New Approach colt Flop Shot tops trade at Arc Sale at €850,000

Flop Shot will go from carrying one set of distinguished racing silks to another after the three-year-old son of New Approach was sold for €850,000 to top the Arqana Arc Sale held at Saint-Cloud racecourse on Saturday evening.

Offered by the Wertheimer brothers, the top lot was signed for by Michel Zerolo's Oceanic Bloodstock on behalf of Peter Brant's White Birch Farm, whose two-tone green silks have been kept in lights thanks to stars such as Raging Bull, Sistercharlie and this year's Prix du Jockey Club winner Sottsass.

Zerolo explained that Flop Shot would be heading to the US following the purchase, where they hope that he will make up into a top-class turf contender.

Trained by Andre Fabre, Flop Shot has won two of his six starts including a three-length romp in the Group 3 Prix de Guiche at Chantilly in May.

Flop Shot is out of the Listed-placed Dansili mare Dancequest, a half-sister to two Pattern winners for the Wertheimers in Plumania and Balladeuse.

Plumania, who captured the 2010 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, has since produced the Group 2 scorer Plumatic, while Balladeuse, whose name features on the Prix de Royallieu roll of honour, is the mother of Prix Vermeille heroine Left Hand.

View Arqana Arc Sale results and buyers

The most expensive filly to go through the ring was the three-year-old , a winner of the Group 3 Prix Penelope at Saint-Cloud in early May who went the way of Belmont Bloodstock for €750,000.

Since then, Jean-Claude Rouget's charge has gone on to finish third in the Group 2 Prix de la Nonette at Deauville, and she was taking her second turn through a sales ring having been a €140,000 yearling purchase for the trainer.

Cartiem is out of Mintaka, a winning daughter of the Group 3 Prix du Royaumont winner Minatlya, whose half-brother Manighar won three Group 1 prizes in Australia from ten to 12 furlongs.

The third of three lots to pass the €700,000 mark was the Christophe Ferland-trained colt Chares, who found favour with Lohan Equine and Narvick International at €710,000.

The Ivawood juvenile is out of the Italian Listed winner Coco Demure, and he remains unbeaten in three starts having won a Listed mile contest at Lyon Parilly in late September.

"We've bought him to send him to Hong Kong to race," said Dennis Loh. "He's a very athletic horse, who walked well, and the way he won was very impressive."

The top three purchases are all eligible for owners' premiums in France, with the Irish-bred Flop Shot and German-bred Chares both assimilated in France.

Also popular was the three-year-old Zoffany colt , a Deauville maiden winner who was competitive in Group 1 company this season, finishing fourth to Persian King in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains.

Sent into the ring by trainer Yann Barberot, Graignes was hammered down to Sebastien Le Forban of FTP Equine Holdings for €600,000.

"He is bought to go to England for a client who already has horses in training in France," said agent Le Forban. "We loved the horse. He'll run tomorrow and then go to George Baker in England before making any further decisions."

Group 3 winner Trais Fluors, who was a wildcard entry into the sale, was knocked down to RPG Bloodstock for €370,000.

Rupert Pritchard-Gordon said of the five-year-old, who had been trained by Andre Fabre: "He will race next year but is unlikely to stay in France. We will discuss his future with Mr Ng over the weekend before committing to anything.

"He’s a consistent Group performer, and they are not easy to find. He’s a very versatile horse, who goes on any ground, and he vetted very well. Even though he is a five-year-old, he has been superbly managed by André Fabre, who has looked after him.”

Two-year-old Nunzia, winner of one of her three starts, went the way of Mandore International for €420,000, with Nicolas de Watrigant reporting: "Haras de Bourgeauville have kept half of the filly, and Sol Kumin has bought 50 per cent. She will head to the United States for next season, where she will be trained by Graham Motion."

Also heading stateside is Listed winner Stone Tornado, hammered down to Hubert Guy for €300,000.

Guy said: "She will head to the States for a partnership. I don't know who will train her yet. I was seduced by her turn of foot and her pedigree, which is very live. If she continues like this, she will be a valuable broodmare prospect."

Of the 39 lots on offer, 25 changed hands resulting in a 64 per cent clearance rate and total receipts of €6,300,000, a figure 46 per cent higher than 12 months ago when a similar number of horses were offered and sold.

Those trades came at an average spend of €252,000 - up 40 per cent on last year - and median price of €150,000.

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