Bathyrhon filly leads the way at €120,000 on opening day of Arqana sale

A high-class jumping prospect by rising star Bathyrhon topped the opening day of Arqana's February mixed sale, though unusually the four-year-old Be A Nice Girl (lot 63) will be staying in France.

The name Allaho high up the page looked likely to attract significant interest from Anglo-Irish jumps connections but it was agent Marco Bozzi who struck the winning bid at €120,000 for owner Fabien Boson.

Be A Nice Girl is highly-enough thought of by trainer Pierre-Jean Fertillet to have been given her debut at Auteuil in October, showing up well for a long way before being eased late on.

And for now it will be Fertillet who gets to guide her young career.

"She'll stay in training with Pierre-Jean Fertillet for now and then we'll see," said Bozzi. "She's still a novice and a horse we really love, a beautiful horse and she was the one we wanted.

"She's for Fabien Boson, a client of mine who races horses over jumps as well as on the Flat and he was really keen to buy her."

Be A Nice Girl is out of the Turgeon mare Turgotine, a sister to useful chaser Tarquinius and Idaho Falls, the dam of Cheveley Park's star Allaho.

Bathyrhon has just embarked on his sixth season standing at Haras de la Hetraie and the son of Monsun has made a good impression with his first two racing crops, headlined by Compiegne Grade 3 winner Bathyscaphe and Isatis De L'Ecu, a Grade 1 winner at Merano, while Frere D'Armes has opened his sire's account in Britain with smooth wins at Huntingdon and Wincanton in recent wins.

"We like the stallion and this horse ticked all the boxes," said Bozzi.

Be A Nice Girl carried the colours of Pegasus Farm, having been bought for €23,000 at the 2020 David Lumet boutique sale organised by Arqana.

Pegasus principal Herve Barjot wasted little time in re-investing the profits from that piece of business, striking for two contrasting lots in the space of ten minutes mid-session.

Pegasus gave €38,000 for Golden Park (lot 145), a daughter of Walk In The Park who was third in an Auteuil Grade 3 for trainer Mickael Seror with the idea of covering her for resale later in the year.

And €41,000 was enough to secure another bright trading prospect in a 2021-foaled daughter of Wootton Bassett (lot 148) from one of France's most vibrant families.

The filly is a half-sister to the Group 2-winning Arc fourth Gold Trip and her dam Sarvana boasts as a sibling the Aga Khan's dual Group 1-placed Sarkiyla, whose son Saiydabad landed the Prix du Prince d'Orange at Longchamp last September.

Dubai the destination for Flat recruits

Agent Alessandro Marconi had the final say on two of the highest priced lots from the Flat horses in training offering on day one, both for a client looking to build his presence in the Middle East.

Agent Alessandro Marconi struck twice with an eye to Dubai at Arqana on TuesdayCredit: Zuzanna Lupa

Marconi went to €90,000 for Marynder (lot 66), a three-year-old son of Pedro The Great out of an unraced Hard Spun mare who is the winner of one of his three starts for trainer Joel Boisnard.

Earlier he acquired the five-year-old Count Rostov (lot 48) for €60,000, an Oasis Dream gelding out of a full-sister to Rajsaman offered by trainer Francis Graffard.

"His recent form is good and he is probably high enough in the ratings here," said Marconi. "The overall plan is Dubai but we are trying to build up a string that can race all year round so that means Europe as well. We'll keep our options open.

"I find the form between French turf and Dubai dirt is quite consistent."

Eternal appeal of Galileo

As a foundation mare for a new breeder with means, a mare by Galileo must be high on the wishlist.

Out of the dual Grade 1 winning Dynaformer mare Harmonious, the unraced Balkis (lot 154) certainly fits that bill.

Balkis, a daughter of Galileo, sold to Marc-Antoine Berghracht for €80,000 at Arqana on TuesdayCredit: Zuzanna Lupa

Consigned by Haras de Bouquetot in foal to Bated Breath, she went to a persistent Marc-Antoine Berghracht for €80,000.

Her siblings include Al Shaqab's Listed-placed mare Ajayeb, herself by Galileo's chief standardbearer in the stallion ranks in Frankel.

"She is for a new investor who is keen to launch a breeding programme," said Berghracht. "She's by Galileo and is carrying to a good stallion, while her foal is reported to be magnificent so it's all there."

Full-sister to Bravemansgame bought for Future Bloodstock

If there is one group of people hoping Bravemansgame strikes at the Cheltenham Festival next month as much as owners John and Jess Dance and Bryan Drew, and trainer Paul Nicholls, then it will be the Future Bloodstock team of Will Kinsey, Ross Alberto and Dave Greenway.

Acting on their behalf, Richard Venn went to €62,000 to secure the unraced six-year-old mare Tikinik (lot 170), a full-sister to Bravemansgame consigned by Haras de Saint Maur.

The daughter of Brave Mansonnien also counts multiple Auteuil Graded winners Gray Steel and Raffles Sun under second dam, Folklorique.

Venn said: "Future Bloodstock have been collecting a few high-quality broodmares for National Hunt. They have Stormy Ireland, Limini and a half-sister to Allaho called Shanning. They are trying to build up a quality band of broodmares and she hopefully will fit in very well.

"Hopefully Bravemansgame will win at Cheltenham and make it even better."

Blue Dragon sibling to stay in France - for now

The death last June of Francophile American owner Magalen Bryant has already meant plenty of blue-chip breeding prospects have come to market, notably through a dispersal at Arqana's Autumn Mixed sale here in November.

Green Dragoness (lot 38) ran as recently as last month at Pau and, in addition to being a winner over both hurdles and fences during her career with David Cottin, the six-year-old daughter of Enrique is out of Bryant's notable producer Nathalie Blue.

That makes her a half sister to Blue Dragon, a winner eight times at Graded level around Auteuil - including the four-year-old Grade 1 double of the Prix Alain du Breil and the Prix Renaud du Vivier in 2015 - as well as Fabulous Dragoness, who made €300,000 carrying to Doctor Dino during that Bryant dispersal.

Hubert Barbe signed at €90,000 for Green Dragoness and held out the prospect that she will likely return to the ring before too long.

Barbe said: "She'll stay in France and has been bought for Haras de Couely and Monsieur [Hubert] O'Delant. She'll be covered and then sent back to the sale."

With only one six-figure lot the opening day average (€12,567) and median (€6,000) were slightly down on last year but a very healthy clearance rate of 78 per cent and a slightly enlarged catalogue ensured an eight per cent increase in turnover at €1,772,000.

The second and final day emphasises breeding stock, with selling getting under way at 11am local time.

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Published on 15 February 2022inNews