Mayfield Stables hoping hot run of form continues at Arqana Summer Sale

Few vendors in Deauville for the Arqana Summer Sale arrived in the Normandy seaside town in a richer vein of form than Mayfield Stables, the breeze-up operation run by Ronald De Souza and Tanya Browne.

Last month the pair saw one of their 2018 graduates, Channel, storm to success in the Group 1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly. The daughter of Nathaniel was sold to Bertrand Le Metayer for €70,000 at Arqana's flagship breeze-up event before being placed under the expert care of Francis-Henri Graffard.

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"We knew she was a good filly, although I didn't think she was quite that good!" said the Brazil-born De Souza. "She impressed us all the time and never disappointed in her work. To be fair to Francis-Henri Graffard he's very good with those fillies, he's very patient. She needed the bit of time he gave her and she came right."

Channel became the second Group 1-winning graduate sold by Mayfield Stables, following on from Matron Stakes victress Fiesolana.

Success in the Prix de Diane is a welcome addition to the Mayfield Stables' CV, particularly in light of another of their graduates, Homerique, who later won a Grade 2 in the US, being beaten just a neck by Laurens in the same race 12 months earlier.

There was further cause for celebration on Saturday when Hurcle, who joined Archie Watson having been bought back by his vendor at 110,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Sale, made a striking winning debut at Newcastle.

"He's a horse we liked a lot, he's a very good horse and will only improve from that run," said De Souza.

While Mayfield's graduates have enjoyed a purple patch on the racecourse, De Souza said it has not all been plain sailing in the sales ring during the latest breeze-up season.

"It's been up and down - we had a tough season but that's the same for a lot of people when there's not enough people to buy the horses," he said with a shrug, before adding that the likes of Channel and Hurcle had provided the team with a welcome fillip.

"Don't get me wrong, it's very nice when you get the money for selling a horse, but the main thing for me is seeing a horse you've sold do well at the races. Horses like Fiesolana, Rich Legacy, Homerique and now Channel, that's where you get the real pleasure."

Mayfield Stables have a chance to end the breeze-up season on a high on Tuesday, as they offer a pair of colts at the Arqana Summer Sale, including the very first lot into the ring at the two-day auction, a son of first-season sire Outstrip from the family of Zafonic.

"We like the Outstrip a lot, he was meant to go to Fairyhouse but we liked him so much we didn't want to rush him," said De Souza. "We took our time so we'll see what happens.

"He breezed well, he's very straightforward. He's actually one I would look forward to racing, but I can't keep everything."

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