‘This will change my children's lives’ - Coulonces in clover as €12,000 investment returns a €420,000 sales star

Anna Sundstrom of Coulonces Sales was left struggling to contain her emotions after a whirlwind 15 minute spell during day two of the Arqana August Sale. The high point of a flurry of activity came when Oliver St Lawrence paid €420,000 for the Victor Ludorum colt out of Lilienbloom. 

Sundstrom is no stranger to sales ring success but explained the reason this result proved so moving was the fact that Lilienbloom, a mere €12,000 purchase, was owned by her daughters, Moa and Lillie.  

“Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable,” she said. “The stress that was building up from yesterday and not knowing what was going to happen, it’s mind blowing. I can’t really believe what’s happened. The stress is enormous because we’re selling for very important clients, and some of those clients are my children!” 

She continued: “There’s a lot of pressure but you’re always hoping that the family and the staff who work so hard, that they’re going to get rewarded with something like this, otherwise you can start to ask yourself why you’re doing it. The whole team was down by the ring to watch so hopefully they can see why they’ve been at the barn at four o’clock in the morning day in, day out.” 

Sundstrom revealed the likeness to her own daughter’s name helped inspire the purchase of Lilienbloom, a daughter of Mastercraftsman from the family of The Juliet Rose and Arabian Crown. 

“Two years ago we were here at the December sales and we finished selling on the Monday,” she said. “What we usually do, if we can, is stay an extra night in Deauville to sleep and then the following day I take everybody shopping and buy them a gift. We went for lunch and were flicking through the catalogue and Tess, who works with us, said, ‘Look at the name of Lilienbloom.’ 

The Victor Ludorum colt out of Lilienbloom sells at the 2024 Arqana August Yearling SaleCredit: ZUZANNA LUPA

“We thought it was an interesting pedigree and she was in foal to Victor Ludorum, so we called Ludovic [Cornuel, Arqana’s head of bloodstock] and asked him to look at her, because if she was small and ugly then we don’t have to kick ourselves if we don’t buy her. He called back and said, ‘She’s beautiful, she’s for you, you’ve got to do it’. We paid €12,000.” 

Asked whether the €420,000 price tag had been within expectations, Sundstrom said: “God no! We had a reserve of €70,000. We said we thought she might make €100,000 and that €120,000 would be amazing. I didn’t even know what he’d made when I walked out of the ring, I was about to faint. This will change my children's lives. They can reinvest or put the money aside for anything they might need later on. Lillie will probably buy herself a new showjumper!” 

That was far from Sundstrom’s only big result at this year’s August Sale. On day one a Blue Point filly pinhooked with clients of Filip Zwicky’s for €150,000 went the way of Al Shaqab Racing at €500,000, while Saturday saw a Territories half-brother to Crypto Force fetch €250,000 from Peter and Ross Doyle and a St Mark’s Basilica half-sister to the Listed-winning Manisha bring €320,000 from Gavin Hernon and Erwan de Chambord of EDC Agency. 

The latter yearling was offered on behalf of Elisabeth Fabre’s Haras de Saint Laurent. 

“Madame Fabre is such an amazing person,” said Sundstrom. “She’s an amazing breeder with an amazing team around her. To let us prepare and sell her yearlings is massive for us. I’m working with someone I respect enormously, and it’s amazing that Gavin Hernon bought her. She can be anything for him.”

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