Willingham back at it at Arqana
Having made a splash at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale earlier in the week, Willingham didn’t waste any time making their presence felt at the Arqana Vente d’Elevage sale on Saturday, etching their name on the buyers sheet early in the first session when they bought the unraced Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) filly Spring Dance for €350,000 (approx. AU$578,900).
Spring Dance is from one of the best families in the Australian Stud Book, being out of Listed winner Anamba (Shamardal), herself a daughter of Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Anamato (Redoute’s Choice), who is most famous for being the dam of multiple Group 1-winning champion and now Darley Kelvinside resident Anamoe (Street Boss).
Anamato is also the dam of Amuletum (New Approach), the dam of dual Australian Group 2 scorer Tiz Invincible (I Am Invincible).
They added to their portfolio again a few hours later when they forked out €220,000 (approx. AU$363,800) for Dreamrocker, a dual-winning Fastnet Rock (Danehill) mare, who was consigned by Mount Coote Stud. Catalogued as Lot 79, the filly is out of Listed winner Livia’s Dream (Teofilo), making her a half-sister to dual French Group 1 winner Dreamloper (Lope De Vega).
Willingham got into their stride as the day unfolded, paying €900,000 (approx. AU$1,488,510) for Strawberry Lace (Sea The Stars), the dam of last season’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (Gr 1, 8f) winner Unquestionable (Wootton Bassett).
Strawberry Lace was offered as part of the Normandie Breeding draft and went through the ring carrying a positive to Coolmore Stud shuttler Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj), meaning the resulting foal will be sibling to the Al Shaqab-raced star.
A couple of hours later the operation struck again, this time for Via Sienna (Bated Breath), a half-sister to Chris Waller’s track star Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock), paying Baroda Stud €400,000 (approx. AU$661,600) for the unraced daughter of Bated Breath (Dansili).
Via Sistina won the Pretty Polly Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 2f) at the Curragh when trained by George Boughey in Newmarket. She was transferred to Waller after selling for 2,200,000 guineas at last year’s Tattersalls December Mares Sale and since arriving in Australia, the daughter of Fastnet Rock (Danehill) has added five more Group 1 wins to her CV – the Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), Winx Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), Turnbull Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) and Champions Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m).
Boman and Ontrack get in on the action
Grant Morgan of Ontrack Thoroughbreds has enjoyed good success on the racetrack with his imports and he will be hoping Ashana (The Grey Gatsby) can continue that trend as he combined with Blandford Bloodstock’s Stuart Boman to purchase the Listed winner for €100,000 (approx. AU$165,390).
The daughter of The Grey Gatsby (Mastercraftsman) made a winning debut for Markus Klug in the Diana-Trial (Listed, 2100m) last June, but failed to trouble the judge in three of her next appearances.
Offered for sale by Monceaux, she is out of fellow stakes winner Indian Cat (One Cool Cat), who is also the dam of multiple Listed winner Indian Wish (The Grey Gatsby), who Boman bought for €130,000 alongside Joseph O’Brien at the 2022 edition of this sale.
Boman told ANZ Bloodstock News he felt the filly had genuine excuses on her recent appearances, and believed she has the perfect profile to make an impact in Australia.
“She had excuses in the last couple of runs,” he said. She’s been purchased with Grant Morgan, who has had a lot of success buying from France.
“He was very keen to buy here again and so this is a filly we liked a lot and we’re happy to get for the price we did. I bought the sister Indian Wish three years ago and she was a group level ability, but unfortunately died and didn’t quite get to that level.”
The filly will join the Ben, Will and JD Hayes stable.
Gabbedy snares Sea The Moon filly
Belmont Bloodstock’s Damon Gabbedy is a familiar name on the buyers sheet at the Arqana Vente d’Elevage sale, but on Saturday he entered new territory when he bought his first weanling at the auction, paying €90,000 (approx. AU$148,800) for a filly by Sea The Moon (Sea The Stars), who was offered by Prime Progeny.
Catalogued as Lot 92, the filly is a daughter of Meseika (Medaglia D’Oro), the dam of Listed winner Paris Style (Showcasing) and Osmose (Zoffany), who relocated to Australia after being bought by First Light Racing, Howton and Houldsworth Bloodstock for €160,000 and landed the Epona Stakes (Gr 3, 1900m) last March.
Gabbedy, who also acts as Arqana’s Australian and New Zealand representative, told ANZ Bloodstock News the youngster had been bought for a client of Tony and Calvin McEvoy.
“The client wanted a middle distance horse, he’s patient, and he wanted to buy a couple of weanlings,” he said. “I’m delighted to purchase this lovely Sea The Moon filly for clients of McEvoy Mitchell Racing.
“She’s got a lovely pedigree and has already produced a Group winner and another stakes winner in America. The granddam is a Grade 1 winner in America, who threw a multiple Grade 1 winner. It’s a pedigree that has got very good depth.”