Cover image courtesy of Goffs UK
By TDN Europe
A collectively large sigh of relief was heard as first Goffs UK then Arqana posted breeze-up results at Doncaster far exceeding most expectations.
The words ‘resilience’ and ‘extraordinary’ were used freely by vendors and buyers alike in assessing the buoyant level of trade through two consecutive sales held over nine hours, with both posting improved figures on those returned during the strong and undisrupted 2019 sales season.
If Goffs UK provided a strong warm-up act throughout the morning and early afternoon, the trade really heated up right from the first lot through the ring for the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale.
Breeze-Up sale horses parade for prospective buyers | Image courtesy of Goffs UK
It may have been taking place in England with horses being sold in sterling but they were the only major differences for a sale which has grown in strength and reputation year on year, and the change of venue certainly did not deter buyers. Even with travel restrictions, the international participation was felt strongly in the ring.
Of the 165 horses originally catalogued for Arqana, only 77 horses went through the ring in Doncaster, but of those, by the close of trade 64 had found homes at an improved average price of £140,698 (AU$254,000) and median of £76,000 (AU$137,170). The turnover from 83 per cent sold was £8,879,700 (AU$16.02 million).
War Front filly puts best foot forward
Kerri Radcliffe doesn’t buy a large number of horses but she tends to buy well, as previous recent purchases such as Nadal (USA) (Blame {USA}) and Away Game (Snitzel) testify. The Northern Irish agent has strong American connections and she secured a first on Wednesday when buying at a European sale on behalf of US-based owner Larry Best of OXO Equine.
Radcliffe’s selection, a War Front (USA) filly out of Beauty Parlor (USA) (Elusive Quality {USA}) (Lot 224), had of course started life on the other side of the pond in Kentucky, where she was bred by Joseph Allen.
At £650,000 (AU$1.17 million) she led the sale and will go down as another profitable pinhook by Brendan Holland of Grove Stud, who sold last year’s Arqana sale-topper.
“I am thrilled to say that she is for Larry Best and as far as I know this is the first horse he has bought in Europe,” Radcliffe said. “I’d say she will be going to Saratoga but I don’t know who will train her. Larry said to me ‘if ever you see something exceptional in Europe get in touch’ and she is exceptional. We bought her with one bid, I thought she would go for more.”
She added, “Well done to Goffs and Arqana for getting this sale on, and to Tattersalls last week, and to all the vendors for keeping these horses going.”
There has been no shortage of Keeneland September yearlings showing up in Deauville for the Arqana Breeze-Up in recent years, and it was another from the same source who became the most expensive colt of the day at £620,000 (AU$1.12 million).
He, too, is bound for farflung shores, and will eventually be trained in Hong Kong by John Size after Matt Coleman outbid his business partner Anthony Stroud–who had been in action earlier in the session for Godolphin–to secure the son of Street Boss (USA) (Lot 354) from Malcolm Bastard’s draft.
“He just wanted a little bit longer than some of the others but he has always been a really nice horse with plenty of pace. He stood out at home,” Bastard said of the colt out of the Flatter (USA) mare Undo (USA), a full sister to G2 Super Derby winner Apart (USA). “The trade has been unbelievable today. Racing just seems so resilient.”
“The trade has been unbelievable today. Racing just seems so resilient.” - Malcolm Bastard
Coleman added, “We have known about the horse for a while and Malcolm has a huge opinion of him. He’s a beautiful horse and he breezed great.”
Johnny Collins achieved a terrific result with the sale of an Exceed And Excel colt (Lot 240) to Jamie McCalmont on behalf of Coolmore for £525,000 (AU$947,500).
Collins, who bought the son of the dual winner Duquesa (Ire) (Intikhab {USA}) at Fairyhouse for €43,000 (AU$70,000), said, “There has been lots of American trade at Arqana in the past and I put him in this sale as I think Exceed And Excels work best with some sun on their backs and on fast ground. I’ve been lucky to have some good horses in the past but it doesn’t happen every year, though this year I felt they were a very good bunch and they have proved that on the track. I have to admit I have had some sleepless nights though.”
Joseph O’Brien was one of the few Irish trainers at the sale in person and he will have at least two of the higher-priced lots of the day to train. These include Lot 225, a colt from Willie Browne’s Mocklershill by first-season sire Shalaa (Ire), who was knocked down at £460,000 (AU$830,270) to Bill Dwan on behalf of Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez.
O’Brien will also take charge of Lot 333, the Gleneagles (Ire) half-brother to G1 Phoenix S.-placed Lottie Dod (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who was sold by Johnny Hassett of The Bloodstock Connection for £240,000 (AU$433,180).
“I’m delighted he’s going to Joseph O’Brien; he breezed really well and if he’s as good as we think he is we’ll be hearing about him again. He’s come from a very good breeder in James Duffy,” said Hassett, who bought the colt for 42,000 gns (AU$83,790) at the Tattersalls December Sale.
He added, “I felt like both sales were going to be strong. Although there wasn’t the footfall you would usually expect, there were plenty of vettings and that’s always a good sign. This initiative by Goffs and Arqana has clearly been very successful. We’re really at their mercy. We brought the horses and they have got the buyers here.”
Relief and delight For Arqana
As the day drew to a close, Goffs auctioneer Nick Nugent likened the events that led to significant relocation and restructuring of two sales to a long and difficult foaling which eventually produced a really good foal. Few could argue with that analogy, especially not the team from Arqana, despite them having had to move from their traditional seaside home of Deauville.
“The two companies and also the vendors working together to get all the teams involved has been really good, and the vendors in particular have adapted well to a situation in which they have had to have the horses for a lot longer than usual,” said Arqana’s Director of Marketing Alix Choppin.
“The two companies and also the vendors working together to get all the teams involved has been really good, and the vendors in particular have adapted well." - Alix Choppin
“They have faced uncertainty in not knowing where and when the sales would take place but it just shows how adaptive and resilient this industry is. I think there was a light of hope after the breeze on Sunday because the breeze went really well and there were some really nice horses and everybody just suddenly felt that these were horses that people would want to buy.
"Everyone started to feel a little more upbeat after the breeze and the sale has just confirmed that well-produced horses consistently whet the appetite of buyers, even buyers in absentia, such as John Size, Christophe Clement and Larry Best. Certainly the confidence they have in the vendors has played a huge part.”
