Timely update sees Soldier Hollow filly fetch €140,000 in Deauville

Updates don't come much more timely than the one received by the first lot through the ring on day two of the Arqana October Yearling Sale in Deauville on Wednesday, and the filly's price tag of €140,000 was enough to see her top the session.

Less than two hours before the Soldier Hollow filly out of Neckara, offered by Haras de Saint Arnoult, came under the hammer, her sister, Nova Sol, became the first black-type horse beneath the first dam when running a close third to Cala Tarida in the Group 3 Prix des Reservoirs at the racecourse just a stone's throw from the sales ring.

Nova Sol had fetched €45,000 when bought by Marc-Antoine Berghgracht at Osarus last September, and her profile, having broken her maiden at Longchamp prior to Wednesday's effort, doubtless contributed to her sister bringing a chunkier winning bid from Chantilly-based trainer John Hammond.

"She's slightly on the small side but she's the most lovely walker," said Hammond. "She's the mare's third foal and the first two are both winners, while the sister has just finished third in a Group 3 across the road."

The filly is out of Neckara, a daughter of Shirocco who in turn is out of German Group 3 winner Narooma.

Camacho filly works the charm for Kent

The biggest pinhooking touch of the session was landed when a Camacho filly bought by Nicola Kent for just €12,000 went the way of Amanda Skiffington - bidding on the phone through Fabrice Chappet - for €130,000.

Kent acquired the filly, a daughter of the Kheleyf mare Song Of Time, in a private deal outside of the ring when she was offered at last year's Arqana Breeding Stock Sale.

"I just spotted her in the yard and she had a lot of presence and a real beautiful Camacho head and a strong look of the Danehill-line about her," Kent said of how she came to find the filly.

"She stayed in France to qualify for the French premiums and then we decided to sell her here as Camacho has had such a good year in France. Julie [Mestrallet, of consignor Haras de l'Aumonerie] did a great job with her."

Yeomanstown Stud's Camacho has enjoyed a banner year in 2018, with Teppal having landed the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Signora Cabello having added the Prix Robert Papin and a runner-up effort in the Prix Morny to her Queen Mary Stakes success.

Kent, Arqana's Irish representative as well as a master pinhooker, has been done a good turn by Camacho before, having sold another of the sire's daughters to top Part 2 of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale at €32,000.

"Camacho has had a brilliant season and has been a really lucky stallion for us," she added.

A short while later Skiffington's name appeared on the docket of another lot, the Haras d'Etreham-consigned Intello colt out of Stumpy, who fetched a winning bid of €85,000.

Skiffington has been well rewarded for her support of Intello, having purchased his Group 1 Prix Jean Prat-winning son Intellogent for Fiona Carmichael for €320,000 at the 2016 Arqana August Sale.

Benoit back again

Laurent Benoit of Broadhurst Agency made one of the bigger impacts during the opening session of the October Sale, having secured the Invincible Spirit filly out of Demurely for €270,000. And the agent was back in action on Wednesday when going to €120,000 for a filly from the debut crop of Golden Horn offered by Haras d'Etreham.

The youngster was bought on behalf of owner Steve Burggraf of Ecurie de Montlahuc and will be trained by Francis-Henri Graffard. The trio have previously combined on stakes horses such as Hermaphrodite, a daughter of Le Havre; the Shamardal filly Heuristique and Homerique, a daughter of Exchange Rate who finished third in the Prix de l'Opera.

"We're trying something a bit new by putting our faith in a first-season sire," said Benoit. "But she's a beautiful filly though from a top-class family, and Dansili is a very good broodmare sire. She probably won't be a two-year-old but that doesn't worry us."

The filly is out of Rose Et Noire, a placed daughter of Grade 1 Beverly D Stakes heroine Royal Highness and a half-sister to dual Group 2 winner Free Port Lux. Further back this is the family of Wild Illusion, who beat the owner's Homerique when she landed the Prix de l'Opera.

Siyouni show continues

Having supplied the €360,000 top lot, who went the way of Kerri Radcliffe and George Bolton on Tuesday, Siyouni notched another noteable result when Paul Nataf went to €120,000 for another of his daughters midway through the second session.

Lot 238: the Siyouni ex Ondoyante fetched €120,000Credit: Zuzanna Lupa

"She is for a client who already bought four yearlings at the August sale," said Nataf. "She will go into training in France and the plan is to breed from her eventually - we have been actively looking for a farm to buy in the area."

The March-born filly was offered by Haras de Meautry and is out of a full-sister to Grand Prix de Paris and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Meandre.

After two sessions Siyouni was the leading sire by aggregate at the October Sale, with €1,543,000 having been spent on his progeny.

Look of a Rascal for Killala team

Trainer Harry Dunlop has already enjoyed some notable success with one October Sale graduate, having steered the career of Robin Of Navan to Group 1 glory in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

And the trainer will now take charge of the Intello half-brother to the admirable Fire Fighting, after Matt Coleman went to €77,000 on behalf of Daniel MacAuliffe and Anoj Don, the team behind another Dunlop flag bearer in Fighting Irish.

"I love Young Rascal and I was advised by Harry Dunlop and Matt Coleman that this horse was as near as they've seen to him," said MacAuliffe, who also co-owns Killala House Stables with Don in County Mayo.

"He'll be trained in England but we'll be looking to bring him to race in France to pick up some of the French premiums. We'll take our time with him as he looks like he's going to be more of a three-year-old type but I'm excited to have got him."

The colt was offered by Haras du Quesnay, where his sire stood the 2016 season - the year his current yearlings were conceived - at a fee of €25,000.

Figures

Wednesday's session largely followed the tone set on day one, with most market metrics showing year-on-year declines. Bucking that trend was the clearance rate, which improved slightly to 82 per cent, with 96 of the 116 offered yearlings finding a buyer.

Despite that gain, the aggregate dropped by five per cent to €3,095,000, while the average was down by nine per cent to €32,580 and the median came in at €24,000, down from €27,000 12 months previously.

The October Yearling Sale continues on Thursday at 11am local time.