German Classic winners headline Arqana's Arc Sale

It is not every day the chance to buy two Classic winners comes along, but Arqana's Arc Sale offers just that on Saturday, when 2022 Deutsches Derby victor Sammarco and this year's Preis der Diana heroine Muskoka come under the hammer. 

The sale, held at Saint-Cloud racecourse on the eve of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, also offers a number of other Group winners and performers. They include horses from the Aga Khan, Jamie Railton and Wertheimer, but it is arguably the two German Classic scorers who stand out. 

Sammarco (lot 41), who runs in the Qatar Prix Dollar on Saturday before he sells, won the Deutsches Derby and Bayerisches Zuchtrennen in a high-class campaign last season for trainer Peter Schiergen. 

A homebred of Gestut Park Wiedingen, the son of Camelot was also twice placed at the top level, including when runner-up by less than a length to Rebel's Romance, subsequent winner at the Breeders' Cup, in the Preis von Europa at Cologine.

The four-year-old returned to form last time when a three-quarter length third to Arc contender Place Du Carrousel in the Prix Foy at Longchamp. 

His fellow Classic winner, Muskoka (38), bids for more top-level honours in Sunday's Prix de l'Opera, and already rates a hugely valuable prospect. The Sea The Moon filly, an €80,000 BBAG September Yearling Sale graduate, is out of the Peintre Celebre mare Morning Mist, an unraced half-sister to dual French Classic hero Brametot and from the family of the mighty Monsun.

Henk Grewe's charge led home a one-two-three for her Lanwades sire with her Preis der Diana score and she is one who could have more to offer in racing terms. 

The Aga Khan draft is headed by Shartash (7), a smart juvenile last year for Johnny Murtagh. 

The Invincible Spirit colt was a winner of the Railway Stakes from subsequent Middle Park Stakes and Prix Morny scorer Blackbeard, while he was also third to Little Big Bear in the Phoenix Stakes and to Al Riffa in the National Stakes.

Shartash: smart juvenile won the Railway StakesCredit: Patrick McCann

Prix Marcel Boussac-bound Freville (25) is another Group-winning juvenile for sale, having winning the Prix d'Aumale earlier this month. Consigned by trainer Christopher Head, the daughter of Gleneagles has been the model of consistency and comes from an immediate family of Group and black-type winners. 

Another lot to note include Jean Claude-Rouget's exciting juvenile Mondrial (53), a son of leading first-season sire Blue Point who struck at Saint-Cloud last week. 

Prix Dollar-bound American Flag (52), Zorken (24) and German 2,000 Guineas hero Angers (27) are among the highlights in the auction alongside Prix Chaudenay Wida and Double Major plus Prix de la Place de la Concorde contender Tumbler. Shalromy, catalogued as lot 19, had this afternoon struck in the Listed Prix Matchem.

The sale begins at 6.30pm local time on Saturday (5.30pm BST) and the catalogue is here.. 

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