Prix Daniel Wildenstein winner Ramadan tops Arc Sale at €1.5 million
A quartet of high-class racing prospects who have international targets on their agenda starred at Arqana’s sale on the eve of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m), the most glittering and consequential of weekends for French racing.
Fresh from his victory in the Prix Daniel Wildenstein (Gr 2, 1600m) at Longchamp, Ramadan (Le Havre) shone brightest at Saint-Cloud bringing €1,500,000 (approx. AU$2.41 million) from Lion Rock Bloodstock.
He was closely followed by this season’s Deutsches Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Palladium (Gleneagles), who was knocked down to Highflyer Bloodstock for €1.4m (approx. AU$2.25 million), while the Aga Khan’s regally bred Frankel (Galileo) gelding Zarir made €1,300,000 (approx. AU$2.09 million) to Paulins Racing.
The penultimate horse in the ring, Listed winner Trafalgar Square (Kendargent), was the final horse to make a seven-figure sum when attracting a winning bid of €1,150,000 (approx. AU$1.85 million).
Nurlan Bizakov’s homebred colt Ramadan was the most expensive horse sold on Saturday night, with the son of Le Havre (Noverre) attracting bids from around the elegantly roped ring but it was Vin Cox, signing on behalf of Lion Rock, who prevailed with Ramadan set to continue his career in Hong Kong.
Trained by Christopher Head, Ramadan came into the sale buoyed by the biggest win of his career in the Group 2 contest at Longchamp. His previous best result had been two Group 3 successes; Deauville’s Prix Daphnis (Gr 1, 1600m) and the Prix de Fontainebleau (Gr 3, 1600m) at Longchamp.
He was fourth in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Gr 1, 2000m) last season behind Los Angeles (Camelot), with Illinois (Galileo), also a Group 2 winner at Longchamp on Saturday, third in that race. On another start in elite-level company, Ramadan was fifth in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Gr 1, 1600m).
The son of the late Le Havre has one of the most recognisable pedigrees around.
A half-brother to Fleur De Lys Stakes (Listed, 1m) winner and Hoppings Stakes (Gr 3, 1m 2f) second Rasima (Iffraaj), he is out of Raushan.
She is a winning sister to Chinese White (Dalakhani), victorious in the Pretty Polly Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 2f) for the late Lady O’Reilly. Their dam, Blandford Stakes (Gr 3, 1m 3f) winner Chiang Mai (Sadler’s Wells) is a half-sister to the brilliant Rafha (Kris), Prix de Diane (Gr 1, 2100m) winner and dam of Invincible Spirit (Green Desert) and Kodiac (Danehill). It is also the family of Group 1 winners and sires Mishriff (Make Believe), who stands at Sumbe, and Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry).
Deutsches Derby winner Palladium became the most expensive son of Gleneagles (Galileo) to sell at public auction when bringing the hammer down at €1,400,000 during the Arqana Arc Sale at Saint-Cloud.
The three-year-old colt was offered by German syndicate Liberty Racing through OH Consignment and Highflyer Bloodstock signed for the half-brother to Listed winner Panjari (Camelot).
Palladium was bred by Gestut Fahrhof, who sold the son of Hanshin Cup (LIsted, 2200m) winner and Premio Lydia Tesio (Gr 1, 2000m) runner-up Path Wind (Anabaa) for €80,000 to Baumgarten at the BBAG September Yearling Sale.
Trained by Henk Grewe, Palladium was placed in both of his starts at two and this year won his maiden at Dusseldorf and was fourth in the Union Rennen (Gr 2, 2200m) prior to his narrow Derby success.
He is the second successive winner of the German Classic for the syndicate, who also race Fantastic Moon (Sea The Moon).
Those few in the pavilion at Saint-Cloud racecourse who attempted to applaud as the colt was led out of the ring were hushed from the rostrum but the shiver of excitement that went through the assembled crowd was noticeable.
Zarir, the Prix Ganay (Gr 1, 2100m) and Prix Foy (Gr 2, 2400m) runner-up from the family of the outstanding Zarkava (Zamindar), was bought by Paulins Racing.
Vin Cox, who took up the role as general manager of Yulong Investments in Nagambie Victoria last December, spoke to Arqana following the sale.
“We will bring him back to Australia and we feel he is a very strong staying prospect and will suit our staying programme. It is brilliant to get a horse of that quality from the Aga Khan Studs and we are very happy to have him. We’re looking forward to campaigning him in Australia.”
The four-year-old gelding was sold with an entry in next month’s Bahrain International Trophy (Gr 2, 2000m), which it seems he is unlikely to take up.
While those three could have been expected to sell well, the seven-figure price tag of Trafalgar Square, who had finished second to Illinois in the Prix Chaudenay (Gr 2, 3000m) earlier in the day, was a little more left-field.
A three-year-old gelding, he won the Prix de l’Avre (Listed, 2400m) earlier in the year for trainer Patrice Cottier and was bought by Omar Ismail Sh Ghrghar who was active at the earlier Arab Sale during which he bought horses to race in Dubai and Libya. The owner has horses in training in France with Gianluca Bietolini and Carlos and Yann Lerner.
Sold for €1,150,000, he is a half-brother to Listed winner Times Square (Zarak) who was placed in the Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr 1, 1600m) and Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (Gr 1, 1600m).
Their four-year-old half-sister, Times Boulevard (Shalaa), was third in the Prix Thomas Bryon (Gr 3, 1600m).
Out of the unraced mare See You Always (Siyouni), they are from the family of Irish Derby winner (Gr 1, 1m 4f) and sire Latrobe (Camelot), and Newspaperofrecord (Lope De Vega), the Breeders’ Cup winner who is the dam of Saturday’s Curragh maiden winner Giselle (Frankel).
The only other horse to make in excess of €500,000 was Mondo Man (Mondialiste) who was knocked down to NBB Racing at €520,000 (approx. AU$836,630).
He was fourth to Calandagan (Gleneagles) in the King Edward VII Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 4f) at Royal Ascot for trainers Pia and Joakim Brandt.
Bred by Elwick Stud, he is one of three full-siblings all to have won out of the unraced Moghrama (Harbour Watch). She is a half-sister to Zabeel Mile (Gr 2, 1600m) winner Mythical Magic (Iffraaj).
The clearance rate for Saturday evening’s auction declined dramatically on last year, with just 62.5 per cent of the lots offered finding a buyer in contrast with 76 per cent last year.
However, even with fewer horses sold, the other key metrics all recorded increases with turnover improving by 5.8 per cent year-on-year to €10,380,000 (approx. AU$16.7 million).
The average leaped by a whopping 35.4 per cent from €306,594 in 2023 to €415,200 (approx. AU$668,015) with the median of €280,000 (approx. AU$450,490) coming in 14 per cent higher than last year.