O'Meara Hoping for Big Future with Arqana Top Lot

With Mondialiste  and Lord Glitters , David O'Meara has already struck gold twice at this Arqana Deauville Summer Mixed Sale and the trainer was back hunting for group-class stars of the future on July 1. 

He was pushed to €400,000 (US$474,343) to secure Juan De Montalban (Lot 488), a son of Lope de Vega  presented by the Channel Consignment. 

His most recent performance was to run second in the Derby Italiano Universita Campus Bio-Medico di Roma (G3) at the Capannelle when in the care of Robert Biondi, having enjoyed a progressive start to his career with Andrew Balding which included a win in the often-informative 3-year-old handicap run at Sandown's bet365 meeting in April, a race won in 2015 by Jack Hobbs .

Hailing from a longstanding Wildenstein family, Juan De Montalban is out of the listed-placed Samum  mare Abilene , whose half sister Akatea  was second to Ervedya  in the Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (G1).

Standing with key ally Jason Kelly, O'Meara said: "He's going to be owned by Sheikh Abdullah (Almalek Alsabah), who has been a good owner of mine for a few years. He wanted a horse to run in black-type races, in group races. I think this fella will suit him. 

"I just thought he was a very, very good individual, and he's only going to get better. He's only a young horse, and he's got a big future."

Willie Mullins Secures Soldier Hollow Gelding

The Channel Consignment's Alban Chevalier du Fau was also able to congratulate Willie Mullins after Ireland's champion trainer saw off some familiar competition to land Parmenion (Lot 490) for €230,000 ($272,748), a gelded son of Soldier Hollow  who won his only start to date over a 11 furlongs for Edouard de Montfort. 

Parmenion's full sister Pelligrina  won the Prix de Royaumont (G3), while his second dam Pearly Shells was a key foundation stone of Haras de Saint-Pair's breeding program. 

Mullins' trusted French talent scout Pierre Boulard signed for Parmenion and said: "He's very well-bred and he's by Soldier Hollow. We had luck with him with Arctic Fire and Saldier. He's a very good-looking horse, and he won in a good style, showing a lot of stamina. I couldn't really find anything against him."

Mullins is eying a future on the Flat as well as over obstacles for his new acquisition.

"When I saw him I never dreamed we would be able to buy him, so I'm pleasantly surprised to get him," he said. "He looks the type of horse I want to go jumping with but he'll be dual purpose. We've been very lucky with the sire."

Al Shahania Seam Mined by Buyers

Parmenion carried the royal blue and white-starred jacket of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani's Al Shahania Stud and two more lots from their breeding program made notable money.

Vorda  was crowned Europe's champion 2-year-old filly at the end of a 2013 campaign that featured victories in the Prix Robert Papin (G2) and the Connollys Red Mills Cheveley Park Stakes (G1), while the daughter of Orpen also went down to a narrow Darley Prix Morny (G1) defeat to No Nay Never . 

Al Shahania also raced her Teofilo  daughter Saiga (Lot 356b), who was retired unbeaten last spring and was offered here in foal to Le Havre .

The second of her two career successes came in the listed Prix Caravelle and the combination of page and performance made her one of the highlights from the breeding section of the catalog. 

Her career as a broodmare will now evolve within the Coolmore orbit after Robert Nataf struck at €190,000 ($225,313) for Saiga, the second product out of Vorda.

"She has been bought to develop the broodmare band at Castlehyde Stud," said Nataf. "With this pedigree and being in foal to Le Havre, she was exactly the mare they were looking for." 

Second dam Velda was sold privately to Shadai Farm in Japan and her Deep Impact  son Prognosis  has made a fine start to his career, winning twice and adding more black-type to the family when finishing third to future Derby winner Shahryar in the Mainichi Hai (G3).

Nette Rousse (Lot 338) was another Al Shahania mare to be covered by Le Havre, while the daughter of Mastercraftsman  is out of Nina Celebre, dam of Hong Kong icon Pakistan Star. 

Badgers Bloodstock struck at €110,000 ($130,445) for Nette Rousse, who was rated 95 when trained by Ralph Beckett.

"She's a lovely filly and a very good racehorse, just below black-type level," said Tom Pritchard-Gordon. "We love the family and the covering stallion. Le Havre is an outstanding sire and we hope she will give us a filly.

"Then the mare will be shipped down to Australia. Her sister has already produced a group horse down under, Invinsible Tears, and Nette Rousse looks like tremendous value at €110,000."

Patience Required for Pricey Son of Maxios

Chantilly-based Rupert Pritchard-Gordon secured two hotly-contested lots during the course of the afternoon horses-in-training session.

He gave €200,000 ($237,172) for Caliyoun (Lot 474), an Aga Khan-bred colt by Maxios from the family of Sunset and Vine Prix de l'Opera (G2) heroine Clodora and her Gainsborough Poule d'Essai des Poulains (G1)-winning son Clodovil .

Caliyoun finished fifth on his only start to date for trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre, and Pritchard-Gordon said: "We bought him for a very patient client. There is no rush. We are just discussing what would be best for the horse.

"In Lyon, I thought he ran like an immature horse, with a very strong last furlong. I think he did it more with his ability than anything else."

Ian Williams can look forward to training a staying prospect from the Andre Fabre yard after Pritchard-Gordon struck at €80,000 ($94,869) for Justus (Lot 459), a twice-raced son of Galileo  out of the Dansili  mare Landikusic, herself a half sister to group 1 winner Zoffany .

"He's a nice physical, he's going the right way, and he's got a good staying pedigree," said Pritchard-Gordon. "Hopefully, he'll be a nice staying type and while you know what Ian does over both codes, I think he'd be very happy if he turned out to be a nice stayer on the flat."

Second Day Figures

A clearance rate of almost 85%—223 of the 264 lots were sold—as well as 10 six-figure lots contributed to an excellent set of day-two results. 

Turnover for the session was €4,918,000 ($5,993,913), for an average of €22,054 ($24,768) and a median of €8,000 ($8,894), with horses in all sectors of the market finding buyers.

The combination of an expanded section for unraced 2-year-olds on Wednesday and the sizeable Ecurie Centrale dispersal meant that 2021's Summer sale catalog was by far the biggest offered by the company. 

But a top price of €400,000 ($474,343) has only once previously been beaten in the sale's history, while an overall clearance rate of 80% for a total of €8,588,500 ($10,198,345) across the two days will be a source of considerable satisfaction, and the large-scale return of British and Irish buyers for the first time in a year was a major feature of the week.