Sales success for French footballing star Antoine Griezmann at Osarus

Fillies filled the top three spots in the market during the second and final day of the Osarus La Teste Yearling Sale on Tuesday, when a filly from the final French crop of Toronado ended proceedings as the sale-topper.

The Queen Anne and Sussex Stakes winner has remained at Swettenham Stud in Victoria since 2022 and is the sire of seven individual Group 1 winners, but French agents have fond memories of the son of High Chaparral, who was bred by Paul Nataf and spent five seasons at Haras de Bouquetot having begun his stallion career at the National Stud in Newmarket.

John Hammond bought two of the Toronado yearlings on offer at La Teste over the two days, headed by the sale-topping Acqua Rosa at €40,000. The bright chestnut was consigned by Haras de Montaigu, whose draft was also home to Monday's most expensive yearling; a colt from the first crop of current Haras de Bouquetot resident Armor.

Acqua Rosa is a half-sister to a pair of winners and Sicilian Threat, her two-year-old half-brother by Threat, was third on both his starts at Tarbes this summer for Simone Brogi, who incidentally purchased the other Toronado colt in the catalogue; Haras de Castillon's first foal out of the unraced Shalaa mare Lady Enid for €12,000.

Top lot Acqua Rosa is out of Rosa Tea, a winning Dylan Thomas half-sister to Group 2 Prix Greffulhe second Handsome Devil, by Threat's sire Footstepsinthesand.

Second dam Acqua Verde is a King's Best half-sister to a quartet of black-type winners including Listed winner Sardaukar, who was placed at the highest level in the Grand Prix de Paris and Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Handicap.

The striking top lot by Toronado at the Osarus Yearling SaleCredit: Osarus/Scoopdyga

Hammond's first buy from the Toronado progeny on offer at Osarus came during Monday's opening session, when he gave €10,000 for Ecurie des Sens' half-brother to the Listed Prix du Pont Neuf winner Intellect.

Victor Ludorum's first yearlings made their mark in the French sales ring during the summer and on Tuesday he supplied the second most expensive filly of the sale.

JDH Agency secured the first crop daughter of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner for €32,000. 

Consigned by Haras du Haut Gue, she is registered as being bred by the Atletico Madrid and France attacking midfielder Antoine Griezmann. The curly-haired sometime striker raced this filly's dam Princesa, who won as a two-year-old at Lyon-Parilly and sent her to his Group 3 Prix du Pin winner Tornibush for her first covering. 

That produced Principito, who won this year at three, and the Siyouni mare has a filly from the first crop of Hello Youmzain, retained by Griezmann and sent into training with Philippe Decouz, the trainer of Princesa and Tornibush for the 2018 World Cup winner who was man of the match in the final. Decouz is also the breeder of Vauban. 

This Victor Ludorum filly was bred by the Atletico Madrid and France star Antoine GriezmannCredit: Osarus/Scoopdyga

Vauban's damsire Hurricane Run is the sire of Princesa's Group 3-winning half-sister Don't Hurry Me and they also have a Listed-winning half-brother by King's Best named Bernay.

Princesa is a daughter of Siyouni who was broodmare sire of two of Tuesday's five top lots; the other being Remember Chope, bought by Manon Lacaille Scandella for €23,000. 

Consigned by Haras des Faunes, the Muhaarar filly is a half-sister to Sweet Chop, who was consigned by the farm at the 2023 sale and became the first winner for his sire, Van Beethoven, when scoring on his debut at La Teste in March.

Return of the Irish breeze-up kings

Irish breeze-up masters Con Marnane and John Bourke are regular visitors to the Arcachon basin in September and the pair have sourced some of the sale's most successful graduates, with Marnane discovering the British Champions Sprint and Gimcrack winner and leading first-season sire Sands Of Mali at the 2016 sale. A year later Bourke unearthed a horse who has excelled at the opposite end of the spectrum; Goodwood Cup and Prix du Cadran winner Trueshan.

Both men were among the buyers of the day's choice lots, with Marnane purchasing a Galiway half-brother to five winners from Haras des Loges for €22,000. He is out of Scarley Secret, a Royal Applause half-sister to Group 3 Prix des Chenes and Prix du Palais-Royal winner Pearl Flute, by Piccolo. 

Scarley Secret's Lawman half-sister Secret Pursuit won the Listed Prix Solitude and is the dam of Guy Brook's homebred pair of 2024 Musidora Stakes winner Secret Satire and last year's Height Of Fashion Stakes third Secret Solace.

Secret Melody, the second dam of Marnane's purchase, is a daughter of Inchinor and won the Group 3 Oppenheim Stuten Meile and Listed Prix des Sablonnets. She is also the dam of Milord Thomas, who was second in the Group 3 Prix Texanita.

The Galiway colt goes under the hammer at Osarus where he was bought by Con MarnaneCredit: Osarus/Scoopdyga

Marnane was adding to his purchase of a Goken colt for €14,000 during Monday's first session.

At the 2023 sale, Bourke was the buyer of the sale-topping Galiway colt whom he subsequently sold at the breeze-ups for €72,000 to Howson and Houldsworth and Jamie Insole. Maaz is yet to debut but is in training with Insole and Dr Richard Newland.

Bourke's Hyde Park Stud was on the buyers' sheet on both days of the 2024 sale and was listed as the purchaser of Haras de la Haie Neuve's Seabhac filly on Tuesday for €21,000.

The March-born bay is a half-sister to Metro Dubai, by Elarqam, who has been placed on two of his four starts this season for the Crisfords and Ahmad Al Shaikh.

They are the first two foals out of Princesse Bassett, a daughter of Wootton Bassett unsurprisingly given her name, who ran twice at three for George Baker.

Seabhac and Seahenge are young, inexpensive sons of Scat Daddy based in France who have been racking up the winners with their first two crops. Outside the ring, Bourke bought a colt from the third crop of the later for €4,500 from Haras des Faunes.

Once again the catalogue on the second day was smaller than last year with just 64 horses offered and 40 sold, giving a clearance rate of 62.5 per cent, slightly down on last year's figure of 65 per cent.

The 40 sales generated trade of €385,000, with the average at €9,756 compared to €10,918 last year, but the median of €8,000 was unchanged.

More to read

Ballydoyle's Camelot half-sister to Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Peaceful set for Cork debut