'We've had plenty of good horses out of it' - Arqana Summer Sale bonzana ready for lift-off

Arqana's Summer Sale, which starts on Tuesday, has a strong record when it comes to selling subsequent high-class performers on the Flat and over jumps.

Grade 1 Punchestown Gold Cup hero Fastorslow and Group 2 Prix Saint-Alary winner Birthe are just two of the graduates to have flown the flag high in recent months. 

Fastorslow, Sean and Bernardine Mulryan's top-class son of Saint Des Saints, was a €100,000 recruit from the sale in 2018 and has gone on to record three top-level triumphs at Punchestown.

Study Of Man's daughter Birthe, well found 12 months ago by Tina Rau Bloodstock at €12,000, had the slight misfortune to win the first running of the Saint-Alary since its downgrade from Group 1 status, though in being beaten less than four lengths subsequently when seventh in the Prix de Diane, the filly surely has the potential to win in the highest grade.

Others who have gone on to Pattern-level success, with the potential for further improvement, include Nietzsche Has, winner of the Grade 3 Prix Aguado in May, and last November's Grade 1 Prix Maurice Gillois winner Amy Du Kiff, a high-class son of Kapgarde.

These results support the theory that the Summer Sale is a place where owners and trainers can find youngsters with potential, and for relatively inexpensive sums, while the breeding stock section should not be underestimated either. 

Vendors' interest in the event at Arqana's headquarters in Deauville is such that the sale has been expanded to a four-day affair this year, with a day of breezing followed by three days of selling. The auction took place over two days last summer.

Arqana's Thomas Leffray, an Irish National Stud breeding course graduate who bred Allaho with father Eric, said: "The sale was extended because we had more demand, especially in the breeze-up section, while there were also more store horses. 

"The good thing is we've extended but we've still got good-quality horses in both sections; we're not just trying to fill up the catalogue.

Fastorslow: top-class chaser is a famous graduate of the Arqana Summer SaleCredit: Patrick McCann

"We've had plenty of good horses out of this sale. Last year we had Nietzsche Has, a son of Zarak who is currently the best three-year-old in France, while Amy Du Kiff won a Grade 1 from out of this sale in 2021."

On its appeal to the British and Irish contingent, he said: "When we landed in Ireland last week [for the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale] we weren't able to get around the sales ground because we were stopped numerous times by different people. 

"Consignors and buyers were chatting to us about this week, including about being excited by what they had bred in the catalogue, both in the store section and horses in training section."

The opening session this year is made up of breeze-up horses (lots 1-134) and two- and three-year-old stores (135-310), with horses in training (311-540) and breeding stock (541-660) selling across the final two days. 

One notable offering among the stores is Haras des Loges' No Boundaries (297), a Moises Has half-brother to Grade 1 Arkle and Dublin Chase hero El Fabiolo and two further black-type winners. 

Another to note is Haras de la Cote Fleurie's Goliathys (190), by Haras de la Tuilerie's sensational young sire Goliath Du Berlais and a half-sister to Grade 1 Maghull Novices' Chase winner Diego Du Charmil. 

Also a close relation to Grade 2 Dovecote Novices' Hurdle winner Days Of Heaven, her dam is a half-sister to Klassical Way, the dam of Grade 1 Champion Stayers Hurdle and Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner Klassical Dream. 

Goliath Du Berlais: well represented in the store sectionCredit: Zuzanna Lupa

The horses in training section includes those from owner-breeders Al Shaqab Racing, the Aga Khan Studs and the Wertheimers.

They also hail from yards including those of Andre Fabre, Henri-Francois Devin, Christophe Ferland, Carlos Laffon-Parias, Francis Graffard, Christopher Head, Jean-Claude Rouget and Jerome Reynier.

Rouget's draft includes wildcard Zweig (512), a Churchill colt from the Group-winning family of Platinum Warrior and Plainchant. The progressive three-year-old has won his last three starts, including the Listed Derby du Languedoc in May, and is sold with an entry in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris. 

Another wildcard entry is the Haras d'Ombreville-consigned Fang Mich (503), a winning Starspangledbanner half-sister to Group 1 Deutches Derby hero Fantastic Moon. 

Ombreville also offers high-class jumps performer Policasta (513), an Italian Grade 2 scorer in May. The son of National Defense is out of Calm Charm, a Teofilo half-sister to Group winners Double Or Bubble and Mix And Mingle, as well as Wild Mix, dam of Group-winning juvenile and 2024 Oaks fifth Caught U Looking. 

The stud's team also includes one of the very last entries into the sale, Inside Matters (493), who was third in the Group 3 Preis des Winterfavoriten at Cologne in October for Henk Grewe. The colt landed a maiden at Compiegne on his return to action last month.

Another of the last wave of entries, Gold Index (494), has a similar profile having been Group-placed as a two-year-old last autumn and a winner on his reappearance last month. In the case of the Devin-trained colt, that came in a conditions contest at Saint-Cloud. 

Flash De La Chanie (515), winner of both starts over hurdles this season, was also added to the sale last week. The four-year-old son of Chanducoq hails from the family of Grade 3 winner Lutin Ville. 

Among the lots on the final day are mares in foal to jumps sires Chœur Du Nord, Doctor Dino, Masked Marvel, Nirvana Du Berlais and Saint Des Saints, and there are also mares carrying to established Flat guns Cracksman, Galiway, Intello and The Grey Gatsby.

Selling begins at 10am local time (9am BST) on Tuesday.

Arqana Summer Sale factfile

Where Arqana sales complex, Deauville 

When Tuesday's session is from 10am local time, with Wednesday's beginning at 2pm and Thursday's starting at 11am

Last year's stats From 412 lots offered, 342 sold (83 per cent) for turnover of €11,538,750, an average of €33,739 and median of €19,500

Notable graduates Fastorslow (sold by the Fairway Consignment, bought by BLM Bloodstock for €100,000); Salver (sold by the Channel Consignment, bought by NBB Racing for €25,000); Birthe (sold by Haras du Lieu des Champs, bought by Tina Rau Bloodstock for €12,000); Chez Pierre (sold by LV, bought by NBB Racing for €100,000)

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