Ecurie des Charmes falls hard for La Motteraye's Pinatubo filly on day three of the Arqana October Yearling Sale

Lucien Urano can be said to have enjoyed a landmark year, both as co-owner-breeder of brilliant Prix du Jockey Club winner Look De Vega and also thanks to several excellent stakes performances from horses carrying the pink and black checked colours of his Ecurie des Charmes. 

Newlook became his latest black-type winner over the road at Deauville racecourse on Monday when landing the Listed Prix Vulcain, while Minoushka failed by just a neck in the Prix de la Grotte and has since been Listed-placed as well, and Gala Real - who carried the silks of Carlo Ancelotti's Scuderia dei Duepi - scored in the Prix de la Seine.

Ecurie des Charmes and Ballylinch co-bred the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Aunt Pearl, and it was to the same family that Urano returned with the purchase of the already-named Matauri Queen (lot 404) for €125,000.

Presented by La Motteraye Consignment, the daughter of Pinatubo is out of the winning Authorized mare Matauri Jewel, who has produced three winners from as many runners and is a half sister to Prix Saint-Alary runner-up Wekeela and Matauri Pearl the dam of Aunt Pearl.

The page could receive another significant update on Sunday as Aunt Pearl's brother Matauri Bay runs in the Group 1 Criterium International for Valmont, Ballylinch and Ecurie des Charmes. 

Emeric Guetin of Meridian International with La Motteraye's Lucie LamotteCredit: ZUZANNA LUPA

Standing outside the ring it was Meridian International's Emeric Guetin who had the last say.

"She’s a beautiful filly and has been purchased for Monsieur Urano’s Ecurie des Charmes, who has had plenty of success in terms of his breeding programme," said Guetin.

"Monsieur Urano loved the filly and the family - we had plenty of success with Aunt Pearl - while we hope Pinatubo might be about to take off. 

"She has a great walk and is well made, so she ticks a fair few of boxes. For now there’s no decision on a trainer but we hope she will achieve on the track and then potentially transfer that into her career as a broodmare."

Guetin added: "I’ve been working with [Meridian principal] Ghislain Bozo for two years and we work closely with Ecurie des Charmes, which has had a great year. Monsieur Urano has major ambitions to develop the operation and the success he has enjoyed this year has brought him a great deal of pleasure." 

'We couldn't envisage leaving her behind' - Toronado filly all the rage for Haras de Castillon

Haras de Castillon's Toronado filly out of Rosehill is another six-figure lot at Arqana on ThursdayCredit: ZUZANNA LUPA

The first of two highly-prized daughters of former Haras de Bouquetot resident Toronado was knocked down to agent Ange Peretti for €120,000 after a protracted battle. 

Al Shaqab's stallion son of High Chaparral began life at the National Stud but after three years relocated to Bouquetot in 2018, where he stood for five years before his owners decided that he should continue his career exclusively at his shuttling home of Swettenham Stud in Australia.

This filly (lot 474) is out of the Australia mare Rosehill and hails from the family of Baghadur, who won the Group 3 Prix del Porte Maillot around Longchamp's slick seven-furlong 'Toboggan', before being sold to Hong Kong where he was Group 1-placed three times when trained by John Moore under the name Joyful Trinity.

The filly is the second foal out of Rosehill, and her Shalaa three-year-old half-brother Waikato narrowly missed out on black type when fourth in the Prix Ridgway. 

Ange Peretti (left) will be hoping he has unearthed another filly in the mould of Daylight after purchasing Haras de Castillon's Toronado filly for €120,000Credit: ZUZANNA LUPA

Peretti said: "She really stood out and was our filly of the day and has plenty of strong points to recommend her. She has so much quality and has been bought for an group of owners.

"I bought Daylight here last year and if this filly turns out somewhere near as good than I think my clients will be delighted. I think there were a few nice Toronado fillies at this sale but she was the one that stood out and we couldn't envisage leaving her behind."

More Toronado joy as Arcadia Elevage's filly catches the eye 

Earlier Antoine Bellanger's Arcadia Elevage also enjoyed a fine return when another daughter of Toronado, the already-named Hiyary (363), was sold to Pauline Chehboub's Yellow Agency for €100,000.

Arcadia Elevage's Toronado filly out of Hazely sells to Yellow Agency for €100,000 at Arqana on ThursdayCredit: ZUZANNA LUPA

Out of the Cape Cross mare Hazely, Hiyary is a sister to Prix Millkom winner Mouillage, who was subsequently sold out of the Jean-Claude Rouget stable for €280,000 at the Arqana Arc Sale and was stakes-placed on her first start in the US for Chad Brown and Madaket Stables.

"She is a quality filly who moves well and is well-bred," said Chehboub. "Her full-brother proved himself a good horse and she really caught our eye. 

"I like Toronado and the cross is already proven. We’re delighted to get such a ravishing filly, one who does everything easily. 

"Hopefully she does well on the track but you also have to think of when she retires to the farm and she will cross well with several of our stallions."

Wattel hoping for near-instant update with sister of Dreamliner

Stephane Wattel will be hoping the value of his €95,000 investment in a filly by Zelzal (346) may increase significantly within 48 hours of signing for her.

Stephane Wattel with Haras du Buff's Edwige Le Metayer Credit: Zuzanna Lupa

Out of the Listed-winning Aussie Rules mare Game Theory, the filly’s half-brother by Adlerflug, Dreamliner, was impressive when breaking his maiden for Wattel at Bordeaux Le Bouscat last month and steps up to Listed class in Saturday’s Prix Isonomy at Chantilly.

Wattel said: “First of all she’s a very good-looking filly who I loved, and I’m hoping that after Saturday she will be the sister of a black-type performer. That bit is up to me! 

“I think Dreamliner is very good and hopefully he will be a proper three-year-old. She has been bought for the same client, Patrick Betts, while John Corbani will take a piece of her as well. We stretched to go a little over-budget but then I wasn’t the only one taken with her.”

Demand remains strong as Part 2 posts big year-on-year increase

The two-day Part 2 run of the October catalogue came to an end on Thursday evening and the results will be extremely satisfying for both the vendors and Arqana. 

Trade at the Arqana October Yearling Sale generic is 13 per cent ahead of the same stage last year after three days of sellingCredit: ZUZANNA LUPA

From an identical number of lots as a year ago, turnover rose 16 per cent to €8,885,500, with the clearance rate dipping slightly from 86 to 80 per cent, resulting in the average price given vaulting by 25 per cent from €30,198 to €37,884. The median also showed strong gains, climbing from €23,500 to €30,000.

 Taken together the first three days of the sale - those which comprise Part 1 and Part 2 - have realised €26,865,500, which is 13 per cent ahead of the 2023 total of €23,734,000 at this stage. 

On Friday the first of two days dedicated to Part 3 gets under way at 2pm local time. 

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