Siblings to recent top-flight winners head the bill at Arqana's February Sale

If you had been at Arqana's February Sale in 2012 you could have picked up Kruscyna, the dam of Chacun Pour Soi, for just €12,000. Six years earlier, Green Bananas, who won four races before producing Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Audarya, was traded for a mere €2,000, while Dyanamore, dam of subsequent Group 1 winner Donjah, was sold at the 2014 edition of the sale for €20,000.

Food for thought then as the latest renewal of the February Sale kicks off Arqana's 2021 season in Deauville on Monday at 10am local time (9am GMT). The two-day sale looks set to present buyers with a broad range of opportunities as the diverse catalogue comprises horses-in-training, broodmares, fillies, two-year-olds and yearlings from the Flat and National Hunt spheres.

The auction begins with the horses-in-training section, which has been boosted by the addition of some eyecatching wildcard entries. Hardi Du Mesnil, who will be offered by trainer Matthieu Palussiere as lot 60, is a four-year-old son of Masterstroke who has two victories to his name having landed an AQPS bumper and a Pau hurdles contest in comfortable fashion.

View full Arqana February Sale catalogue

Hardi Du Mesnil also heads to the Deauville sales ring armed with a significant pedigree update as his half-brother, none other than Gaillard Du Mesnil (himself a €250,000 Arqana purchase), was last seen winning the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.

The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old now heads the market for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at next month's Cheltenham Festival at around 5-2.

Other wildcard entries include Meredith (50), a Grade 3-placed daughter of Soldier Of Fortune consigned by Francois-Marie Cottin, the Listed-winning chaser Laskalin (70), who is by Martaline and offered by Mikael Mescam, and a 1/50th share in St Leger hero Masked Marvel (170), who has got his stallion career off to a promising start at Haras de la Tuilerie.

Interestingly, Hardi Du Mesnil is not the only lot to be offered with a Group/Grade 1 update. Eva Kant (321), a 15-year-old daughter of Medicean presented by Ecurie d'Auge, is a sister to rags-to-riches performer Royal Performer, who was once bought back by his vendor for a mere £600 but on Saturday won the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes in New Zealand after a truly global campaign.

A major pedigree enhancement is not the only thing to recommend Eva Kant, as she was Listed placed on two occasions during her juvenile season and has since gone on to produce three winners at paddocks, including the useful eight-time scorer La Fibre.

Other noteworthy entries in the fillies and broodmare section of the catalogue include Oh Beautiful (148), a Listed-winning daughter of Galileo from the family of Cassandra Go, Halfway To Heaven, Magical and Rhododendron. The 12-year-old is offered by Haras du Quesnay and is carrying to Shalaa.

There is also Ingot Of Gold (165), a winning daughter of Dubawi in foal to Almanzor, and Princess Isla (309), who is by Frankel, shares her page with Peintre Celebre and is in foal to the promising Ten Sovereigns.

Marc Pimbonnet consigns 18 lots from the late Fabrice Petit’s dispersal, including an unraced two-year-old Johnny Barnes half-brother to Listed scorer Dance In The Park (21), while Haras du Mont-dit-Mont will also hold a reduction in its breeding interests.

Among the Mont-dit-Mont lots are the Listed-winning Akemi (232), who is in foal to Bated Breath, and Riptide Wave (328), a daughter of Pivotal carrying to the promising Belardo.

Stallions represented among the yearlings and two-year-olds include Almanzor, Anodin, Doctor Dino, Iffraaj, Kendargent, Le Havre and Sioux Nation.

Strict Covid-19 protocols will be in place at Arqana, but those unable to travel to Deauville will be able to bid online or by phone.

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