frankel is a half-sister to this season’s Australian Group winner LE JUGE from the Niarchos family of Group 1 scorers AVIANCE, CHIMES OF FREEDOM, WAR OF WILL and PATHFORK. It was Charlie Gordon-Watson that had the final say in company with Watership Down Stud’s manager Simon Marsh who commented: « We’ve bought her for Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Watership Down Stud and she’ll go to Too Darn Hot next year. We’re delighted to have got her as she’s from a great family ».
Frankel Light’s dam MAMBO LIGHT (lot 212) was another star of the catalogue and was brought to the ring by Haras d’Ombreville. Raced like her daughter by Rashit Shaykhutdinov, the daughter of Kingmambo carried a Sea The Stars covering around the ring and was initially led out unsold until Bob Scarborough secured her for €725,000 through BBA Ireland’s Adrian Nicoll.
UNAIDED, dam of Breeders’ Cup winner UNI, goes to Peter Brant for €1.2M
The second seven-figure offering of the day came from the draft of Haras d’Etreham and was an extremely rare collector’s item: UNAIDED (lot 161), an unplaced daughter of Dansili whose first foal, UNI, recently won the Breeders’ Cup Mile Gr.1 in a canter, her third Grade 1 win. It was Michel Zerolo that had the final say over Jamie McCalmont, securing the 10-year-old for €1,25 million. Out of a half-sister to Prix de Diane winner RAFHA, the dam of INVINCIBLE SPIRIT and KODIAC, Unaided hails from the close family of CHINESE WHITE and PRIDE OF DUBAI.
Zerolo said: «
She’s for Peter Brant. He was very impressed by Uni, and he knows good US turf fillies only too well! All options are open concerning her next mating and where she’ll be kept ».
Earlier in the session, the French-born, Americanbased agent also struck for this season’s Prix Panacee (L.) winner ELIADE (lot 101) for €520,000. Also offered by Haras d’Etreham, the daughter of Teofilo is set to join Chad Brown and race in the White Birch colours.
Etreham ended the day as leading vendor, selling 8 fillies and mares for a cumulated €3,470,000.
Almanzor in high demand
European 3yo colt of the year ALMANZOR proved a hot commodity as a covering sire as well as through his first crop foals. Offered in foal to the Haras d’Etreham resident, JUST GORGEOUS (lot 189) was subject to a lot of interest before finally being knocked down for €520,000 to Margaret O’Toole. Out of the top class HALFWAY TO HEAVEN, the mare is also a half-sister to Group 1 winners MAGICAL and RHODODENDRON. Three of his first foals sold for an average price of €137,333, headed by a daughter of the Montjeu mare FRESH AIR (lot 77) who commanded a closing bid of €260,000 from Ronald Rauscher and will race for Christoph Berglar. The dearest foal of the day was a colt by Sea The Stars, the first offspring out of the Motivator mare INNEVERA (lot 92) that was knocked down to Hennessy Bloodstock for €290,000.
€510,000 JELLICLE BALL to support recently retired Phoenix Of Spain
Beaten on ROYSTONIA (lot 23) at the beginning of the sale, Phoenix Of Spain’s entourage went to €510,000 for JELLICLE BALL (lot 53). Offered from Haras de Saint Pair in foal to Siyouni, the Group placed daughter of Invincible Spirit is from the same maternal line of dual Group 1 winner SARAH SIDDONS. Bidding beside Matt Houldsworth and Geoffrey Howson (Howson & Houldsworth Bloodstock), Ann Plummer, owner of the new stallion, said: « We’ve bought her to support our stallion, Phoenix Of Spain. We liked everything about her and she is in foal to a fantastic stallion! We’re delighted to get her . »
A €490,000 Queen for No Nay Never
The aptly named QUEEN ISEULT (lot 211) walked like she owned the sales ring and her tremendous looks combined with her faultless pedigree drew a lot of admirers to the Coulonces Consignment offering. The daughter of Camelot is a half-sister to the Prix Morny winner DABIRSIM and will visit another one in No Nay Never after David Reid of Preferred Bloodstock paid €490,000 on behalf of the Antonacci family. The page is replete with Gr.1 form with Coventry Stakes scorer ARIZONA, himself a son of No Nay Never, appearing under the second dam and dual Oaks heroine SEA OF CLASS a little further down.
€480,000 FLEETING FANCY Australian bound
New-Zealand born Dean Hawthorne had to go to €480,000 to secure FLEETING FANCY, a daughter
of Galileo from Fairway Consignment. Carrying for the first time with a covering by No Nay Never, the daughter of Group 1 winner JUST PRETENDING is a sister to this season’s black-type winners VISAGE and PERSIA.
Hawthorne explained: « We love Galileo mares, we’ve been accumulating them for a while and I bought a couple here last year. She had a nice early cover to No Nay Never and is from a lovely, very current family. She’s a beautiful mare, I thought she was the most spectacular Galileo type on the sales ground, lovely shoulder and length which we like down under. She’ll eventually head down there, probably in September. We have about 80 to 100 mares in Australia including 10 to 12 Northern Hemisphere bred, mainly Galileos. Galileo like anywhere else in the world is turning into a phenomenal broodmare sire ».
Jonathan Munz’s GSA Bloodstock has had a tremendous year on the track, notably breeding and racing Caulfield Guineas winner SUPER SETH.
Listed winner MADELEINE MUST headed to America
Three-year-old filly MADELEINE MUST won a Listed race at ParisLongchamp Stakes and ran a close sixth in the Gr.1 Sun Chariot Stakes on her latest start, beating the likes of LAURENS and HERMOSA home. The daughter of Motivator was offered by Ecurie des Monceaux from Henri-Alex Pantall’s stable and went the way of New York trainer Christophe Clement for €470,000. He said: « I’ve bought her for a partnership and she’ll continue her career with me. She is a very good race filly and her form is very solid ».
McStay lands Frankel mare in foal to Siyouni for €480,000
Offered by Ecurie des Monceaux, FASHION FAMILY (lot 175) had a lot going for her as a Frankel half-sister to the talented juvenile FAMILY ONE, winner of the Gr.2 Prix Robert Papin and runner-up in the Gr.1 Prix Morny, from the family of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf heroine FLOTILLA. She didn’t make it to the track but was offered carrying to Siyouni, and triggered a closing bid of €480,000 from Mark McStay of Avenue Bloodstock. The agent commented: « She is a beautiful mare, my favorite in the catalogue, by a top-class sire who looks set to become a very good broodmare sire as well. She is in foal to Siyouni who is an international star and looks like a type that could suit Dark Angel. She is heading to Ireland.
BILISSIE for Haras de la Perelle
Standing beside Ghislain Bozo of Meridian International, Jürgen Winter struck for Listed winner BILISSIE (lot 164), sold in foal to Intello. Part of the coveted Wertheimer et Frère draft, this half-sister to the Gr.1 Prix Vermeille winner LEFT HAND also comes from the family of PLUMANIA and PLUMATIC. After the mare was knocked down for €420,000, the owner of Haras de la Perelle said: « It’s rare to see this family on the market, so we’re really happy to get her. She’ll join our broodmare band. We don’t have a stallion in mind for her yet ».
