Trio of proven and prospective stallions among interesting Auctav National Hunt Sale line-up

Auctav's National Hunt Sale on Friday features a trio of prospective or proven stallions in Deutsches Derby winner Sisfahan, Cheltenham Festival-winning sire Martinborough and Morpheus, an Oasis Dream half-brother to Frankel. 

Taking place at Haras du Bois Roussel in Normandy from 2pm local time (1pm BST), the auction will see Yorton Farm consign a number of two-year-olds already broken and ridden, while there are also drafts from Karwin Farm, Haras de Cercy, Haras de la Tuilerie, Haras du Cadran, Haras de Montaigu and Haras du Grand Courgeon.

Speaking to Martin Stevens in Good Morning Bloodstock, Yorton's David Futter said: "We've had a lot of success holding the Goffs UK Yorton Sale at home on the stud for the past five years but last season we just found it too difficult to collect 50 horses to make a catalogue, with the cost of stock rising so high,” he says. 

"It’s a family business at the end of the day, and we couldn’t responsibly make the sort of investment needed at the moment, so we decided to take a year off. We’ve already announced that the sale will be on again at Yorton next year all being well, though.

"For all that, the business is still set up to sell at this time of year, and we have to move on our own homebreds and a few pinhooks in order to keep the wheel turning. There are no places to sell them at that age in Britain or Ireland at this time of year, though, and so when Auctav approached us and we found that we shared a similar ethos, and would be selling in a similar stud environment, we jumped at the chance.”"

Group 1 winner Sisfahan will be among the Auctav highlightsCredit: Edward Whitaker

As well as his German Classic triumph, wildcard Sisfahan won the Group 2 Gran Premio del Jockey Club at the San Siro and was placed behind two Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winners; Torquator Tasso in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden and Alpinista in the Group 1 Preis von Europa. 

He was also runner-up to Simca Mille in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin last season at the age of five.

From the first crop of another Deutsches Derby winner in Isfahan, he was bred by Guy Pariente out of the Kendargent mare Kendalee, who was twice successful over jumps and is a half-sister to Grade 1 Prix Cambaceres winner Beaumec De Houelle, a promising young National Hunt sire at Haras de Montaigu.

Gestuet Ohlerweiherhof will consign the horse and the operation's Nastasja Volz-Degel said: "Sisfahan is an exceptional Group 1 horse, both tough and resilient. He competed in the best and toughest races in Germany, as well as on many of the world’s most famous racetracks.

"Sisfahan has a very positive character and an exceptionally intelligent mindset. With his stamina and extraordinary speed, he would make a perfect stallion for breeding horses for Classic distances or jumps."

Martinborough, who stood the most recent breeding season at Haras de la Baie, is another fascinating lot on offer. The sire of this year's Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle hero Majborough, he is also the sire of Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks winner and Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary runner-up Elusive Princess.

Now 15, he has spent the majority of his stallion career at Haras de Grandcamp and boasts an outstanding pedigree as a half-brother to Halwa Sweet. The daughter of Machiavellian has excelled herself as a broodmare with three individual Group 1-winning offspring in Vivlos, Verxina and Cheval Grand.

Majborough: Triumph Hurdle-winning son of MartinboroughCredit: Patrick McCann

Morpheus was among the initial entries and the Oasis Dream half-brother to Frankel and Noble Mission leads off as the first lot from Haras de la Beavoisiniere.

He is a full-brother to Listed winner Joyeuse, the dam of last season's Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes winner Array and Jouncy, who was second in the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes recently. Morpheus and Joyeuse are closely related to this season's Group 3 Jersey Stakes second Kikkuli by Kingman, and the final foal out of Kind.

A triple winner at around a mile, Morpheus retired to Tally-Ho Stud for 2015 and spent four seasons at the O'Callaghans' farm before moving to France. He has been in Italy for the last two years, standing at Allevamenti della Berardenga.

At 14, he is the sire of the Listed-placed Shimmering Dawn on the Flat, while over jumps his best performer is Grade 1 Gran Premio Merano winner Lemhi Pass.

The catalogue for the sale is available here.

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