Entente cordiale prevails as £650,000 War Front filly tops Arqana Breeze-Up Sale

An opening bid of £400,000 isn't a common occurrence in the Doncaster sales ring, but when that hand was played for the War Front filly out of Beauty Parlor during the relocated Arqana Breeze-Up Sale in Doncaster on Wednesday, it was clear something big was brewing.

However, even such strong-arm tactics weren't enough to secure the sales topper, as Kerri Radcliffe entered the fray at £650,000 and duly brought the gavel down with a solitary bid.

The Grove Stud-consigned filly was bred in the US, and now looks set to head back across the Atlantic to join the string of big-spending American owner Larry Best, who races under the OXO Equine banner.

"I'm thrilled to say I've bought her for Larry Best of Oxo Equine," said Radcliffe. "I believe this is his first purchase in Europe and I'd say she's off to Saratoga, and I might just go with her if it's the only way I can get back to America!

View full Arqana Breeze-Up Sale results and stats

"Goffs and Arqana have done an amazing job to get the sale on, and the vendors as well for keeping these horses for as long as they have. The same goes for Tattersalls last week, I'm delighted for everybody that it's gone so well."

The sales-topping War Front filly brings £650,000 in the Doncaster ringCredit: Claudia Claydon

Expanding on how her connection with Best came about, Radcliffe said: "Since I've been buying in America I got in contact with Larry and said if I ever saw something exceptional I'd get in touch with him, and this filly is exceptional.

"She's an absolute queen, I think everyone can see that. She breezed well, is by a great sire and has a great pedigree. She's been so professional while she's been on the sales ground."

The strength of trade witnessed during the Goffs UK session continued into the Arqana sale, though Radcliffe said the War Front filly possessed so much quality that she'd expected to have to go further to secure her.

"I thought we might have to go to a lot more but we got her on one bid," she said. "The sale has been very strong today, that's why I thought she'd cost a lot more. I'm delighted to get her though, I hope she works out and we get to buy more in Europe for Larry!"

The filly is out of the Grade 3-winning Elusive Quality mare Beauty Parlor, whose family traces back to the likes of Canadian International and Sun Chariot Stakes winner Infamy. She was pinhooked by Brendan Holland of Grove Stud, who gave $185,000 for the sales topper at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

"It's good trade," said Holland. "It's a great result and that should help square some of the problems we've had along the way this year. We're eternally optimistic but you wouldn't want to think too far ahead in this game, or overthink things."

Grove Stud has now sold the top lot at the last two renewals of the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale, having sold Prix du Jockey Club contender Ocean Atlantique to Coolmore for €1.1 million last May.

Coleman gets the boss

The second-top lot came late in the piece when Matt Coleman, standing outside by the parade ring, outbid Anthony Stroud for the Street Boss colt offered by Malcolm Bastard at £620,000. The half-brother to the Listed-winning Crystalle is now set to begin his racing career with leading Hong Kong trainer John Size.

"He's been bought for John Size so he'll do his pre-training in the UK and then head out to Hong Kong," said Coleman. "We heard about the horse a while ago and Malcolm has a huge opinion of him. He's a beautiful horse and he breezed great, I just hope he's lucky."

The £620,000 Street Boss colt in the Goffs UK sales ringCredit: Claudia Claydon

When asked for his reflections on trade, Coleman said: "Very encouraging. It's been surprisingly good as we were all a bit fearful that it would be tricky but it's been extremely strong. It's great for the industry."

The colt was pinhooked by Wycombe House from the Keeneland September Sale at $120,000. Bastard said of the six-figure colt: "He was bought in America and I have a share in him.

"He just wanted a bit of time but he's always been a very nice horse. He's a beautiful mover and has plenty of pace. He's always stood out at home."

He added of the market: "Racing just seems to be so resilient. It's been an unbelievable trade here."

Collins in clover

Fresh from topping the Craven Sale with a 575,000gns son of Night Of Thunder, Johnny Collins of Brown Island Stables enjoyed another big result on Wednesday when Jamie McCalmont signed for the Exceed And Excel colt out of Duquesa at £525,000 on behalf of Coolmore's MV Magnier.

When asked if he'd expected such a big return on the €43,000 pinhook, a visibly stunned Collins replied: "Not quite! I bought him last September in Fairyhouse. He's a beautiful horse, I've been lucky enough to put some good horses through my hands but it doesn't happen every year.

"I thought we had a strong bunch of horses this year and they're proving that when they gallop. I'll be honest now, I've had a lot of sleepless nights along the way."

Johnny Collins (right): vendor of the £525,000 Exceed And Excel coltCredit: Claudia Claydon

The colt is out of Duquesa, a dual winner by Intikhab who in turn is out of the Group 3-winning Love Of Silver. McCalmont said he would leave training plans to Magnier, but noted that the long-striding colt had put in a notably fast breeze.

"I have no idea what the plan is for him, but he did a great breeze, he didn't look like he'd gone fast but he actually did the quickest time," said the agent. "He has a massive stride on him and he's a big, scopey horse."

Elliott sweet on son of Shamardal

Alex Elliott was effusive in his praise for the Shamardal colt out of Darysina, having gone to £460,000 to secure the well-related youngster from the Longways Stables draft. The agent said: "He'll go into training with Roger Varian for Amo Racing.

"To me, he's one of the best horses I've ever seen come on the market at the breeze-up sales. He's by Shamardal, you can't buy those, he's from an Aga Khan family and the mare's first foal was placed in the Musidora. He did a great breeze and comes from a very good home too."

The colt is out of a daughter of Smart Strike and shares his page with the likes of Prix Ganay winner and Haras de Bonneval stallion Dariyan.

The colt was bred by Rabbah Bloodstock and consigned by Longways, whose Mick Murphy said: "I'm delighted with that. He's a May foal and we've had him since December.

"He's done nothing but improve the whole way through, he should be more of a backend two-year-old. Everyone who came to inspect him loved him and I think the delay to the sales has benefited him."

That man McCalmont again

Having signed for the £525,000 Exceed And Excel colt on behalf of MV Magnier, Jamie McCalmont was back in action later in the session when he went to £450,000 for the American Pharoah colt out of Rare Cat offered by Mocklershill.

"He's been bought for Marc Chan, who's based in Hong Kong but is Canadian born," said McCalmont. "This is the first horse he's going to have in training in England. He's also just purchased The Summit, who'll be running in the French Derby on Sunday.

Jamie McCalmont: 'He's by American Pharoah, who's a great stallion'Credit: Claudia Claydon

"Willie Browne had always really liked this colt. He's by American Pharoah, who's a great stallion, and we're looking for more of a three-year-old type than a sprinter. Hopefully he'll be a mile-and-a-quarter horse next year."

The colt, a half-brother to the three-time Grade 2 winner Om, was another pinhook to bring a handsome profit, having been sourced from the Keeneland September Sale at a cost of $140,000.

When asked who the colt would be going into training with, McCalmont engaged Simon Crisford in a brief confab, before he said with a wry smile: "That's the trainer!"

Sheikh Fahad secures Kameko sibling

Few, if any, lots in the Arqana catalogue boasted quite as eyecatching a page as the Big Blue Kitten three-parts sister to Kameko, and the filly will now sport the same silks as her Classic-winning sibling after Sheikh Fahad personally stepped up to the plate to purchase the well-related youngster for £200,000.

The filly, consigned by Church Farm and Horse Park Stud, had been pinhooked from the final session of the mammoth Keeneland September Yearling Sale for the scarcely believable sum of just $5,000.

However, Kameko has done plenty to enhance the page since last September, namely winning the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Stakes at two and the 2,000 Guineas on his reappearance.

Further updates could be forthcoming, not least when the son of Kitten's Joy lines up as one of the leading fancies for the Investec Derby on Saturday.

"She was owned by a syndicate and they've had a right touch, which is what it's all about," said the sheikh's racing and bloodstock adviser David Redvers.

"Hopefully she'll look very cheap come this time next week. There's a lot riding on Epsom and the rest of the year. As Sheikh Fahad quite rightly said though, if she never runs she's going to make that price and more, so she was good value. She'll certainly be joining the broodmare band long term."

Figures

By the close of a frenetic session of trade, 64 of 77 offered lots had sold for a clearance rate of 83 per cent. Those sales brought turnover of £9,004,700 - down 33 per cent year-on-year from an offering reduced by 47 per cent.

The average was up by 19 per cent to £140,700 and the median also went in the same direction, growing by 11 per cent to £76,000, having been €75,000 some 14 months ago.

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