Frankel half-sister to Coventry winner Calyx tops Auctav's Jean-Pierre Dubois Sale at €600,000

Blue-blooded Frankel mare Helenium was among the highlights of Jean-Pierre Dubois's private sale at Haras de Bois Roussel on Wednesday and she sold to Quirke Bloodstock on behalf of Coolmara Stables for €600,000. 

Dubois is one of the most influential figures in the history of French breeding, having originally started with trotters but going on to achieve phenomenal success in the thoroughbred sphere. Those triumphs came most notably with champion Stacelita, as well as 2024 Prix de Diane heroine Sparkling Plenty and 2023 Prix du Moulin winner Sauterne, the last two both by Kingman.

The Juddmonte-bred Helenium did not race but hails from a brilliant family, being a half-sister to Coventry Stakes scorer Calyx and the Listed-winning Coppice, both by Kingman. The trio are out of the Group-winning Helleborne, an Observatory sister to Sprint Cup victress African Rose and Needleleaf, the dam of champion juvenile and Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Native Trail. 

Helenium has a yearling filly by Kingman, a foal sister to the same champion miler and is carrying again to the Banstead Manor Stud resident. She sold from Juddmonte to Narvick International for 625,000gns at the 2023 Tattersalls December Mare Sale while carrying her first foal. 

Another well-related Frankel mare Frisella was among the highlights of the sale, making €390,000 to Pegasus Farm.

Frisella during her €390,000 sale to Pegasus FarmCredit: ELISE FOSSARD - AUCTAV

Frisella struck in a Chelmsford novice for owner-breeder Juddmonte and John Gosden as a three-year-old before selling to Avenue Bloodstock for 90,000gns at that year's Tattersalls December Mares Sale. She also passed through that same sale a year later, making 320,000gns to Yohea, before reappearing at the 2022 Arqana December Sale. At that Deauville auction she commanded €650,000 from Oceanic Bloodstock. 

The nine-year-old is the dam of the dual winning No Nay Never colt Grand Scoop, a black-type performer when third in last year's Prix Marchand d'Or. Frisella has a twice-raced two-year-old St Mark's Basilica filly named Fragrance, a yearling colt by the same sire and is carrying to Blue Point. 

Frisella hails from the very current family of champion miler and top sire Kingman as her dam is a Dansili daughter of Zenda. She is therefore a sister to Multilingual, the dam of this year's dual Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk, as well as Group 3 Tercentenary Stakes winner Remote. They are all half-siblings to Kingman. 

Salerne, a winning Charm Spirit half-sister to Sauterne, sold to Nicolas de Watrigant of the Mandore International Agency for €260,000. The eight-year-old is carrying to dual Derby hero Auguste Rodin.

Read more

Diego Velazquez to stand at the National Stud next year after purchase by Sam Sangster Bloodstock 

‘The yearling sales are a mixture of dread and fascination’ - British and Irish vendors ready for action as key period kicks off in Deauville

Why there should be big profits for the smallest crop of yearlings by a sire on a steep upward trajectory 

Family pride for Prince Faisal with Sajir the latest homebred Group 1 star for Nawara Stud 

Thriving local scene drives results skyward at Fasig Tipton's New York Bred Yearling Sale 

Lots by first-crop sires to watch out for at the Arqana August Yearling Sale