No News is good news as broodmare makes €125,000 at Arqana

No News, a ten-year-old broodmare whose first two foals have been useful winners, made the headlines when changing hands for €125,000 at Thursday's concluding National Hunt breeding stock session of the Arqana Autumn Sale.

A three-time scorer on the Flat, the daughter of Gentlewave is from the exceptional French National Hunt family of No Risk At All and Nickname, and has already produced Messagere, who was unbeaten in two starts including the Grade 3 Prix Sagan, along with promising three-year-old Divination.

Offered in foal to Goliath Du Berlais, No News featured as part of the dispersal by longstanding operator Haras de la Croix Sonnet and was reported to have been bought by Antoine de Talhouet-Roy and Thierry Storme to return to Haras des Sablonnets, which sold her back in 2015 in foal to Messagere.

"She’s a mare that we know very well because we had her at the stud before selling her in foal to Saint des Saints," said Antoine de Talhouet-Roy.

"We’re delighted to get her back! She’s a very good mare, has a lot of strength and comes from the great family of No Risk At All."

The same stud also offered a 1/50th share in stallion No Risk At All, sire of 2020 Champion Hurdle winner Epatante, which was bought by Guy Petit for €53,000.

New home for old favourite

Baie Des Iles, familiar to many as the distinctive grey who ran in the 2018 Grand National for the Katie Walsh and Ross O'Sullivan team, led for much of the session after making €97,000.

Pierric Rouxel of Haras de Maulepaire, bidding beside Sebastien Desmontils of Chauvigny Global Equine, secured the nine-year-old, offered in foal to leading stallion Doctor Dino, who began and ended her career in France but landed both the Punchestown Grand National Trial and Grade 2 Prix des Drags for O'Sullivan.

Smart chaser Baie Des Iles takes her turn in the ringCredit: Arqana

She had also been offered at Arqana last December by Haras du Hoguenet but went unsold at €70,000.

“She’s coming back to the West," said Rouxel. "This is, among others, the return of Ecurie Drost in the buyers ranks, this time with
a broodmare.

"The objective is to sell her future progeny. We’re delighted to have got her as it’s not every day you get the opportunity to buy a Group winner in foal to France’s top stallion!"

That mark of €97,000 was matched by Princesse Kap, a Graded-level jumper offered in foal to No Risk At All and bought by Tim Richardson's Equine Advisory Agency.

Cutting his cloth

A very different commodity, offered by Ludovic Picard and Haras de Cordelles, realised the next highest price when knocked down to Saubouas Bloodstock for €75,000.

Kloth Of Utopia is a foal from the first crop of Cloth Of Stars, the winner of the Prix Ganay and twice placed in the Arc who joined Haras du Logis.

He had the considerable added attraction of being a half-brother to Theleme, who landed the Prix Cambaceres, a Grade 1 hurdle for three-year-olds, at Auteuil this month.

Paul Basquin of Saubouas said: "He’s a lovely foal, very well balanced with a good hindquarter that walks really well. He has all the qualities to become a good National Hunt performer, and Cloth Of Stars appears to be a stallion that could also be a good sire over jumps.

"We hope he’ll do as well as his brother! He’ll go back to the stud and we’ll see after that."

Saubouas also bought the latest foal from No News, by Cloth Of Stars, for €60,000.

This sale would usually have formed part of the traditional breeding stock event but was developed into a standalone format owing to the pandemic.

All told, 104 of the 144 lots sold for a clearance rate of 72 per cent and an aggregate of €2,310,000. The average was €22,212 and the median €16,000.

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