Destination Deauville as the sales train rolls into the station where Paddington was found

When the Arqana October Yearling Sale got under way 12 months ago, one of the top lots from the 2021 edition had just won a maiden at the Curragh four days earlier.

That five-length success hinted at the latent talent powering through the muscles of the bay Siyouni colt who cost €420,000 when sold by Ecurie des Monceaux to the Broadhurst Agency, and trainer Aidan O'Brien suggested a Guineas or Derby trial would be the starting point of the promising colt's 2023 season.

Paddington, the colt in question, began this year in the Madrid Handicap at Naas where he won like a Group horse in a handicap ought to, and that was the launching pad for a sequence of success which brought a first black-type victory in the Listed Tetrarch Stakes, before Group 1 glory in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James's Palace Stakes, Eclipse Stakes and Sussex Stakes.

That winning run came to an abrupt halt at York, where he was third in the Juddmonte International, but Paddington is favourite to regain the winning thread in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Saturday, which coincides with the final day of this year's October Yearling Sale in Deauville.

Lining up against Paddington is last year's champion two-year-old filly Tahiyra, who provided Siyouni with an Irish Guineas double in May and added the Coronation and Matron Stakes to her Group 1 treasure trove.

They, along with the dual Group 1-winning four-year-old Mqse De Sevigne, have highlighted Siyouni's prepotency across the summer and, with ten individual Group 1 winners sired, it emphasises the status of the Aga Khan's homebred Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner as an elite sire.

As the best and most expensive stallion at stud in France, Siyouni's progeny are fought over at auctions around Europe and his yearling average this year comes in at €349,833 for 29 sold. 

The most expensive of them was sold at this venue during the Arqana August Yearling Sale, when Ecurie des Monceaux sold a colt out of Hourglass, a Galileo half-sister to Shamardal, for €2.2 million to MV Magnier and Peter Brant of White Birch Farm, in whose colours Sottsass raced.

A full-brother to Sottsass is one of the pedigree picks at the saleCredit: Colin J Kenny Photography

Of Siyouni's progeny, only Paddington and St Mark's Basilica have attained a higher Racing Post Rating than Sottsass, and Ecurie des Monceaux offers a homebred brother (lot 59) to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Prix du Jockey Club and Prix Ganay winner during Tuesday's Part One session of the October Yearling Sale.

The May-foaled colt is also a brother to Shin Emperor, who brought a winning bid of €2.1m from Yoshito Yahagi at last year's August Yearling Sale. In addition, they are half-brothers to Brant's seven-time Grade 1 winner Sistercharlie and My Sister Nat, a Group and Grade 3 winner who was Grade 1-placed for Brant and Chad Brown.

Their dam Starlet's Sister is a Galileo sister to Group 3 Prix Cleopatre winner Leo's Starlet and a half-sister to Anabaa's Creation, who won the Listed Prix Isonomy and was placed at the highest-level in the Prix Saint-Alary and Clement L Hirsch Stakes.

Sottsass was the first Prix du Jockey Club winner sired by Siyouni and his second, the champion three-year-old St Mark's Basilica, also boasts Galileo as his broodmare sire. There are six black-type winners bred this way, with 11 stakes winners to runners and two representatives of the cross in the catalogue.

Haras d'Etreham offers the second foal (132) out of Grade 3 Long Island Stakes and Dowager Stakes third Decorating. She is a half-sister to Grade 1 Haskell Invitational and Santa Anita Sprint Championship winner Coil, by Point Given, and Chiropractor, by Kitten's Joy, who was successful in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby. Their dam, Eversmile, is a winning Theatrical half-sister to Possibly Perfect, whose five Grade 1 victories included the Beverly D Stakes.

A total of 14 yearlings by Siyouni are due to be sold at the October Yearling Sale, with the overwhelming majority coming under the hammer on Tuesday.

Three of them are presented by Ecurie des Monceaux, with a brother (7) to Listed Prix Caravelle runner-up and Group 3 Prix Daphnis third Paramount first up. 

Arcadia Elevage offers a three-parts brother (64) to Group 2 Prix du Gros-Chene and Group 3 Prix de Saint-Georges and Prix de Meautry winner Finsbury Square, from Siyouni's first crop.

Ecurie des Monceaux sells this full-brother to Sottsass Credit: Zuzanna Lupa

The Channel Consignment presents a filly out of Awareness (104), a Distorted Humor sister to Pathfork, who won the Group 1 National Stakes and Group 2 Futurity Stakes for Jessica Harrington. Awareness is also a half-sister to War Of Will, the Preakness Stakes winner by War Front who was sold by Norman Williamson to Justin Casse for €250,000 at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale of 2018.

The sale is about far more than one stallion, though, or even one form of racing, with Saturday at Auteuil another reminder of the versatility of French-bred horses. 

Jigme cost €90,000 at the 2021 version when purchased by Frederic Sauque from the draft of Haras de l'Hotellerie. The son of Motivator was bred by Yeguada Centurion, owner-breeder of Blue Rose Cen, and is a half-brother to Group 3 Amethyst Stakes winner Sinawann and to Silwana, who was successful in the Loughbrown Stakes. They are out of Simawa, an Anabaa half-sister to Sinndar, who remains the only horse to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Derby and Irish Derby in the same season.

Jigme is one of the most exciting three-year-old hurdlers in France and his victory in the Grade 2 Prix Georges de Talhouet-Roy for Marcel Rolland was the third black-type success of his short career.

Jean-Pierre and Guillaume Garcon's Hotellerie farm has a large contingent in Deauville this week, with 25 yearlings remaining in the sale.

During the opening session they consign a filly (210) from the first crop of Ghaiyyath who is closely related to Royal Lodge Stakes winner New Mandate, a first-crop son of New Bay. They are out of Mishhar, an Authorized half-sister to Rockfel third Puggy, who is the dam of Prix de Diane and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Avenir Certain.

Their Toronado colt (434) out of Diyakalanie received a Group 1 update on Arc weekend, when his Intello half-brother Moon Wolf was best of the rest behind Trueshan in the Prix du Cadran for Stephane Wattel. 

Haras de l'Hotellerie's daughter of Ghaiyyath is closely related to New MandateCredit: Christian Pubert

It is a pedigree that produces winners in both spheres, with their three-year-old Shalaa half-brother Diyashal winning last month at Auteuil for Joel Boisnard, while their Galileo half-sister Marie Celeste is the dam of Vae Patron, a Manduro five-year-old who was twice placed in Listed contests at Auteuil last season and was fourth in the Grade 3 Prix Carmarthen at the course last Saturday.

Every yearling is eligible to run in the Arqana Series in 2024 and 2025 at Deauville, and it also includes the Criterium d'Automne at Longchamp on Arc weekend. 

This year's race, run in memory of Lady O'Reilly, was won by the Joseph O'Brien-trained Islandsinthestream. The son of Wootton Bassett was sold at last year's October Yearling Sale by Haras d'Etreham to Blandford Bloodstock and O'Brien for €135,000.

There is no yearling by their former sire among the Etreham draft of 30 this week, but they have strong representation for their current stallions, including a first-crop Persian King half-brother (41) to Group 3 Prix Chloe winner Suphala and Sivoliere, successful in the Listed Criterium du Bequet. 

They are out of Listed winner Sefroua, a daughter of Kingmambo and Coronation Stakes winner Sophisticat, herself a daughter of the champion Serena's Song.

Haras d'Etreham also has a second Siyouni colt (169), who is the first foal out of Incendiere, a Zoffany sister to Norfolk Stakes winner Waterloo Bridge and a half-sister to Forces Of Darkness, a daughter of Lawman who won the Group 3 Prix Minerve and was third in the Prix Saint-Alary.

Arqana October Yearling Sale factfile 

Where Arqana sales complex, Deauville

When Five-day sale begins with Part One on Tuesday at 11am local time (10am BST), with Part Two on Wednesday and Thursday at 2pm local time, and Part Three on Friday at 2pm local time and on Saturday at 11am local time

Last year’s stats From 723 offered, 596 lots sold (82 per cent) for turnover of €26,117,000 (down two per cent year on year), an average of €43,820 (down four per cent) and median of €26,000 (down five per cent)

Notable graduates Paddington (sold by Ecurie des Monceaux, bought by Broadhurst Agency and MV Magnier for €420,000); Iresine (sold by Haras de Montaigu, bought by Jean-Pierre Gauvin for €6,000); Light Infantry (sold by Haras du Long Champ, bought by George Mullins for €25,000); Game Run (sold by Haras du Petit Tellier, bought by Marc Pimbonnet for €16,000); Moon Ray (sold by Coulonces, bought by Tina Rau Bloodstock and Nicolas Clement for €55,000)

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