'He was among the best yearlings of the day' - €130,000 Doctor Dino colt tops Arqana Autumn Sale trade

On a day when several lots found their way to lofty prices but not their reserves, it was a yearling son of Doctor Dino (lot 577) who took top billing after a deal was secured outside the ring on behalf of leading owner Xavier Papot and his family.

The entire was presented by Haras de l’Hotellerie on behalf of Madame Francis Montauban, while agent Joffret Huet struck the deal at €130,000 for the second offspring of Aterisk, who won the Listed Prix d'Iena at Auteuil for trainer Guillaume Macaire.

Macaire gave €20,000 for Aterisk in this ring during the 2018 Summer Sale and the daughter of No Risk At All quickly repaid that investment when winning three of her first four starts at Auteuil the following year, as well as finishing third in the Grade 3 Prix Sagan. 

From the family of Astonville – who may be better known in Britain and Ireland for having run at huge odds in two Champion Hurdles, a Gold Cup and a Grand National for owner Fergus Wilson, but who was a winner of the Grade 2 Grand Steeple-Chase d'Enghien when trained by Marcel Rolland – the Doctor Dino colt was purchased as a foal here last November by Chauvigny Global Equine for €91,000.

Huet said: "He's out of a good mare who was herself precocious. I think he was among the best yearlings of the day and is a very well-balanced colt. He's the first horse I've bought for the Papot family."

Haras du Berlais invest in select bloodline

Fairway Consignment's Doctor Dino filly out of Crystal Reef continued a good day for her sire at ArqanaCredit: ZUZANNA LUPA

A yearling filly (603) by France's most coveted and expensive jumps sire filled the number two slot on the day, after Bertrand Le Metayer gave €90,000 for a daughter of Doctor Dino and the proven producer Crystal Reef. 

The King's Best mare has already produced talented stayer Doha Dream, who now stands at Haras du Hoguenet and whose first crop are three-year-olds this season, while Matfog won the Grade 2 Grand Steeple-Chase de Compiegne.

Crystal Reef is a half-sister to no fewer than three Juddmonte-bred stallions in Martaline, Coastal Path and Reefscape.  

It's hard to imagine too many better pages for a prospective breeder and Le Metayer revealed the Fairway Consignment filly had been purchased on behalf of a farm with one of the most recognisable labels in French jumping. 

Bertrand le Metayer after signing for Fairway Consignment's Doctor Dino filly at Arqana Credit: ZUZANNA LUPA

"She's been bought for Haras du Berlais and as she is a filly who comes from a great family, she ticks plenty of boxes for the excellent breeders that they are," said Le Metayer. 

"She's very good-looking, a great mover and she'll be a lovely filly to take back to the farm. It will be up to Berlais to decide whether she goes into training first, but she has everything to become a first-class broodmare." 

Pair of Saint Des Saints yearlings catch the eye

The recent announcement that Saint Des Saints has been retired from a long and illustrious career at Haras d'Etreham seemed to concentrate minds as the session drew to a close, with a pair of yearlings each making €75,000

The navy and green lozenges of the Papot family will be carried by Foux Du Fafa (616), who was bred by Haras de la Tuilerie and is a half-brother to Triumph Hurdle winner Farclas. 

Sitting with Xavier Papot and Benoit Gabeur, it was Thomas Maudet who signed for the colt, whose Seattle Dancer dam Floriana was Listed-placed on the Flat in Germany. 

Maudet said: "He's a super-looking colt and a brother to a Grade 1 winner. He's a good mover and has some size about him, while we're really pleased to be able to acquire a horse from one of the final generations of Saint Des Saints. 

"He'll stay in France and I'd say we all fell in love with him as a physical type."

Trade continued at the Arqana Autumn Sale on TuesdayCredit: ZUZANNA LUPA

When it was pointed out he remains entire and had the pedigree to make a stallion, Maudet said: "The aim is to win good races with him first and foremost."

The second high-priced offering by Saint Des Saints (618B) – the final lot through the ring – went to agent Guy Petit for the same price, and will carry the colours of Clive Boultbee-Brooks.

"Clive has horses in Britain and France with Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, so I'm not sure where he'll be going," said Petit. "He'll be broken in and then we'll see what the plan is."

Petit knows the immediate family well, having bought the colt's full-sister, Prix Sagan winner La Boetie, and he added: "I loved the horse and sometimes the heart has to have its say."

Brother to Black Corton heads for Ireland

Leading the way among the two-year-old stores during the first half of the day was a Cokoriko half-brother to the prolific and classy Black Corton. 

Messire Corton (541) was consigned by Haras de la Tuilerie on behalf of breeder Dominique Guyon and it was Tom Malone who won out at €62,000 for the imposing gelding.

In addition to Paul Nicholls’ former top-notcher, the Video Rock mare Pour Le Meilleur has also produced the useful Hugos New Horse – who reached a mark of 132 as a novice hurdler with Nicholls last season – as well as the Coastal Path mare Jasmine De Corton, who won a Listed hurdle race in the silks of her breeder at Auteuil last October for trainer Erwan Grall. 

The most expensive two-year-old store sold at Arqana on Tuesday was Messire De Corton from Haras de la TuilerieCredit: ZUZANNA LUPA

Messire Corton hails from a deep AQPS family and under his third dam, Jupe De Laine, can be found a pair of former Francois Doumen-trained stars in Ciel De Brion and Djeddah, the last-named of which won the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton, just as Black Corton did 21 years later.

Transport company Midland Equine signed for Messire Corton, who appears destined for Ireland. 

While the market retained its selective nature from day one, the figures year-on-year stood up well, with 87 of the 122 lots offered being sold for an aggregate of €2,001,500 and a clearance rate of 71 per cent, down three points on 2023. 

The average price ticked down slightly from €25,776 to €23,006, while the median was down more sharply from €20,000 to €15,000. 

Selling begins at 11am local time (10am GMT) on Wednesday for a full session of jumps-bred yearlings. 

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