Cover image courtesy of Zuzanna Lupa
The stakes-winning and Group 1-placed filly Times Square (Fr) joined the list of high-profile European-bred females set to continue their careers in Australia after the daughter of Zarak (Fr) was purchased by Hubie de Burgh of de Burgh Equine and James Harron for €1,250,000 (AU$1,937,900) at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale on Saturday.
Consigned by her former trainer Christophe Ferland, the 3-year-old filly, who was purchased for an undisclosed client, landed the Listed Prix de Saint-Cyr this season and also finished third in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas), while as a juvenile she ran second in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac.
De Burgh told TDN AusNZ that an Australian-based trainer for her had not yet been decided and said he was confident her European form would stand her in good stead as she continued her career Down Under.
“She will go to Australia and stay in training,” explained de Burgh. “The client has not yet decided which trainer because I wasn’t sure we would get her so there were no plans made in advance.
“She has been very well looked after by Christophe (Ferland, trainer) and he hasn’t completely squeezed the lemon with her. She was placed in the Marcel Boussac, which he generally regarded as one of the top 2-year-old races for fillies anywhere in Europe and she trained on at three and was narrowly beaten in the French Guineas. She is a really good filly and she will be a very smart miler in Australia.”
Endless options
Being by a son of Dubawi (Ire) in Zarak and out of a Siyouni (Fr) mare the options for mating when she ultimately retires to the breeding barn are endless, which de Burgh said was a very appealing aspect.
“She will continue racing and then be covered after,” said de Burgh. “Being by Zarak, who is a brilliant young son of Dubawi, and she is out of a Siyouni mare, which means she is a brilliant outcross to the Danehill line,” he continued.
“She (Times Square) will continue racing and then be covered after. Being by Zarak, who is a brilliant young son of Dubawi, and she is out of a Siyouni mare, which means she is a brilliant outcross to the Danehill line.” - Hubie de Burgh
“As a type, she is a very pretty filly and is not one of those big-bodied, heavy-shouldered fillies that can prove difficult to train. She is very elegant and probably stands at 16 hands. She is a very fine French-looking filly, meaning she will probably suit the big, powerful Australian sires after her racing days are over.”
Times Square is out of the unraced mare See You Always (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) and she is also the dam of Times Boulevard (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}), who looked as classy as her half-sister when breaking her maiden at La Teste De Buch by 6l, before finishing third at Group 3 level on her next start.
The page further down is littered with black-type winners, including dual American Grade 1 winner Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and G1 Irish Derby winner Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}).
“The sister has only run twice, breaking her maiden impressively and then ran third in a Group race, so she could be a stakes filly next year. The mother is very young and underneath the third dam there are brilliant horses like Newspaperofrecord and Latrobe. It is a very young and active family that is probably on the upgrade,” said de Burgh.
Hubie de Burgh | Image courtesy of de Burgh Equine
“I must have seen her three or four times, she was out for a lot of other people as well, and she always behaved and did everything right, she gave me the impression that she has a good nature.”
A few lots earlier de Burgh had tried in vain to purchase dual Listed-winning Sea The Stars (Ire) mare Burgarita (GB), who eventually sold to Godolphin for €1.7 million (AU$2,635,500). Being a year older than Times Square, de Burgh had thought she would be more within their price range.
“We were keen on this filly and Burgarita, who is a different filly being a year older and probably more of a 10-furlong filly,” he said. “We were on the two of them and I thought we would have a great chance getting Burgarita, but she ended up making €1.7 million and I thought we had no chance getting this filly, but it ended up being the other way round. We are delighted to get and we’re looking forward to getting her down there.”
Gabbedy snares three
After some near misses at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale last week, Damon Gabbedy of Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA) finally got his name on the buyers’ sheet, purchasing three mares on the first day of the French Sale and the trio were headed by the well-related, one-time winner Roselyne (Fr) (Dariyan {Fr}), who he bought for €400,000 (AU$620,100)
The daughter of the French Listed winner Bal De La Rosa (Ire) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), making her a half-sister to Listed-winning duo Blossomtime (GB) (Shamardal {USA}) and German Group 1 winner Danceteria (Fr) (Redoute’s Choice).
The 3-year-old filly’s third dam is Lady Vettori (GB) (Vettori {Ire}), making her a three-quarter sister to the late multiple Group 1-winning Champion turned leading sire Shamardal (USA) and Listed winner Lord Of The Land (Ire), while Lady Vettori is also the dam of Group 3 winner Lady Frankel (GB) (Frankel {GB}).
Roselyne was offered in foal to Siyouni on Southern Hemisphere time and Gabbedy, who also acts at the Australian representative for Arqana, told TDN AusNZ the mare had been bought by a Western Australian-based breeder Nino Tufilli, who heads up an enterprise called Two Fillies Stud.
“She’s going to go to Middlebrook Valley Farm. He (Tufilli) watched Amelia’s Jewel win the Group 1 today (Saturday), and he is building up a nice broodmare band, really trying to upgrade his mares. Not only was she in foal to Siyouni, she also had a proper pedigree behind her, being a three-quarter relation to Lope De Vega,” Gabbedy said.
“She’s (Roselyne) going to go to Middlebrook Valley Farm. He (Nino Tufilli) watched Amelia’s Jewel win the Group 1 today (Saturday), and he is building up a nice broodmare band, really trying to upgrade his mares.” - Damon Gabbedy
“Apparently, as she had a tonne of ability and was meant to run in the French Oaks but went amiss after only two starts. She was a rare offering and Siyouni just goes so well down in Australia.”
Dual winner Keshana (Fr) (Iffraaj {GB}), who was the second lot offered of the day, also went the way of Gabbedy and he paid the Aga Khan Studs €50,000 (AU$77,500) for the 3-year-old.
“She was bought for Bob and Fiona Guth and they were keen to get into an Aga Khan pedigree and this mare had a lot of ability, including running fourth in a Group race. She will head back into training before heading to the breeding barn,” said Gabbedy.
Meanwhile, Gabbedy also left the sale on day one with Listed-winning mare Angelinka (Fr) (Pedro The Great {USA}), who he snared for €65,000 (AU$100,800) on behalf of B2B Thoroughbreds.
Damon Gabbedy | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
The 4-year-old mare was offered by Haras des Capucines and she derives from the same family as Group 2 winner Gold Away (Ire) (Goldneyev {USA}) and Danzigaway (USA) (Danehill {USA}), the dam of stakes winners and now sires Silent Name (Jpn) and Galiway (GB).
“Ricky Surace loved the fact that she was a winner in three countries, France, Germany and America and it is their first purchase at Arqana and they are thrilled to bits,” Gabbedy said. “She was gorgeous, a really pretty filly.”
Thunder Beauty to race on
Thunder Beauty (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), who was last seen winning the Listed Pipalong S. at Pontefract, is another set to continue her career in Australia after being snapped up for €330,000 (AU$511,600) by Garryard Equine, Paul Moroney and Catheryne Bruggeman on behalf of Silverdale Farm and partners.
Brian McGuire signed for the talented daughter of Night Of Thunder (Ire), and he told TDN AusNZ he was pleased to secure the 4-year-old, who also finished second in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge S. at Royal Ascot.
“She is by Night Of Thunder, who is obviously a leading sire, and she was a winner at two and Group 2-placed at Royal Ascot and last-start stakes winner,” said McGuire.
“She is also an outcross which is what we are looking for, and she has a little bit of an X-factor about her. She has been bought on behalf of Silverdale Farm, Grant Bloodstock and Carpe Diem.”
McGuire said that while the plan was to return the filly to training in the Southern Hemisphere, no plan had been made as to which stable she will join.
“She will go back into work, before retiring to the hills at Silverdale. She is going to go in the next shipment to Australia, and no decision on a trainer has been made. She is an exciting prospect and I think in this market, she has been well bought,” he said.
“She (Thunder Beauty) will go back into work, before retiring to the hills at Silverdale. She is going to go in the next shipment to Australia and no decision on a trainer has been made. She is an exciting prospect and I think in this market, she has been well bought.” - Brian McGuire
“Hopefully, she can be lucky for the lads, and we can have a bit of luck along the way. She was a lovely looking filly, who was very correct and well put together, and she had a very good head. She was the one we were really keen on, and we were hoping she would fall into budget, which luckily she did, but we were on our last legs.”
Thunder Beauty is out of the winning Dansili (GB) mare Quiania (Ger), making her a half-sister to two other winners, Quita (GB) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Haku (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}).
Libre and Wild Vegas head Down Under
Sheamus Mills of Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA) also got involved in the action on day one of the sale, buying two mares for an aggregate of €270,000 (AU$418,600), and the most expensive of the pair was Libre (Ire) (Exceed And Excel) who cost the agent €200,000 (AU$310,000).
Sheamus Mills | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
A Listed winner in Germany, the daughter of Darley’s leading sire Exceed And Excel is from the same family as Aryaamm (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the dam of G2 Champagne S. winner Saamidd (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}) and stakes-winning duo Masaarr (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}) and Talmada (USA) (Cape Cross {Ire}).
Daughters of Exceed And Excel are well sought after at breeding stock sales the world over, and it is hardly surprising given his talent as a broodmare sire. On Saturday alone in Australia, his daughters produced five winners, headed by stakes-winning pair Impendabelle (Impending) and Garibaldi (I Am Invincible).
Overall, his daughters have produced 77 stakes winners headed by 12 elite-level winners, and Mills told TDN AusNZ the Exceed And Excel factor was a huge appeal in the acquisition of the mare.
“Exceed was probably the drawing factor in the first place, he is probably in my top three broodmare sires and I am big on broodmare sires,” said Mills. “Exceed is getting on a bit now and there aren’t that many of them and they rarely come on the market anywhere. He is just such a good broodmare sire, I don’t know where they are all hidden, especially the ones that can run.”
“Exceed (And Excel) was probably the drawing factor in the first place, he is probably in my top three broodmare sires, and I am big on broodmare sires.” - Sheamus Mills
Given her pedigree, race record and global bloodstock market, Mills believes she represented value.
“Initially, it was just Exceed himself who attracted me to the pedigree, but I am a fan of the German form myself and I always have been. They produce tough, good-boned horses who look very similar to the Australian stock and she is a very good example of that. She is very well made with a lot of size and strength and quality.
“It was just a case of everything marrying up and the one thing I kept thinking, ‘If she was Listed winner at Flemington, what would she make in Australia?’ I understand you want a discount for her being a Listed winner in Germany rather than Flemington, but I think she was good value.
“I was very happy with the price because there isn’t much at the moment on anybody's list that makes well below their valuation, most horses I’ve been trying to buy have been at the very top or well above, so I was rapt to get her for that money.
“In terms of trying to come up with the valuation, I sort of thought if she made half of what she would have as a Flemington Listed winner, that would be pretty good and I think she has come in under half.”
Lot 118 - Libre (Ire) | Image courtesy of ARQANA
A few lots before, Mills struck for the first time in the day when he went to €70,000 (AU$108,500) for one-time winner Wild Vegas (Ger) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).
The 3-year-old filly is out of Group 3 placegetter Wildfahrte (Ger) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) and she is the dam of four further winners headed by Wild Vegas’ Listed-winning three-quarter brother Wildpark (Ger) (Shamardal {USA}), while she also produced stakes-placed pair Wild Max (Ger) (Maxios {GB}) and Wild Approach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}).
Like Libre, Mills was happy to be able to secure Wild Vegas for that figure and said she was the perfect outcross for many of the Australian sirelines.
“I might be bad at valuing these horses because I thought this was really good buying as well,” said Mills.
“I am a huge Lope De Vega fan and he has done a great job in both hemispheres. We don’t get much access to him anymore. I have sent him mares this year Southern Hemisphere time to bring back to Australia and he is a horse who has done really well down there. Like most people, I am a huge Shamardal fan as well and she is the perfect outcross for the majority of our sirelines.
“I am a huge Lope De Vega fan and he has done a great job in both hemispheres. We don’t get much access to him anymore. I have sent him mares this year Southern Hemisphere time to bring back to Australia and he is a horse who has done really well down there (Australia).” - Sheamus Mills
“She has a lot of scope about her and a lovely walk. She will let down into a lovely mare. She will go to something good in the first instance and could even be for resale, more likely she will be kept, but when you buy them at what you believe to be good value it can open up more options.”
Three Bridges secure Siyouni daughter
Johnny McKeever was out of the blocks early in the day, going to €210,000 (AU$325,600) to secure Savoureuse (GB), a daughter of Siyouni from the Ecurie des Monceaux draft.
The 3-year-old is out of the unraced mare Knyazhna (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), who two other winners are headed by Savoureuse’s dual Grade 3-winning brother Sacred Life (Fr) and the Group 3-placed Khagan (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}), while further down the page this is the same family as G1 St Leger winner Rule Of Law (USA).
Lot 4 - Savoureuse (GB) | Image courtesy of ARQANA
McKeever, who bought the mare for connections of Three Bridges Farm, told TDN AusNZ that no plans had been made regarding the filly’s future.
“There have been no decisions made on her at this stage. She is the most outstandingly beautiful filly, with a 10 out of 10 physique. We actually liked her more on physique than most others in the catalogue,” he said.
The filly entered the ring as the fourth lot of the day and McKeever believed she was offered before the sale really hit its stride.
“We were keen to get stuck into her before the heat got into the market. The way the market is at the moment, I think if she had come later on in the day, she would have been slightly more expensive,” said McKeever. “As the day has gone on, it’s hotting up a lot and some of the others on our list have been very well sought after.”
“We were keen to get stuck into her (Savoureuse) before the heat got into the market. The way the market is at the moment, I think if she had come later on in the day, she would have been slightly more expensive.” - Johnny McKeever
Siyouni has proved time and time again to be a top-class stallion everywhere in the world, and only hours before the sale kicked off, he advertised his talent in Australia when his daughter Amelia’s Jewel chalked up the first Group 1 of her career in the G1 Northerly S. at Ascot.
McKeever said Siyouni’s reputation in Australia as a truly topline producer was well deserved.
“Savoureuse is well related and we are really keen on Siyouni, who is working really well in Australia. Siyouni seems to be very popular in Australia at the moment and rightly so, he is a fantastic stallion and I am also a huge fan of her damsire, Montjeu,” he continued.
First Light Racing get on the board
First Light Racing, working through Howson and Houldsworth, purchased two fillies at the Arqana Sale on Saturday, paying Haras des Cruchettes €160,000 (AU$248,000) for dual winner Osmose (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}), while the went to €80,000 (AU$124,000) for Zarafa (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), who has also won twice in her career.
Placed fourth at Group 3 level, Osmose is the only winner out of the unraced mare Meseika (USA) (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) and she is herself a daughter of Grade 1 winner Unrivaled Belle (USA) (Unbridled’s Song {USA}), who has also produced multiple Grade 1-winning Champion Unique Bella (USA) (Tapit {USA}).
Meanwhile, their other purchase, Zarafa, is out of the winning and Group 1-placed Amour A Papa (Fr) (Montmartre {Fr}), a sister to Listed winner Bebe D’Amour (Fr) and the pair are both out of Listed winner Prudence Royale (Fr) (Loup Solitaire {USA}).
Cambridge Stud and Foote buy two
After purchasing three lots at last week’s Tattersalls December Mare Sale, Cambridge Stud and John Foote of John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA) made their presence felt once again, leaving the first session of the Arqana sale with two purchases.
They struck early on in the session, paying La Motteraye Consignment €60,000 (AU$93,000) for the winning Churchill (Ire) mare True Icon (Ire). The filly is a daughter of the Listed-placed Orientate (USA) mare Purple Glow (Ire), meaning she is a half-sister to Listed winner Main Desire (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}).
Lot 38 - True Icon (Ire) | Image courtesy of ARQANA
Later on in the session, Foote was bidding again for Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s New Zealand-based nursery, this time securing the unraced Motivator (GB) filly Win Over (Ger) for €32,000 (AU$49,600).
Win Over is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Walkaway (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and she is out of a half-sister to Group 1 winner and now sire Wiener Walzer (Ger), Group 2 scorer and fellow sire Walzertakt (Ger) and fellow Group 2 triumphant Port Douglas (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
