'She was the one I really wanted' - James Delahooke nets Durance for €750,000

The high-class Champs Elysees filly Durance came to the fore on a day of highly competitive trade at Arqana's Breeding Stock Sale on Saturday, making €750,000 to Pursuit Of Success LC.

The German-bred four-year-old is the tenth foal out of the remarkable Djidda – the dam of eight black-type performers including Group 3 winner Dabbitse – and duly upheld family honour in style when striking in the Group 2 Gran Premio di Milano in June.

Offered by Ronald Rauscher, Durance also landed the Group 3 Mehl Mulhens Trophy at Hamburg last year and notched up a Grade 1 second in the EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine last October.

James Delahooke, who struck the winning bid on behalf of the new owners, said: "She was the one I really wanted in the sale. Her family had really produced with sires that I've never even heard of. The first dam fills the entire page – that's rare these days. Other than that, her race record speaks for itself.

"I bought her for American clients who have mares in Kentucky and England. Durance will head to stud and her offspring will go to the sales."

He added: "The sale is very strong for the right profiles despite so few people being around the ring. A lot of people must be bidding from off-site."

Preis von Europa heroine Donjah was one of the headline acts ahead of the sale but the top-class daughter of Teofilo was led out unsold at €720,000.

Euclidia to form part of Bouchard band

The progressive Euclidia was another who was the subject of intense bidding when making €525,000 to Gerard Larrieu, acting on behalf of Ecurie Jean-Louis Bouchard.

A Listed winner on her penultimate start for Christophe Ferland, the Wertheimer & Frere-owned daughter of Maxios is out of the Galileo mare Mathematicienne. She is a half-sister to three black-type performers including Prix Marcel Boussac second Matematica and Prix d'Aumale scorer Soustraction.

Euclidia hails from the distinguished family of 2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Solemia plus Gold Dodger, the granddam of French 2,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes hero The Gurkha.

Larrieu said: "She has been bought for Jean-Louis Bouchard and will join his Deauville-based stud.

"He wants to improve the quality of his broodmare band and this is a lovely Wertheimer family, who cover their mares with top sires. So, if we keep her healthy, all should go well!"

Truth weaves her magic

As a full-sister to Mackinnon Stakes winner Magic Wand, a renowned globetrotting Group 1 performer and €1,400,000 purchase from Arqana as a yearling, the Haras de Bouquetot-offered Truth was always likely to fetch a fair sum and it was Delahooke who went to €580,000 to secure her on behalf of Minster Stud.

Out of the remarkable producer Prudenzia – a stakes-winning daughter of Dansili – the eight-year-old is also a close relation to Irish Oaks heroine Chicquita and is carrying to Siyouni.

Prudenzia is out of the Zafonic mare Platonic and is a half-sister to Lingfield Derby Trial winner English King and Pattern winner Pacifique.

Delahooke said: "I was underbidder here when Magic Wand went through this ring and the Coolmore boys bought her. I followed her career with great excitement, and sadness we hadn't been able to get her. Now we've bought her sister for Willie Carson, who has a successful stud in Gloucestershire."

He added: "I think it's been a very solid market, they've sold very well and it's held up very well."

Monceaux prominent again

Ecurie des Monceaux supplied the top two lots at Arqana's Yearling Sale in September, and were again to the fore at Deauville with Psara selling for €500,000 to Meridian International.

Psara: the daughter of Invincible Spirit fetches €500,000 to Meridian InternationalCredit: Thierry Boisson

Bred by Monceaux in partnership with Ecurie Skymarc Farm, Psara is an Invincible Spirit half-sister to two winners including Paix, winner of the Prix de Lutece for Francis-Henri Graffard.

She is the third foal out of the Group 3-winning Montjeu mare Pacifique, herself a half-sister to the aforementioned Prudenzia, the dam of Magic Wand and Chicquita.

A €250,000 purchase from Arqana as a yearling three years ago, the four-year-old is in foal to Coolmore's exciting young sire Churchill.

Ghislain Bozo said: "She's an absolutely gorgeous mare from a top family and there's extremely strong residual value in a filly like that. I also like Churchill, I think that'll fit her well and you can't go wrong with a mare like that."

Shadai Farm busy with bids

Shadai Farm were among the most prominent buyers on the day, winning the bidding battle for Pascal Bary's Spinning Memories at €500,000.

The five-year-old daughter of Arcano won six times from 15 starts, including the Prix de Meautry Barriere and Prix du Palais-Royal, while she was a close-up fourth behind Advertise in last year's Prix Maurice de Gheest.

Spinning Memories was bred by Mubarak Al Naemi and she can count Beverly D and Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup winner Memories Of Silver plus Belmont Oaks scorer Winter Memories among her page.

Mageva, third in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, goes the way of Shadai Farm for €430,000Credit: Thierry Boisson

Hammered down for €430,000 to an online bid from Shadai Farm was Wootton Bassett's Classic-placed daughter Mageva.

Consigned by Haras des Capucines, the three-year-old Fabrice Chappet-trained filly was a winner at two and surpassed all expectations when third in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at Deauville in June.

The first foal of the Elusive City mare Melilot, Mageva has also been placed twice in Listed races this term and was a €75,000 purchase from Fairway Consignment at Arqana's Yearling Sale in 2018.

Katsumi Yoshida also struck a winning bid for Japan when securing
La Motteraye's Petite Folie, an Australia half-sister to top-class miler Persian King for €400,000, alongside Narvick International.

Narvick International's Emmanuel de Seroux said: "She's been bought for breeding purposes and will join Northern Farm. There's a very strong chance she'll head to Japan in the new year to be covered. The Japanese investors are looking for top broodmares or future broodmares."

Malevra in demand

Frederic Sauque got in on the action when stretching to €430,000 to purchase Malevra, a Group 3-placed daughter of leading sire Le Havre.

The Haras d'Etreham-consigned four-year-old is carrying to Wootton Bassett and is a half-sister to the Listed winner and Oh So Sharp runner-up Moonlife, the pair from the family of Italian Oaks heroine Lady Bentley.

Malevra: the daughter of Le Havre was knocked down for €430,000 to Frédéric SauqueCredit: Thierry Boisson

Sauque said: "I've bought her for a new investor, who comes from trotting and she will be his first thoroughbred mare.

"We liked both her type and her form on the track. She's carrying to a good stallion. We don't know who she'll be covered by next year."

Laffon-Parias aims high

Carlos Laffon-Parias went to €400,000 early on to secure Haras de Saint Isidro's Frankel foal colt out of the multiple Group winner Castellar.

Laffon-Parias had trained the daughter of American Post's half-brother Recoletos to win the Prix d'Ispahan and Prix du Moulin two years ago, while Castellar herself had struck in the Prix de la Nonette and Prix Cleopatre for the Chantilly-based trainer.

Castellar, who was owned by Sarl Darpat France, hails from a family that includes Prix de Sandringham winner Pharatta, Grosser Preis von Dusseldorf scorer Crimson Tide and Arosa, the dam of last year's Prix Royal-Oak hero Technician.

De Fee America-bound as McStay strikes

Prix Occitanie winner Conte De Fee provided Sea The Stars with another big-sale result following his top lot one-two result at last week's Tattersalls December Yearling Sale when selling to Mark McStay and Jamie Piggott for €410,000

The Nicolas Clement-trained three-year-old, bred by Myriad Communications & New England Stud, was a 100,000gns purchase from Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale two years ago.

Conte De Fee: the daughter of Sea The Stars will continue her career in AmericaCredit: Thierry Boisson

Out of the winning Padmini and a half-sister to Godolphin's Prix de Saint-Cyr winner Lucie Manette, Conte De Fee will continue her career across the Atlantic.

McStay said: "I purchased her with Jamie Piggott, who got her on behalf of Medallion Racing and a client of Jamie's in America. She'll go to the States.

"Jamie and I felt she was a lovely filly, and she's been really well trained by Nicolas Clement. She looks to be progressing the right way and we're big fans of Sea The Stars."

He added: "I've had a lot of success at the sale over the years and you've just got to look at the recent success of French-bred horses in America to see what they can do over there."

Sale statistics

From 193 lots offered, 154 sold for a clearance rate of 80 per cent and turnover of €18,936,000 (down 18 per cent on the €22,997,000 last year, when 164 lots sold from 198 offered at a clip of 83 per cent), an average of €122,961 (down 12 per cent on last year's €140,226), and a median of €75,000, which matched 2019.

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