Prepare for Impact: Haras de Beaumont acquire pair of top lots at Arqana to visit Arc hero

On the day Haras de Beaumont launched the stallion career of Jockey Club and Arc hero Ace Impact, stud principals Pauline Chehboub and Mathieu Alex were kept busy down the road at Arqana's Deauville sales complex, acquiring a couple of well-bred mares destined for a rendezvous with their champion.

Chehboub had positive news to pass on after Ace Impact covered his first mare on Wednesday morning, having signed at €62,000 for Damkena (lot 266).

She is a Kendargent full-sister to both the useful Kenfreeze and Kendam, who not only compiled a fine race career which included finishing third in the Prix de la Foret but is also the dam of the smart Kenway. Damkena was consigned by Haras de Grandcamp and is in foal to Galiway, the sire of Kenway.

"She's from a super family and she's a fine mare who'll go to Ace Impact," said Chehboub. "It's a plus that she's in foal to Galiway and I think that, given her profile, €62,000 is a reasonable price to pay."

Damkena sells for €62,000 in Deauville on WednesdayCredit: Zuzanna Lupa

Ace Impact has started out at a record first-season fee in France of €40,000, having swept all before him in Europe last season. 

The Beaumont team were not conspicuous in purchasing a lot of stock on Ace Impact's behalf at the breeding sales late last year, but will certainly support him with their best mares, as well as relying on his obvious appeal to major breeders who followed his exploits when trained by Jean-Claude Rouget.

"We haven't gone out to buy a load of mares to visit him but we continue to be on the lookout for the right ones if they come up," said Chehboub. "The breeding season is now under way and he covered his first mare this morning, which was [Prix Imprudence winner] Showay. 

"Everyone is very happy with how he goes about his work and the fact he's attracted a very good book for his first season is not all that surprising." 

Mathieu Alex and Pauline Chehboub of Haras de Beaumont struck fot the Kendargent mare DamkenaCredit: Zuzanna Lupa

Beaumont and Augustin-Normand fall for sister to Zagrey

Chehboub and Alex also struck for the second most expensive lot of the day, giving €60,000 for Grand Victory (lot 304), an unraced full-sister to one of Zarak's 2023 flagbearers.

Zagrey made an early impact last season when finishing third to Equinox and Westover in the Dubai Sheema Classic. Off the back of a lengthy break Zagrey once again chased home Westover in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, before making the Group 1 breakthrough in the Grosser Preis von Baden.

The pair's dam, the unraced Slickly mare Grey Anatomy, has also produced Prix Djebel runner-up Graignes – like Zagrey trained by Yann Barberot – and hails from the family of US Grade 1 winners Contredance and Skimming.

"I'm really happy because we've bought this mare in partnership with Gerard Augustin-Normand, who has been a big supporter of Haras de Beaumont from the start," said Chehboub. 

"We're very enthusiastic to get this very good mare, who is the sister of an excellent racehorse in Zagrey, one who I think can go even higher this year. She'll go to Ace Impact.

Zagrey, whose sister Grand Victory was among the top lots at Arqana on WednesdayCredit: Baden Galopp

"This mare deserves to go to a champion, while he should expect to cover top-class broodmares during his first season. It's a nice story because Gerard is part-owner of Zagrey."

Karwin Farm secure Fact To File sibling 

Gregory and Ambre Vayre's Karwin Farm consigned the sale-topper on day one, the €200,000 Le Kerry, and wasted little time in reinvesting. 

Standing with Trotting Bloodstock's Florent Fonteyne, Gregory Vayre won out at €47,000 following a protracted battle late in the day for Natarebelle (lot 353), a Smadoun half-sister to one of the most exciting horses heading to next month's Cheltenham Festival. 

Fact To File continued his steep clamber up the chasing ranks when swatting aside Gaelic Warrior at the Dublin Racing Festival and the Willie Mullins-trained son of Poliglote will be a warm order for whichever novice chase entry he takes up. 

Fact To File and Natarebelle are out of the Trempolino mare Mitemps, while the top-class racemare D'Vina appears under her third dam, Mendhara. 

Fact To File was bought for €40,000 as a yearling at ArqanaCredit: Patrick McCann

Gregory Vayre said: "Her brother is already a Group 1 winner and she was well-covered last year and is due to foal to Motivator in three weeks. She's a lovely mare and with good size, and we're always on the lookout to get nice mares to take back to the farm."

Karwin has recently established itself as a stallion station, though Vayre wasn't in a hurry to commit the new recruit to one of his roster. 

Asked about Natarebelle potentially staying at home for her next cover, Vayre said: "No, not necessarily. We'll see the foal on the ground and then make a decision about who she goes to after that. 

"She's been bought for several associates, including a client of Florent Fonteyne's and a client of mine."

Lack of fireworks at the top end dents final figures

Three lots broke the six-figure barrier on this day last year, with BBA Ireland giving a combined €515,000 for the top two mares to pass through the ring. 

Arqana February Mixed Sale: the lack of two or three star lots in the breeding section hurt the overall figuresCredit: Zuzanna Lupa

The lack of similar box-office attractions led to depressed year-on-year figures, though the median of €4,000, when compared to €5,500 12 months ago, speaks of broadly similar trade below the very top level.

Indeed, the clearance rate for Wednesday actually ticked up a point at 81 per cent, with 130 of 161 horses changing hands for a total of €1,155,500, a decline of 40 per cent on last year's €1,943,000.

Across the two days there was total trade of €2,853,000 – down 24 per cent on 2023 – with a 78 per cent clearance rate for 309 horses to pass through the ring. The average of €11,772 was down 23 per cent year-on-year, while the median dipped to €5,000 from €6,500.  

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