Ecurie des Charmes falls hard for Pinatubo filly at Arqana
Lucien Urano can be said to have enjoyed a landmark year, both as co-owner-breeder of brilliant Prix du Jockey Club (Gr 1, 2100m) winner Look De Vega (Shamardal) and also thanks to several excellent stakes performances from horses carrying the pink and black checked colours of his Ecurie des Charmes.
Newlook became his latest black-type winner over the road at Deauville racecourse on Monday when landing the Prix Vulcain (Listed, 2500m), while Minoushka (Starspangledbanner) failed by just a neck in the Prix de la Grotte (Gr 3, 1600m) and has since been Listed-placed as well, and Gala Real – who carried the silks of Carlo Ancelotti’s Scuderia dei Duepi – scored in the Prix de la Seine (Listed, 2200m).
Ecurie des Charmes and Ballylinch co-bred the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (Gr 1, 8f) winner Aunt Pearl (Lope De Vega), and it was to the same family that Urano returned with the purchase of the already-named Matauri Queen (Pinatubo) (lot 404) for €125,000 (approx. AU$203,900)
Presented by La Motteraye Consignment, the daughter of Darley shuttler Pinatubo (Shamardal) is out of the winning Authorized (Montjeu) mare Matauri Jewel, who has produced three winners from as many runners and is a half sister to Prix Saint-Alary (Gr 2, 2000m) runner-up Wekeela (Hurricane Run) and Matauri Pearl (Hurricane Run), the dam of Aunt Pearl.
The page could receive another significant update on Sunday as Aunt Pearl’s brother Matauri Bay runs in the Criterium International (Gr 1, 1600m) for Valmont, Ballylinch and Ecurie des Charmes.
Standing outside the ring it was Meridian International’s Emeric Guetin who had the last say.
“She’s a beautiful filly and has been purchased for Monsieur Urano’s Ecurie des Charmes, who has had plenty of success in terms of his breeding programme,” said Guetin.
“Monsieur Urano loved the filly and the family – we had plenty of success with Aunt Pearl – while we hope Pinatubo might be about to take off.
“She has a great walk and is well made, so she ticks a fair few of boxes. For now there’s no decision on a trainer but we hope she will achieve on the track and then potentially transfer that into her career as a broodmare.”
Guetin added: “I’ve been working with [Meridian principal] Ghislain Bozo for two years and we work closely with Ecurie des Charmes, which has had a great year. Monsieur Urano has major ambitions to develop the operation and the success he has enjoyed this year has brought him a great deal of pleasure.”
Toronado filly all the rage for Haras de Castillon
The first of two highly-prized daughters of Swettenham Stud resident Toronado (High Chaparral) was knocked down to agent Ange Peretti for €120,000 (approx. AU$195,700) after a protracted battle.
Al Shaqab’s stallion began life at the National Stud but after three years relocated to Bouquetot in 2018, where he stood for five years before his owners decided that he should continue his career exclusively at his shuttling home of Swettenham Stud.
This filly (lot 474) is out of the Australia (Galileo) mare Rosehill and hails from the family of Baghadur, who won a Group 3 around Longchamp’s slick seven-furlong ‘Toboggan’, before being sold to Hong Kong where he was Group 1-placed three times when trained by John Moore under the name Joyful Trinity (Zanzibari).
The filly is the second foal out of Rosehill, and her Shalaa (Invincible Spirit) three-year-old half-brother Waikato narrowly missed out on black type when fourth at Listed level.
Peretti said: “She really stood out and was our filly of the day and has plenty of strong points to recommend her. She has so much quality and has been bought for an group of owners.
“I bought Daylight here last year and if this filly turns out somewhere near as good than I think my clients will be delighted. I think there were a few nice Toronado fillies at this sale but she was the one that stood out and we couldn’t envisage leaving her behind.”
More Toronado joy as Arcadia Elevage’s filly catches the eye
Earlier Antoine Bellanger’s Arcadia Elevage also enjoyed a fine return when another daughter of Toronado, the already-named Hiyary (363), was sold to Pauline Chehboub’s Yellow Agency for €100,000 (approx. AU$163,100).
Out of the Cape Cross (Green Desert) mare Hazely, Hiyary is a sister to Prix Millkom winner Mouillage (Listed, 1600m), who was subsequently sold out of the Jean-Claude Rouget stable for €280,000 at the Arqana Arc Sale and was stakes-placed on her first start in the US for Chad Brown and Madaket Stables.
“She is a quality filly who moves well and is well-bred,” said Chehboub. “Her full-brother proved himself a good horse and she really caught our eye.
“I like Toronado and the cross is already proven. We’re delighted to get such a ravishing filly, one who does everything easily.
“Hopefully she does well on the track but you also have to think of when she retires to the farm and she will cross well with several of our stallions.”
Demand remains strong as Part 2 posts big year-on-year increase
The two-day Part 2 run of the October catalogue came to an end on Thursday evening and the results will be extremely satisfying for both the vendors and Arqana.
From an identical number of lots as a year ago, turnover rose 16 per cent to €8,885,500 (approx. AU$14,492,250), with the clearance rate dipping slightly from 86 to 80 per cent, resulting in the average price given vaulting by 25 per cent from €30,198 to €37,884 (approx. AU$61,800). The median also showed strong gains, climbing from €23,500 to €30,000 (approx. AU$48,900)
Taken together the first three days of the sale – those which comprise Part 1 and Part 2 – have realised €26,865,500 (approx. AU$43,817,630), which is 13 per cent ahead of the 2023 total of €23,734,000 at this stage.