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Friday, August 14th. Once again the trend was up at the Deauville August Sale opening day with a gross turnover of €19.87m (+12%), an average up 11% at €241,859, a median up 5.8% at €180,000 and over 75% of the 108 lots presented sold. The Arqana team was very happy with these returns and look forward to the three next days.
Back from Saratoga, John Ferguson quickly settled in Deauville and was the top bidder of the French Premier sale opener, just as if he hadn't left his favourite spot Upstate New York ! The day's top lot was Lot 61, a Storm Cat colt out of Elbaaha consigned by the Haras d'Etreham and sold for €900,000 to John Ferguson. A brother to Dubai World Cup (Gr1-2,000mD) winner Electrocutionist (Red Ransom), the colt was bought back at $700,000 at the Keeneland November Sale last year by Shack Parrish's Indian Creek on behalf of the breeder Herve Barjot. His 3yo Montjeu brother, Amour Malheureux, a winner in Japan, broke the news at the 2006 Keeneland November Sale when he was sold for $2.7m to Globe Equine Management, owner of last year's Peter Pan Stakes winner Casino Drive. "He's a very good horse too and you should hear more of him soon, predicted Barjot, sipping a more than needed Coke on ice by the Etreham consigment, writes Le Frog.
"It has been a long run, the Frenchman continued. I bought their sister Grigorieva (Woodman) at the Italian sales in 2004. I was with my late friend Bruno Ridoux. She was a good filly and I knew her brother, Electrocutionist (Red Ransom), was good too. He was a Listed winner in Italy when I bought their dam Elbaaha for Gns 100,000 at Newmarket. She was in foal to Montjeu and I sold the colt at Keeneland when I decided to send her to Storm Cat. She gave us a beautiful colt and I tried to sell him last November but he was not quite right then and we bought him back at $700,000. I brought him over here to sell him as a yearling, bearing in mind that I would keep him as a racehorse if I could not get my price. He just did ! I reckon that the Haras d'Etreham has done a great job with him. Elbaaha has got a superb weanling filly by Dynaformer and she's in foal to Unbridled's Song."
Sheikh Mohammed and John Ferguson, who outbid Irish agent Peter Doyle on this one, were obviously very familiar with the family and they monitored the colt throughout : "Sheikh Mohammed flew in and saw the colt this morning. He liked him a lot. We have always followed this one and he kept progressing. He's a very athletic individual and we live the end of the Storm Cat days. We also know the pedigree well with Electrocutionist having won the Dubai World Cup for Godolphin. We will decide which trainer will get him in September."
Yet the F-word was mentioned and the French multiple champion trainer would be odds-on to get this colt.
Darley rules
The Sheikh Mohammed's representative went to €600,000 for Lot 77, a Kingmambo filly out of a High Chaparral's full sister, €570,000 for lot 8, a Monsun colt consigned by Jurgen Winter's Haras de la Perelle. He also gave €500,000 for lot 4, an outstanding Smart Strike colt consigned by Lucien Urano's Ecurie des Monceaux, who was selling at Deauville under its own name for the very first time. Manager of the rather new venture, set up in 2003, Henri Bozo was ecstatic : "We knew there was a lot of interest in this colt and were not too worried about his position in the catalogue. He is a very well behaved colt and shows a very good temper. Obviously, we are very happy with this result. The dam ran late in Europe at 3 but we sent her in training with Chris Clement in the hope that she would strike Stateside. It was too late though and Mr Urano wanted her to be sent to stud immediately. We send mares to the USA whenever we feel there is a good nick to try with a US-based stallion. Since her return, Rose Melody has had an outstanding Oasis Dream foal and she's in foal to Elusive City."
As for Jurgen Winter, he was also very pleased with the sale of the last foal out of the Saumarez mare Saumareine, who passed away after giving birth to her Monsun colt : "I am very happy with this sale. Monsun is a great sire who keeps on confirming his status as an outstanding sire." The yearling is a full brother to the Derby Italiano winner Gentlewave and reports state that the underbidder was Frank McGovern, bidding on behalf of Saudi owner Mutab bin Abullah's SKAS Stable. Altogether, Ferguson bought 5 lots for a combined €2.77m.
The Coolmore factor
Lot 59, a full brother to Prix Ganay (Gr1-2,100mT) winner Corre Caminos (Montjeu) consigned by Aliette Forien's Haras de la Reboursiere&Montaigu, was always going to be hot. A fierce battle involving at least three bidders ended with an Irish victory as Demi o'Byrne signed a €750,000 ticket for the colt. "He's a very good looking colt and his dam already has two good horses. He was a good walker and we paid about as much as we had anticipated."
Aliette Forien was obviously chuffed by the result : "It was a foal sharing with Coolmore and they bought the colt. He had everything on his side and it has been a good sale. I am a bit surprised by the good atmosphere and business as I was a bit worried beforehand."
The Coolmore bunch was very active throughout the afternoon and kept on supporting their favourite sires. The Fethard guys bought 6 lots for €2.24M but were also beaten a few times. For instance, Frank McGovern outbid them for SKAS on Lot 63, a Hurricane Run (first yearlings) brother to Gr2-winner Sardaukar (Royal Academy) which he got for €520,000. McGovern bought four lots for €1.05m on behalf of the Saudi owner Mutab bin Abdullah, whose colours have started to succeed on French racecourses with the assistance of Fabre.
The Haras d'Etreham bought back Lot 5, a full sister to Classic German performers Samum, Salve Regina and Schiaparelli at €520,000.
Angus Gold bought Lot 19 for €460,000 on behalf of Shadwell, which did not exactly come as a big surprise since the colt is a half brother to Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Gr1-1,400mT) winner Naaqoos (Oasis Dream) by Green Desert : "We hope this one will be even better ! Green Desert has been a great servant to the Maktoum family and this one is a brother to one of out best current horses. The Sheikh loved him as soon as he saw him." At the end of the day, as everybody was rushing to various waterpoints of the Seaside resort, Shadwell stood in second on the buyers' list with 12 lots for €2.62m.
Sir Robert strikes twice
Sir Robert Ogden, John Warren agent, stormed into the Arqana scene with two top purchases at €500,000 and €600,000 for Lot 36 and Lot 38 respectively. It was a first for the owner at the Deauville Yearling sale although he has been buying jumpers in France for years : "I am better known for my jump horses but I used to work with Francois Mathet and I remember when his two boys were that high... I now live in the South of France so it is easier for me to come here. I like coming here, I like the atmosphere. I bought jumpers, stores and foals, some very good jumpers in France. It is the first time I bought flat yearlings though. I am trying to keep some ammunition for the other sales but we might be tempted later in the afternoon." Sir Robert recently bought Cashelgar (Ire-Anabaa) before his Hampton Court Stakes (LR-1,600mT) second place at Royal Ascot. The Alain de Royer Dupre-trained colt was recently operated on a knee though and Sir Robert showed the tube where the two chips that were extracted from one of the horse's knees were kept.
The two colts John Warren bought on the owner's behalf on Friday will be trained by Jeremy Noseda in Britain : "We are trying to put together a nice band of horses to be trained by Jeremy Noseda. They are both by top class sires and had a lovely pedigree and conformation." Both colts are closely related to the Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr1-1,600mT) winner Amonita (Anabaa) as lot 36 is her 4th foal (by Giant's Causeway) while Lot 38, also consigned by the Haras du Mezeray, is by Montjeu out of a full sister to Amonita... Sir Robert Ogden, John Warren agent, were seen busy throughout the afternoon although they failed to add a third purchase to their string.
Michel Zerolo's Oceanic Bloodstock paid €600,000 for Lot 100, a Peintre Celebre sister to Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, Gr1-2,100mT) winner Le Havre (Noverre) consigned by Coulonces Consignment (Anna Sundström & Etienne Drion). The filly will be trained by Jean-Claude Rouget for American Francophile Martin Schwartz, who won the French Oaks with Stacelita and the French 1,000 Guineas with Elusive Wave : "He seems to get addicted to it, joked Zerolo. This one was my top selection amongst fillies and we fought hard to get her. She's also a beautiful individual by a superb sire."
The first French buyer in the fray, ranked 5th, is FIPS, representing the Marquesa de Moratalla in eveyr one of the 6 lots bought for a total €1.15M. The team was underbidder on the €750,000 Montjeu colt bought by Magnier et al.
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