'I didn't expect him to grow like that!' - No Nay Never colt towers over Arqana class of 2023

Good things come in all shapes and sizes, and there was no missing Haras de l'Hotellerie's rather scopey No Nay Never colt, who realised €40,000 to Six Of Us on the third day of the Arqana August Yearling Sale.

A son of Coolmore's champion two-year-old sire, the bay certainly has the pedigree to run as a juvenile. His dam, the high-class Lawman mare La Berma, was a winner on her debut at two at Deauville and was also Group and Listed-placed from three starts that term, including when a half-length second in the Group 3 Prix Eclipse.

Witnessing him being pulled out of his box in Yard A at Arqana on Sunday morning, you would not bet against him being a more than capable performer at three and older, either.

Haras de l'Hotellerie's Guillaume Garcon said of the eye-filling individual ahead of his turn in the ring: "He's 1m 69cm, he was big as a foal but I didn't expect him to grow like that!

"Even during the prep he grew five centimetres in two months, so it's been amazing. He was a nice foal, quite big but not to the extent you'd anticipate where he is now."

He added: "It's the first time I've had a yearling so big, so he could be anything. Maybe he's finished growing, so who knows?"

The colt has a fine page to go with his strapping build. He is the third foal out of La Berma, who built on her debut season to run out a six-length winner of the Listed Prix du Pont-Neuf at Longchamp for Fabrice Chappet on her second start at three, and was also runner-up in the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham and Group 3 Prix du Pin that year.

The dam of the winning Frankel filly Lady Berma, the 11-year-old La Berma is out of the Listed--placed Vindication mare Full Snow Moon, herself a daughter of Argentinian Grade 1 scorer Netherland. It is a family full of black-type Argentinian and Brazilian performers, including Necedad, Negada, Nortino and Hilaris.

This colt's two-year-old No Nay Never brother is now based in Britain, having sold to Mandore for €85,000 at this sale last year. The pair's dam also graduated from Arqana's ranks, in her case at the October Sale when making €52,000 to Chappet from Haras d'Etreham in 2013.

She subsequently sold to Chantilly Bloodstock at the Arc Sale in 2015 off the back of her track exploits, this time for €600,000. She also visited Park Paddocks when consigned by Jamie Railton at the 2019 Mares Sale, heading the way of Yeguada Centurion for 350,000gns. Her most recent appearance at public auction came at last year's Arqana December Sale, when she was purchased by Meridian International for €140,000.