€34,000 Armor colt tops proceedings on first day of the Osarus La Teste Yearling Sale

A colt from the debut crop of Molecomb Stakes winner Armor was the first yearling to capture the attention of buyers on the opening day of the Osarus La Teste Yearling Sale on Monday.

Already named Arzano, the grandson of No Nay Never was the subject of a sustained bidding battle in the La Teste grandstand but trainer Kevin Tavares, who sourced Europe's first juvenile winner of 2024 at the sale in the Arcachon basin last year, held firm to secure the colt, offered by Haras de Montaigu, for €34,000.

Cylenechop is one of a quartet of juvenile winners that Tavares, based at La Teste in south-west France, has trained this year and he, along with Al Shaqab and Haras de Bouquetot, will be hoping Arzano can follow in their hoofprints and get Armor off to a flying start with his first runners next spring.

Third in the Middle Park and fourth in the Prix Morny for Richard Hannon, Armor raced for just a solitary season during which he won two of his seven starts, before retiring to Haras de Bouquetot for 2022.

He is out of Listed Prix Isola Bella fourth Hestia, a daughter of High Chaparral, and his second dam Perruche Grise is a Mark Of Esteem half-sister to Group 2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano and Group 3 Prix Daphnis winner Pinson. 

Armor has 30 registered yearlings and Arzano was the only one in the Osarus catalogue. Part of Haras de Montaigu's strong draft, he is the fourth foal out of triple winner Zabriska who was bred, like this colt, by Genevieve Neveux, and is a Zafeen half-sister to Listed Prix Ceres runner-up Thousand Oaks.

Zabriska's second foal, a three-year-old son of Born To Sea named Zabriskie Point, is the first of her three offspring of racing age to win a race.

Another of Tavares's quartet of two-year-old winners in 2024 is Mlle Clarck, a daughter of Le Brivido, who got off the mark early last month at La Teste and the trainer was keen to add her year-younger Taj Mahal half-brother to his string, teaming up with EDC Agency and Trotting Bloodstock for the €24,000 colt from Haras de la Haie Neuve.

The session-topping Arzano consigned by Haras de MontaiguCredit: Osarus

In addition to the filly in Tavares's yard, the May-born colt is a half-brother to Group 3 Prix la Force winner Mister Saint Paul, who is one of four winners produced by Elusive Kay.

A visitor on three occasions to the winner's enclosure, the Elusive City mare is a half-sister to the Listed Prix Melisande second Moskova, by Invincible Spirit.

Under this colt's third dam is last season's Group 3 Prix Aumale winner Freville, who is by Gleneagles, the older full-brother of Taj Mahal, who stands at Haras de la Haie Neuve. 

Twice a Group 2 winner in Australia and runner-up to Oscar Performance in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes, Taj Mahal is also a full-brother to Group 1 winners Marvellous, Happily and Joan Of Arc.

Taj Mahal's oldest crop are three-year-olds.

The top lot at last year's Osarus Yearling Sale was a son of Galiway and Haras de Colleville's sire was also responsible for one of the leading lots on Monday, a colt from Haras de Saint Vincent who brought €26,000 from trainer Adrien Fouassier and Capucines Bloodstock.

Foaled in late-March he is the first foal out of Emblematique, a daughter of Siyouni who won twice in the colours of Bouzid Chehboub. Her Galiway yearling and her Sealiway colt foal were bred by the Chehboubs' Haras de Beaumont.

Emblematique is a half-sister to Listed Prix Kistena and Prix de Bonneval second Millau, by Wootton Bassett, and out of Group 3 Prix du Bois third Sage Melody, by Sageburg.

Fourth dam, Group 3 winner Marie De Ken, is a Kendargent half-sister to the dams of Group 1 winners Lord Glitters and Morandi.

The Armor colt was the only yearling to make over €30,000 during Monday's first session, with the Galiway colt the only other horse to sell for in excess of €25,000.

By Cloth of Stars and out of Wilside, the Channel Consignment's filly made €20,000 at La TesteCredit: Osarus

There was a pair of fillies to sell for €20,000 and they were the most expensive fillies of the opening day.

SAS Le Marais purchased a Cloth Of Stars daughter of Group 3 Prix Chloe winner and Prix de Lieurey third Wilside offered by The Channel Consignment. Her dam is a Verglas half-sister to Listed winner Round Heels and to Mathuna, the dam of Group 1 British Champions Sprint winner, Prix Maurice de Gheest second and sire Donjuan Triumphant.

Wilside has foaled the Listed Prix de Thiberville winner Sarigan, who in turn produced last year's Listed Diana Trial winner Agrigan.

The other filly to attain that price on Monday was Firstau Chope, Haras des Faunes' Muhaarar half-sister to Group 3 Prix du Bois winner Cosachope. Livachope, who carried on the family winning tradition in the Prix du Bois last year, is the granddaughter of Chopinette, a half-sister to First Chope, who is the dam of this filly and Cosachope.

Trading was very subdued, with the clearance rate reaching just 55 per cent on Monday afternoon as just 43 of the 83 yearlings offered changed hands, generating turnover of only €430,500 excluding private sales.

The average price was €10,012, with the median coming in at €8,000.

Last year's larger catalogue obviously generated better figures but the clearance rate on the opening day of the 2023 sale was 66 per cent, as opposed to 55 per cent on Monday, with 82 of the 124 lots on offer sold.

The sale continues at midday local time (11am BST) on Tuesday.

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