Grassick makes her mark as vibrant February Sale draws to a close

Trade held steady for the final day of the Arqana February Sale on Wednesday, with the clearance on a par with last year’s session at 83 per cent, as 181 of 219 offered lots changed hands in Deauville.

There was a 41 per cent drop in average for the day’s trade, down to €7,000, while the median rose from €4,000 to €5,000. Overall, the two-day sale saw a staggering 89 per cent rise in the aggregate, with the lion's share of turnover of €5,282,500 thanks to Tuesday’s activity.

However, there was a solid base of buyers at all levels, including the 48 mares bought by the Moroccon agent Zied Romdhane for an average of €6,000 and an aggregate of €286,500 due to be exported to North Africa and the Middle East.

View full Arqana February Sale results

Broodmares brought the biggest prices of the day on Wednesday, and it was Cathy Grassick who secured the top lot. Mark Of An Angel, in foal to leading French Classic sire Le Havre, made €72,000, with bids coming thick and fast in the early stages.

Presented by Charles Brière’s Fairway Consignment, the Mark Of Esteem mare was Group 3-placed on the track. She is also the dam of Queen Blossom, a Group and Grade 3 winner who sold to Ted Durcan at the Tattersalls December Sale last year for 110,000gns. Mark Of An Angel also has a yearling colt by New Bay and a two-year-old colt by Lawman.

"She's been purchased for an existing client, Yvonne Jacques of Carisbrooke Stud" said Grassick. "She's going to join the existing broodmare band back at the farm. I love the influence of Darshaan and Rainbow Quest on a broodmare. She's a stakes performer with a stakes-performing daughter, and she has a lovely cover in Le Havre. I tried, unsuccessfully, to buy her daughter before, so I'm delighted."

Grassick was also responsible for the top-priced yearling of the day when spending €18,000 on a filly by Authorized out of Cadoudal mare Ball Of Wood. The filly, named In Wood, is a sister to Very Wood, winner of the Group 1 Spa Novices' Hurdle by Martaline.

"She's going back to Ireland for an existing client," said Grassick. "She will be reoffered as a store."

Love for Le Havre

Le Havre was the covering sire again a few minutes later when Eric Feurtet, owner of Domaine de Rymska, went to €56,000 to see off underbidders Matt Houldsworth and Tina Rau for the Montjeu mare Salamon.

The mare has been a regular visitor to Le Havre, having been covered by the son of Noverre six times in eight years, and has a two-year-old by the sire in training with Pascal Bary for Gerard Augustin-Normand, the stallion's owner. The Le Havre - Montjeu cross is responsible for six-time winner and Listed-placed Saane.

A sibling to multiple stakes performers, including the Listed-winning Under The Rainbow, Salamon comes from a renowned Lagardere family. She is out of the Listed-winning Linamix mare Farfala, while her granddam, Fragrant Hill, is the source of Group 1 winner and sire Fragrant Mix and Prix Jean Romanet heroine Alpine Rose.

Domaine de Rymska, named after the multiple Group 3 scorer, is the breeding operation of Feurtet, who is based in the Bourgogne.

"She will go to join my broodmare band, which consists of 16 mares all bought here at Arqana," said Feurtet. "She's in foal to Le Havre, who has been very lucky for me as he is the sire of Rymska, the first horse I ever bred. I also have hoses in training with Carlos and Yann Lerner, including Rymska's three-year-old half-sister, Belle De Trezy."

Mags on the hunt for Mondialiste mates

Also among the buyers was Mags O'Toole, who signed for Ampersand, a half-sister to King's Stand Stakes star Prohibit, at €47,000. Consigned by Haras du Logis Saint Germain, the daughter of Rail Link and the stakes-placed Warning mare Well Warned was sold carrying to Olympic Glory.

The young mare is unraced, but is already the dam of a winner, with her first foal by Charm Spirit, named Zaahir, having scored on the fibresand at Pornichet at the beginning of the year. Her two-year-old filly by Logis Saint Germain's resident stallion French Fifteen is in training with Yann Durepaire.

O'Toole had to see off competition from French bloodstock agents Guy Petit and Jean-Pierre Deroubaix before the hammer fell in her favour.

"She's for Elwick Stud," explained O'Toole. "We bought a mare yesterday as well [Pacific Pride] and they will both be covered by Mondialiste. He has some lovely first foals on the ground already. She made more than I expected, but there were two good judges on her as well."

Olympic Glory stands at Al Shaqab's Haras de Bouquetot in Normandy, and an Invincible Spirit mare, Lajjah, in foal to his stable-mate Al Wukair sold for €45,000 to Blandford Bloodstock during Wednesday's session.

At the close of trade, executive director Freddy Powell said: "First we would like to highlight the great effort of both Haras de Manneville and Channel Consignment teams to bring the horses in perfect shape.

"Those two dispersals brought a lot of international actors to Deauville and this large attendance was felt over the two sessions. Obviously, the figures are not comparable with last year, but we are very happy with the clearance rate of 84 per cent.

"Despite a larger catalogue, over 70 extra horses changed hands. The value attained by the big lots was particularly satisfying and unlike what happened at Twickenham last Sunday the French players tackled the international opposition on most of them."

More from Arqana:

Big-name dispersals and a record price boost February Sale opener