Galileo mare and memories of Zarkava spur BBA Ireland spending spree at Arqana

It may seem incredible to many of us that a granddaughter of Zarkava could be catalogued as a broodmare prospect but that time has arrived and, for much of Wednesday's second and concluding session of the Arqana February Mixed Sale, it looked as if the Aga Khan Studs' offering of the Fastnet Rock mare Zerziyna would hold sway at the top of the board at €200,000.

That BBA Ireland eclipsed their own sale-topper when going to €315,000 for a daughter of Galileo consigned by Haras de Bouquetot only proved the spending power of their acquisitive client, as the agent and buyer combination effectively cornered the top end of the breeding market in Deauville. 

Carrying to Mehmas, Rasmiya is out of the Danehill mare Crystal Valkyrie and has a stakes-placed brother in Granddukeoftuscany in Australia, as well as Group-winning half-siblings in Above Average and Sent From Heaven.

While declining to name his client, Michael Donohoe pointed to their breeding activities in both Europe and Australia, which gives some flexibility to mating plans for Rasmiya, who was covered only on May 28 last year.

Rasmiya topped the selling on the second and concluding day of the Arqana February Mixed Sale at €315,000Credit: Zuzanna LUPA

"She already has proven stakes performers and is from a very good family and is a very good-looking mare," said Donohoe. "It’s a nice cover by Mehmas and I think he is a nice cross with Galileo.

"She’ll go back to Ireland to foal down. The client I bought her for has mares in Europe and Australia and, because it’s quite a late foaling date, we might cover her on southern hemisphere time and then send her to Australia. A choice of stallion is yet to be made."

Donohoe and BBA Ireland colleague Eamonn Reilly were pushed hard by Nicolas de Watrigant to secure Zerziyna. But the pair would not be denied in their quest to find suitable mates for Lucky Vega, who is embarking on his second season standing at the Irish National Stud. 

Zerziyna is out of the Dalakhani mare Zerkaza - the 2008 European champion Zarkava's first foal - and is of course a half-sister to the rising star of France's stallion ranks in Zarak, as well as the black-type performers Zarkamiya and Zaykava. 

A granddaughter of the great Zarkava, Zerziyna was bought by BBA Ireland for €200,000 at Arqana on WednesdayCredit: Zuzanna LUPA

Reilly said: "We bought her for a client in Ireland and she will go to Lucky Vega. The client has already bred a very good-looking foal by him and he asked me to buy a mare to send to the stallion. As for the family, you can’t get better than Zarkava."

Lucky Vega will also be the first date for Bay Of Islands, a winning Dubawi mare sold by Gestut Ohlerweiherhof and the dam of Bharani Star, winner of the Listed Rothesay Stakes and fourth in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot for Peter Chapple-Hyam and Fairlawns Racing.

Bay Of Islands, who fetched €58,000, is a half-sister to Saddex, a Group 1 winner in Italy, while her second dam Aviance won the Phoenix Stakes at two and produced a pair of Group 1 winners in Chimes Of Freedom and Denon, as well as being the granddam of a third in Breeders' Cup hero Spinning World.

Eamonn Reilly and Michael Donohoe after securing a granddaughter of Zarkava at Arqana on WednesdayCredit: Zuzanna LUPA

"The client asked me to find a nice mare to send to Lucky Vega and she fitted the bill," said Donohoe. "She’s a nice physical and Dubawi has all the makings of a very good broodmare sire. She’s already produced a stakes winner from her first foal and she probably represents a good bit of value."

Short yearling by Persian King makes an impression

Away from the top end of the broodmare market, there was a third six-figure lot in the shape of Normandie Breeding's yearling colt by Persian King out of the Linngari mare Alliance D'Or. 

An April 2022 foal, the short yearling is a half brother to Prix Texanita winner Alistair and follows on from strong sales of Persian King's foals last December, when three lots realised more than €100,000 in the Deauville ring. 

A short yearling by Haras d'Etreham's Persian King was among the star lots at Arqana on day two of the February Mixed SaleCredit: Zuzanna LUPA

It was Hamish Macaulay who had the last say at €105,000, the third highest-price given for a yearling in the history of the February sale. 

"He's been bought by Tally-Ho’s Tony and Roger O’Callaghan," said Macaulay. "They’ll take him back with a view to re-sell. He is an all-star of a horse, a lovely yearling. 

"From the moment I saw him I wanted to buy him, so that’s why I rang Roger and Tony. I haven’t seen too many by the stallion but if they’re all like him they’ll be all right."

Persian King stood at Haras d'Etreham for €30,000 in each of his first two seasons and is at €25,000 this term. 

No Nay Never in demand

A pair of fillies by Coolmore's No Nay Never were among the lots to break the €50,000 barrier.

Haras de Bouquetot's Rsheeda, an unraced daughter of Frankel's Park Hill runner-up Aljezeera, was knocked down to Jacques Rossi for €60,000. 

Always Sweet was highly rated before suffering an injury and the daughter of No Nay Never will now head to Haras d'HaspelCredit: Zuzanna LUPA

And Always Sweet - who owner-breeder Yeguada Centurion refused to part with for €100,000 when offered in this ring as a yearling - joined the broodmare band at Jose Delmotte's renowned nursery Haras d'Haspel for €52,000.

The breeder of 2021 European champion two-year-old Native Trail, Delmotte said of his latest purchase: "She was in training with Christopher Head and he really thought a lot of her and was working her with his good fillies but, unfortunately, she suffered an injury. 

"I love No Nay Never as a sire and she has a good family behind her on the dam’s side. She has size and depth and she ticked a lot of boxes." 

And at €57,000 Brian Grassick Bloodstock secured another Bouquetot lot, the unraced Olympic Glory mare Al Andalus, who is out of a sister to Oaks heroine Was, Amhran Na Bhfiann and Douglas Macarthur. 

Key indicators reveal healthy market

2023's catalogue featured 68 fewer lots than the one 12 months ago and so Arqana's executive will be quietly satisfied with turnover for the two days which dipped by only €223,000. 

Business totalled €3,806,000, with 245 lots changing hands at a near-identical clearance rate of 79 per cent to the one achieved in 2022. The average rose from €13,475 to €15,535, while the median also ticked up from €6,000 to €6,500. 

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