'He'll make a great chaser and was definitely the one to buy' - Mambonumberfive heading Pauling's way after €450,000 play

Ben Pauling can look forward to training the top lot from day two’s horses-in-training section of the Arqana Summer Sale after agent Bertrand Le Metayer stretched to €450,000 to secure Mambonumberfive [lot 526], a Born To Sea gelding who has twice found the generational leader among France’s three-year-old hurdlers, Nietzsche Has, standing in his way at Auteuil. 

Bidding from the restaurant late in the session, Le Metayer saw off a number of other interested British and Irish parties for a horse who has previously carried the colours of Lynne MacLennan for champion trainer Francois Nicolle.

Le Metayer said: “He’s a fine, big horse and his form ties in with the best three-year-olds in France. Unfortunately we missed the very best one at the sales last year.

Bertrand Le Metayer went to €450,000 to secure Mambonumberfive at Arqana Credit: Zuzanna LUPA

“This is a lovely horse and he’ll make a great chaser. He goes to an owner of Ben Pauling and he’s heading to the UK. 

"It’s rare they come with such good vetting and he comes recommended by Francois Nicolle, so he was definitely the one to buy.”

Mullins team in irrepressible form

With something of a backloaded look to the horses-in-training section of the sale, the sight of Willie Mullins, Harold Kirk and Pierre Boulard touring the grounds only added to the sense that the action would come thick and fast towards the end of the session.

The Closutton team didn’t disappoint, striking twice within the space of five lots to secure the two highest-priced horses of the day to that point. 

One of a succession of Willie Mullins purchases, Charlus made €315,000 at Arqana Credit: Zuzanna LUPA

In terms of men who represent the very heights of their profession, you couldn’t get two better examples than Mullins and Jean-Claude Rouget, and it was to the reigning French champion trainer’s draft that the former turned when Kirk won out at €315,000 for Charlus [lot 509], a three-year-old gelding by Churchill who has already achieved a mark of 97 in three winning starts away from the bright lights of Paris.

Charlus is out of Prix Minerve placegetter Nobilis, while Mullins will be reassured by the presence of the stallion who produced Shishkin and Don Cossack further back in the pedigree.

Boulard said: “You’ve got Sholokhov in there for the jumping side [under the third dam] and hopefully he can be a dual-purpose horse for Willie, starting over hurdles.

"The Churchills do jump, while he could go back on the Flat for those big staying prizes. He wasn’t cheap but you have to fight for them.”

Asked about Mullins’ previous experiences with recruits from the Rouget academy, Boulard said: “Bialystok came from Jean-Claude and so did Petite Parisienne. We hope this one will be the best.”

Another Rouget graduate looks likely to be heading to Australia after Zweig [lot 512] – another son of Churchill – was bought privately by Narvick International, Blandford Bloodstock and De Burgh Equine for €250,000, with the name of trainer Annabel Neasham also appearing on the docket. 

Lot 505 Karma D'Airy made €250,000 from the Hugo Merienne draft at Arqana Credit: Zuzanna LUPA

Ten minutes earlier it had again been Kirk who won out, this time at €250,000, for Karma D’Airy [lot 505], whose second-placed effort at Auteuil last week meant she was entered into the sale too late to be listed among the printed supplementary lots. 

The four-year-old daughter of Authorized got within half a length of breaking her maiden on what was only her second start for Hugo Merienne, 

“We absolutely love her,” said Boulard. “Willie has had a lot of success with Authorized, especially fillies, and she’s really good looking. 

“She’s brand new, has run only twice and was second at Auteuil, showing she could go chasing in time. We expected she would make that.” 

Willie Mullins is congratulated by Hugo Merienne after the purchase of Karma D'Airy Credit: Zuzanna LUPA

Mullins will also train €200,000 purchase Sony Bill [lot 525], a three-year-old gelding by Battle Of Marengo sent out to be second in the Listed Prix Stanley by Hector Lageneste and Guillaume Macaire at Auteuil last month. 

Granddam Neriette won the Grade 3 Grand Prix de Pau, while her Walk In The Park daughter produced L'Eau Du Sud, who might have won last season's County Hurdle but for the Mullins-trained Absurde's memorable late charge. 

Bietolini recommendation underlines Bolide Porto claims

The first lot to reach the €200,000 mark was Bolide Porto [lot 501], a three-year-old colt by Le Havre from the close family of Es Que Love and Aristia who has been brought along gradually by Gianluca Bietolini.

Already rated 89, Bolide Porto finished runner-up in a Class 2 at Saint-Cloud before adding a straightforward success at Nantes over a mile and three furlongs just ten days later.

Bolide Porto was knocked down to Michael Donohoe for €200,000 at Arqana on WednesdayCredit: Zuzanna LUPA

Michael Donohoe gave the final bid and the BBA Ireland man said: “I bought him for an existing client in the Middle East. Plans have yet to be decided but he’s a good physical and has a progressive profile.  

"His form is working out and he came highly recommended by the trainer as well.” 

Kelly and O'Meara return to the source of so much success

David O’Meara has achieved some notable successes with horses sourced at this sale – most famously with Lord Glitters – and he will be hoping there is plenty more to come from Creatif [lot 466], a three-year-old colt by Dubawi out of the Wertheimers’ regally bred Prix d’Aumale winner Soustraction. 

Creatif, a winning son of Dubawi for the Wertheimer family, made €140,000 at Arqana

Unraced at two by Carlos Laffon-Parias, Creatif made a pleasing start when winning at Saint-Cloud over a mile and a half in May, before running third back over the same course and distance last Sunday, beaten two and three-quarter lengths by Pay To Learn, who was rated 93 heading into the race.

Standing next to the colt's soon-to-be-new owner Mark Markey, Jason Kelly struck the winning bid at €140,000.

“He’s by a super sire and is a gorgeous, big, scopey horse,” said Kelly. “He’s only just started his career and has already achieved quite a bit in two runs. I think he’s a horse that will improve.

“He’ll go to David O’Meara and he’s owned by Mark Markey here of Akela Thoroughbreds. They’ve got Get Shirty, a Teofilo horse who won at Royal Ascot. He was lucky for us and hopefully his fella will be too.”

The Wertheimers' manager Pierre-Yves Bureau talks to Jason Kelly and owner Mark Markey (green sleeves) after the purchase of CreatifCredit: Zuzanna LUPA

Asked what he finds so attractive in the French horses-in-training market, Kelly added: “We find they improve; maybe not straight off but from three to four, with a winter on the back, we seem to do well with them in their second season in the UK. 

“Naturally he should improve as such a big, scopey horse.”

Less than half an hour later Kelly struck again for the French-bred but German-trained Inside Matters [lot 493], who finished third in that country’s equivalent of the Dewhurst, the Preis des Winterfavoriten, for trainer Henk Grewe. 

Huddled with O’Meara and Markey, Kelly won out at €145,000 for the son of Lope De Vega.

David O'Meara will train high-class German recruit Inside MattersCredit: Zuzanna LUPA

There is Wertheimer breeding all over Inside Matters' page as well, with the colt’s unraced Dansili dam Silmeri a half sister to Prix Marcel Boussac winner Silasol, while the brothers’ Arc heroine Solemia appears under fourth dam Brooklyn’s Dance. 

“Lope De Vega is a brilliant sire and after only four runs, he’s very lightly raced so we’re very happy with him,” said Kelly. 

Market retains selective air of first day

Despite 27 more horses passing though the ring than was the case in the horses in training section last year, turnover fell back by 4.45 per cent, with 108 of 144 lots changing hands for €4,368,500 at a clearance rate of 75 per cent. 

The resulting fall in the the average price from €44,824 to €40,449 is easily explained, though the retreat of the median from €23,000 to €13,000 showed that it was a tough session in some sectors of the market. 

The sale concludes on Thursday with a session dedicated to breeding stock mares and fillies, with selling due under way at 11am local time (10am BST). 

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