'We see him as a Caulfield Cup prospect' - Australian buyers all over €480,000 sale-topping son of New Bay

Significant jumping interests were left gasping for air as some major Australian bidders fought out the closing stages of a battle to secure the Listed winner Newlook (lot 443), who at €480,000 set the pace on day one of the Arqana Autumn Sale. 

The son of New Bay has rattled off three straight successes for this year's Prix du Jockey Club-winning trainers, Carlos and Yann Lerner, culminating with victory in the 1m4½f Prix Vulcain at Deauville last month. 

The three-year-old gelding is a half-brother to the Lerners' Prix de Diane runner-up La Parisienne, while his Hurricane Run dam Skysweeper has four black-type performers among six winners from just eight offspring to reach racing age. 

Sitting high in the auditorium almost directly opposite the rostrum, it was agent Jarred Magnabosco of Best Bloodstock who finally saw off his compatriots.

"He was by far the standout of the sale," said Magnabosco. "There were quite a few good judges from Australia, a lot of the good trainers were bidding on him, so there was a bit of competition, and we’re happy to come away with him.

"We see him as a Caulfield Cup prospect for next year and his last three wins have been really impressive. He sat wide and really showed a good turn of foot late, so we think he’s got a good career [ahead of him] in Australia." 

Jarred Magnabosco of Best Bloodstock signed for lot 443, the Listed winner NewlookCredit: ZUZANNA LUPA

Magnabosco saw plenty of upside in Newlook, who raced only once at two and has risen to a rating of 104 across a string of seven runs at three, when he finished no worse than third.

"He’s very lightly raced, he’s had only eight starts and we think there’s still a bit under the bonnet," said Magnabosco. "I inspected quite a few horses and I think he was the standout of the sale. Hopefully we can win a few Group 1s with him.

"I do like a bit of speed on the dam’s side. The sire is very versatile, he’s had winners at seven furlongs and 12 furlongs. There’s already a couple of New Bays in Australia doing well and he’s got a turn of foot. He’s got speed on his side, so we think he’ll do the job."

Off immediate plans Magnabosco added: "I’ve bought him on behalf of a good bunch of owners and the horse will go down to Victoria to be trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. We’re very keen to get him into work."

Tony Martin to train promising son of Sea The Moon

Westminster Moon (lot 427) may have had an unconventional career to date but there is no mistaking the talent he has shown this season, and agent Toby Jones had the last word at €260,000. 

Anna Sundstrom congratulates Toby Jones after the agent secured Westminster Moon for €260,000Credit: ZUZANNA LUPA

It soon became obvious that Tony Martin would be the ultimate beneficiary, while Czech agent Tomas Janda can afford a moment of self-congratulation having originally purchased the son of Sea The Moon as a yearling for €15,000 at Tattersalls Ireland. 

Having rounded off his three-year-old career with trainer Maciej Janikowski when finishing third in the 'Polish Arc', the Wielka Warszawska, owner Marian Ziburske sent Westminster Moon to Andreas Wohler, for whom he was Group 1-placed when third to Calif in the Grosser Dallmayr Preis, before filling the same spot in the Group 2 Premio Roma. 

Westminster Moon is out of the unraced Oasis Dream mare My Daydream, a daughter of Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Termagant.

Jones said of Westminster Moon: "He’s got a very good profile with good performances. We just loved the way he moved, he walked very well. He came very highly recommended."

Martin added: "He’s a good model and a good sort. He’s a very good attitude and does everything right, he just seems like a very clean, sound horse. He should be able to get two miles over hurdles, touch wood, while there’s plenty of good Flat races for him as well."

Tisdall increases her French portfolio

The colours of Professor Caroline Tisdall are a familiar sight on British racecourses but she has made a successful foray in to ownership in France this year, with Iceo Madrik landing the Grand Cross de Compiegne last week and Placenet taking his place in the line-up for the Grade 1 Prix la Haye Jousselin at Auteuil on Sunday. 

Jet Blue has taken to the Auteuil hurdles like a natural and fetched €220,000 at the Arqana Autumn SaleCredit: ZUZANNA LUPA

Hubert Barbe struck at €220,000 for Jet Blue (lot 455), a one-time stallion-prospect son of Martaline who, since joining Hugo Merienne at the start of the year, has shone first in Graded AQPS bumpers before posting a win and a second over hurdles at Auteuil.

"I think the horse will stay in France and he’s been bought for Caroline Tisdall, who has two horses with David Cottin, which has gone very well so far," said Barbe. "We’ll have a look and see what’s in the programme for him. 

"I really want to congratulate the team that have trained him because he lost his form before he was gelded and they've rebuilt his morale. He's shown himself to be every bit as good as he was at three and has been pretty impressive at Auteuil. He could go over fences in Britain in time."

Repole falls for progressive son of Siyouni

The Aga Khan Studs draft has been a historically reliable source of winners and Elbaz (lot 452) – who split Atlantic Coast and Zoum Zoum in the Prix Matchem for Francis Graffard and was also Listed-placed at two – caught the eye of plenty of potential new owners.

The Aga Khan's Elbaz will carry the colours of US owner Mike Repole after selling to Solis/Litt for €210,000 at Arqana. Credit: ZUZANNA LUPA

A son of Siyouni from the family of Ervedya and her stallion son Erevann, Elbaz has already achieved a rating of 103 and, bidding online, Solis/Litt Bloodstock had to go to €200,000 to acquire the entire. 

It remains to be seen who will guide the future career of Elbaz, but it soon emerged that the identity of the new owner is famed US investor Mike Repole.   

Monday's catalogue may have lacked a few star wildcards in comparison to 2023, when ten lots changed hands for €200,000 during the opening session as opposed to four this time round.

In all, 150 of the 186 horses to pass through the ring were sold at a healthy clip of 81 per cent, only a couple of points down on the same day 12 months ago. 

But turnover of €4,660,000, as opposed to €6,945,000, can be at least partly attributed to fewer of those six-figure prospects, and resulted in the average falling from €41,095 to €31,067.    

Tuesday's sale gets under way at 11am local time (10am GMT) and will feature two-year-old stores and jumps-bred yearlings.    

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