Al Shaqab Scores Lope de Vega Colt at Arqana October

On Oct. 21 Al Shaqab's sustained investment at the Arqana October Yearling sale passed the €1.7 million mark for the week across 19 horses, with the star of their acquisitions on Day 3 a son of Lope de Vega (Lot 465) knocked down for €95,000 (US$112,314).

Bred by Haras de Castillon and carrying more than just the chestnut coloring in terms of resemblance to his sire, the colt is out of the Mr. Greeley mare Princess Aurora, whose most successful product to date is Weatherbys Stallion Book Flying Scotsman Stakes third Mohab, and boasting two siblings who won at listed level in the United States.

Al Shaqab chief operating officer Paul Hensey said of the session-leader: "He is a lovely individual, we liked him a lot. Lope de Vega is a proven sire and does it day in, day out."

Lope de Vega had indeed been to the fore earlier in the day when Godolphin's Parchemin maintained an unbeaten record across the road from the Arqana complex in the Prix Isonomy.

"This is a big strong colt with a great walk, out of a Mr. Greeley mare, which always brings a little bit of brilliance to a pedigree," continued Hensey. "Certainly he was a horse we were strong on."

After a couple of years of more low-key spending at the yearling sales while their breeding wing was allowed to bed in, Al Shaqab are now looking to a more mixed economy.

Hensey pointed out that plenty of their purchases have been linked to the eight-strong Bouquetot roster, no fewer than four of which have their first yearlings passing through the ring in 2020. 

"We've been active at the sales—here in September, at Newmarket in Book 2 and this week—and we've bought almost 40 yearlings this year," he said.

"Breeders are having a tough time and Sheikh Joaan was conscious of that. We certainly tried to support the breeders as much as possible and as well as buying horses by non-Al Shaqab stallions, we've bought quite a few by ours to support those breeders."

Al Wukair Crop Featuring Plenty of Precocious Types

Day 3 buys for the team were completed by a pair of fillies by Bouquetot sires: a €60,000 ($70,936) daughter of Al Wukair from the Fairway Consignment (Lot 452), and the second by Olympic Glory out of the Dark Angel mare Petite Patch brought to the ring by the Haras de la Hotellerie (Lot 458).

Longtime Al Shaqab ally Nicolas de Watrigant said of the Al Wukair filly: "She has a lot of her sire about her. She has a great walk and looks precocious.

"Andre Fabre always said that Al Wukair was his most forward 2-year-old in May but unfortunately he had a virus in the yard that year and the horse didn't run until the autumn. 

"Without that hold-up I think he would have been a very good 2-year-old, and of course he won both his starts as a juvenile including the listed Prix Isonomy.

"A lot of the Al Wukairs look precocious and this filly ticked a lot of boxes, being the third product of a mare with two winners before her. We liked her a lot and on top of that she's from the family of Style Vendome."

Grewe Trusts in 'Perfect German Family'

Henk Grewe has emerged as a major force in the German training ranks in recent seasons and he struck at €85,000 ($100,492) for a Rajsaman colt (Lot 436) bred along very similar lines to dual classic winner Brametot. Bred by Jurgen Winter's Normandy nursery the Haras de la Perelle, the gray colt is out of the unraced Law Society mare Morning Sun, a half sister to the mighty Monsun and full sister to Brametot's dam Morning Light. 

"He is a nice horse and he is for owner Manfred Schmelzer," said Grewe. "It's a perfect German family and it is the same cross as Brametot."

Schmelzer and Grewe harbor classic dreams with last Sunday's Preis der Winterkonigin (G3) winner Noble Heidi. 

'Magnificent' Gutaifan Colt for Chappet

Mandore International Agency have been hard at it across the sales grounds this week for other clients in addition to the Al Thani family. 

Nicolas de Watrigant signed the €65,000 ($76,847) voucher after securing a son of Gutaifan (Lot 442) from Anna Sundstrom's Coulance Sales and set to go into training with Chantilly-based Fabrice Chappet.

The colt is the second offspring of the winning Hurricane Run mare Nidina, herself a half sister to Willie Cazals, whose finest hour was when chasing home Flintshire  in the 2014 Longines Hong Kong Vase (G1), and Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1) runner-up Joanna, whose granddaughter Tawkeel won this year's Saxon Warrior Coolmote Prix Saint-Alary (G1) by five lengths. 

De Watrigant said: "I've bought him for an association between Alain Jathiere, Ecurie Vivaldi, and Eric Dupont, as well as Fabrice Chappet, who will train him. He is a magnificent colt by Gutaifan, who has already had Fev Rover win the Shadwell Prix du Calvados (G2)."

The price €65,000 ($76,847) was also paid by Jean-Claude Rouget for a Toronado colt consigned by Haras des Embruns from the family of Akeed Mofeed and Hernando (Lot 487). 

Clearance Rate Remains Robust

As business came to a close on Part 2 of the catalog the overall clearance rate for the first three days remained above 80%, with the aggregate turnover passing €16 million ($18,822,340). 

Wednesday's business returned an average price of €24,267 ($28,690) for a total of €3.17 million ($3,758,380) and with 131 of 160 lots sold. 

Part 3 of the catalog will pass through the ring on Thursday and Friday in a reconfigured sale which also features yearlings which would have been offered by Osarus.