Deja vu at Arqana as Whitethorn Bloodstock signs for top lot Quara at €72,000

Trade trundled beyond the halfway point at the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale in Deauville on Monday as buyers worked their way through the middle-market offerings.  

Whitethorn Bloodstock signed for the day’s top lot when Haras d’Etreham presented the ten-year-old Quara. The daughter of Pivotal, who was offered in foal to Persian King, brought the hammer down at €72,000. 

There was a sense of deja vu about the transaction as the same buyer topped the Monday session of last year’s sale at the exact same price when Llama O'Mahony’s operation signed the €72,000 ticket for Carenot on behalf of Turkish breeder Emir Alkas. 

“Last year on this day we bought a mare for the same price, which is pure coincidence,” said Alkas. “We really liked this broodmare; she’s by a very good damsire in Pivotal and the pedigree is good too. She’s going to Ireland and will stay on the farm there, and we will look to sell her offspring.” 

Quara did not make the track herself but is already off the mark at paddocks thanks to her second foal, Nathaniel filly Qasida, winning for Stephane Wattel. 

She is out of Quanzhou, a daughter of Dubawi who won a Listed race at Le Croise-Laroche. This makes Quara a sibling to two black-type performers in Hooking, a four-time Listed winner at Cagnes-sur-Mer, and the Listed-placed Le Destrier. In turn, Quanzhou is a half-sister to Group 1 Prix du Cadran victor Mille Et Mille. 

Quara: "She’s by a very good damsire in Pivotal and the pedigree is good too"Credit: Arqana

Meridian International’s signing of Jalwa led the market for most of the third session after the Haras de Bouquetot-consigned broodmare drew a bid of €70,000. The six-year-old daughter of Shalaa looks well bought at that price considering she was offered in foal to Mehmas, whose fee has risen to a career-high of €70,000 in 2025 on the back of breaking the world record for most two-year-old winners sired in a single season. 

“I bought her for Ecurie des Charmes,” said Meridian International's Ghislain Bozo. “Mr [Lucien] Urano wanted to get into this beautiful family. The fact that she was in foal to Mehmas also played a role. The mare's yearling by the same stallion is in training with Jean-Claude Rouget.”

Mehmas's tally stands at 69 juvenile scorers and counting. There has been quality as well as quantity having fielded the Group/Grade 1 winners Magnum Force (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint), Scorthy Champ (National Stakes) and Vertical Blue. The latter-named became her sire’s most expensive offspring to change hands on the public market after her Prix Marcel Boussac success prompted John Stewart to add the filly to his Resolute Racing string at a cost of 3,200,000gns. 

Jalwa is out of Al Anqa, a Galileo half-sister to Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Zagora. 

The top three prices on the day were rounded out by Haras de Montaigu’s Nyala, who fetched €64,000 from Haras de la Louviere. The winning four-year-old was offered in foal on a May 10 cover to Nathaniel.

Nyala, a half-sister to Sapphire Stakes scorer Soffia, raced for a partnership between Skymarc Farm, Tolmi Racing and Montaigu. The foal Nyala is carrying in utero is closely related to her Listed-winning half-sister Nationalista, who is also by Nathaniel. 

Victor Ludorum leads the way among foal offerings

The first crop of yearlings by Victor Ludorum proved in high demand throughout this year’s sales, with 67 sold lots generating an average price of €53,705 and a median of €31,000 from a covering fee of €15,000. 

Good levels of trade continued at Arqana on MondayCredit: ZUZANNA LUPA

His results were capped by a brace of colts who brought €420,000 apiece, with Fabrice Chappet and Jean-Christophe Moran buying the half-brother to the star-crossed Group 2 winner Jayarebe at the Arqana October Yearling Sale, after Oliver St Lawrence paid the same price for a colt out of Lilienbloom from Coulonces Sale in Deauville in August. 

Some savvy pinhookers are plainly expecting Victor Ludorum’s early sales success to be replicated on the racecourse next year, as his second crop was responsible for the two highest-priced foals from Monday’s session. 

Peter Kelly was among the vendors toasting a seven-figure trade during the Sceptre Sessions at Tattersalls when his homebred Caught U Looking sold to Willingham at 1,800,000gns. 

Seven days on he reinvested €52,000 of that windfall when picking up the Victor Ludorum colt out of the Listed-placed High Chaparral mare Diablesse from Arcadia Elevage. 

“He's a great individual,” said Kelly. “He will continue to be reared in France before leaving for Ireland to be prepped for the yearling sales. The stallion achieved some very good results here during the summer and autumn yearling sales.” 

The other buyer to secure a sought after Victor Ludorum foal was agent Federico Barberini, who went to €50,000 for the filly out of Endeavor from Patrick Chedeville’s Haras du Petit Tellier. The youngster is a sibling to one winner and the Listed-placed Sophia’s Starlight. 

Victor Ludorum: sire in demand at ArqanaCredit: Darley

“She’s a very good-looking individual and by a sire who’s very promising,” said Barberini. “It’s only early days but Victor Ludorum’s progeny certainly stand out. The dam of this foal has already produced a good horse, and she will be reoffered for sale again next year. I’ve tried to purchase other progeny of Victor Ludorum but without success.” 

He added: “Horses are very expensive this year. The yearling market has been very strong and the consequence is always an increase in foal prices. You have to remain reasonable in such a market, but if you don't buy horses it's impossible to make money as a pinhooker.” 

Victor Ludorum, a Godolphin homebred son of Shamardal, won the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at two and the Poule d'Essai des Poulains at three. He has relocated to Haras d'Etreham for his fourth season at stud, where his fee remains at €15,000. 

Although the top price at the penultimate session was identical to last year, other key market metrics showed noteworthy year-on-year increases.

Turnover was up 30 per cent at €2,971,500, despite three fewer lots changing hands. The average price rose by 33 per cent to €16,150, while the median went from €9,000 in 2023 to €12,000 on Monday, another 33 per cent gain. The clearance rate was 82 per cent as 184 lots sold from 225 offered. 

The Arqana Breeding Stock Sale concludes on Tuesday with a session starting at 11am local time (10am GMT). 

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