Half-sister to smart sprinter Soffia sets new mark at Osarus September

Nicolas de Watrigant’s Mandore International stepped bidding up to an unprecedented level at the concluding session of the Osarus September Yearling Sale as a new record was set at the auction in La Teste-de-Buch.

Lot 270 had been billed as one of the star attractions of the two days as the Haras de Montaigu-offered filly by Myboycharlie had one of the liveliest recent pedigrees in the catalogue.

She is a daughter of the Amadeus Wolf mare Rime A Rien, whose second foal Soffia has been a revelation for Irish trainer Eddie Lynam this year.

Picked up for €52,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale and now running for Lady O'Reilly, Soffia is currently seeking a four-timer at stakes level, going through Listed, Group 3 and most recently Group 2 class in the Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh.

View Osarus results here

It was De Watrigant who dug deepest for this filly for the considerable sum of €170,000, wiping away Tuesday's top lot, the €105,000 Bated Breath filly Impulsion D'Allier by clear water.

The result also easily exceeded last year's leading light, the Siyouni colt Dinkar, who had been bought for €120,000 by Haras du Saubouas, and the previous record of €130,000 set in 2014 for Divona, a Le Havre filly knocked down to Marc-Antoine Berghgracht’s MAB Agency.

"I thought she was the outstanding filly in the sale," De Watrigant explained. "I bought the dam's half-sister, Al Jazi, for Al Shaqab and she won the Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood twice.

"She looks like she could be a sharp two-year-old, who is from a great family. She was bought for a new client but Haras de Montaigu were keen to stay involved and they are going to keep 50 per cent of her. We haven't decided where she will be trained yet."

Shalaa in demand

Mandore and AGV Karwin Stud had already been leading the way on day two after a move outside the ring to secure Yann Creff’s well-credentialled lot 211.

Offspring from the first crop of Haras de Bouquetot’s Shalaa have been selling nicely in France this summer and he had five lots during this event with one scheduled to threaten the highest price registered at Osarus had he met his reserve.

Out of the Kingmambo mare Mambo Mistress, who has delivered a string of capable sons and daughters including dual French Listed winner Mambomiss, he was led away without a new buyer but it was revealed subsequently that a private sale had been agreed for €100,000.

"He has a Siyouni half-brother called Business, who I believe is well-regarded by Martyn Meade and is entered at Ascot on Saturday," said De Watrigant.

"I bought him for a client who would like to pinhook him."

Shalaa had been in considerable demand at Arqana’s yearling event with one of his colts due to embark upon a career in Japan when bought by Emmanuel de Seroux for €600,000.

The Fairway Consignment’s filly (199) was not in that bracket but still made a fine impression when she was picked up for €47,000 by Berghgracht’s MAB Agency.

A daughter of the fairly useful Luna Tune, her Holy Roman Emperor half-brother Teryag has been a sound operator for the Didier and Pauline Prod’homme team.

Berghracht was also responsible for the session’s third-highest lot when a Kendargent colt was knocked down to him for €80,000.

Haras de Colleville’s stallion is enduringly popular and lot 247 ticked plenty of boxes as his dam, the now 20-year-old Prix Vermeille heroine Pearly Shells, has produced some useful middle-distance progeny such as German Group 3 winner Pearl Banks.

Rouget takes home another Wootton Bassett

Jean-Claude Rouget needs no introduction to the progeny of Wootton Bassett, with his son and now fellow Haras d’Etreham resident Almanzor taking the prolific trainer into new realms in both editions of the Champion Stakes in 2016.

The stallion’s first representative in the ring had sold well on Tuesday and his second rose even higher, with Rouget striking the successful bid of €60,000 for a colt out of the unraced Smart Strike mare Ironique (173). More significantly, Haras du Buff’s offering is a full sister of the Listed winner Oriental and from the Falco family developed by the Wertheimers.

Although the individual bar was raised, the rest of the sale statistics were a little down on 12 months ago. The aggregate reached €4,048,000 compared with €4,457,500 from one extra lot in 2018.

This saw the average decrease to €21,056 from €22,946, although the median remained unchanged at €17,000. The clearance rate from 257 lots was a modest 70 per cent.

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