Bathyrhon Filly Leads Way at Arqana Opener

A high-class jumping prospect by rising star Bathyrhon  topped the opening day of Arqana's February Mixed Sale, though unusually the 4-year-old Be A Nice Girl (Lot 63) will be staying in France.

The name Allaho high up the page looked likely to attract significant interest from Anglo-Irish jumps connections but it was agent Marco Bozzi who struck the winning bid at €120,000 (US$135,854) for owner Fabien Boson. 

Be A Nice Girl is highly-enough thought of by trainer Pierre-Jean Fertillet to have been given her debut at Auteuil in October, showing up well for a long way before being eased late on.  

And for now it will be Fertillet who gets to guide her young career.

"She'll stay in training with Pierre-Jean Fertillet for now and then we'll see," said Bozzi. "She's still a novice and a horse we really love, a beautiful horse and she was the one we wanted.

"She's for Fabien Boson, a client of mine who races horses over jumps as well as on the flat and he was really keen to buy her."

Be A Nice Girl is out of the Turgeon mare Turgotine, a sister to useful chaser Tarquinius and Idaho Falls, the dam of Cheveley Park's star Allaho. 

Bathyrhon has just embarked on his sixth season standing at Haras de la Hetraie and the son of Monsun has made a good impression with his first two racing crops, headlined by Compiegne grade 3 winner Bathyscaphe and Isatis De L'Ecu, a grade 1 winner at Merano, while Frere d'Armes has opened his sire's account in Britain with smooth wins at Huntingdon and Wincanton in recent wins.

"We like the stallion and this horse ticked all the boxes," said Bozzi. 

Be A Nice Girl carried the colors of Pegasus Farm, having been bought for €23,000 ($27,219) at the 2020 David Lumet boutique sale organized by Arqana.

Pegasus principal Herve Barjot wasted little time in re-investing the profits from that piece of business, striking for two contrasting lots in the space of 10 minutes mid-session.

Pegasus gave €38,000 ($43,020) for Golden Park (Lot 145), a daughter of Walk In The Park  who was third in an Auteuil grade 3 for trainer Mickael Seror with the idea of covering her for resale later in the year.

And €41,000 ($46,416) was enough to secure another bright trading prospect in a 2021-foaled daughter of Wootton Bassett  (Lot 148) from one of France's most vibrant families.

The filly is a half sister to the group 2-winning Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) fourth Gold Trip  and her dam Sarvana boasts as a sibling the Aga Khan's dual group 1-placed Sarkiyla, whose son Saiydabad  landed the Prix du Prince d'Orange (G3) at ParisLongchamp last September.

Dubai Destination for Flat Recruits

Agent Alessandro Marconi had the final say on two of the highest priced lots from the flat horses in training offering on day one, both for a client looking to build his presence in the Middle East.

Marconi went to €90,000 ($101,891) for Marynder (Lot 66), a 3-year-old son of Pedro the Great  out of an unraced Hard Spun   mare who is the winner of one of his three starts for trainer Joel Boisnard. 

Earlier he acquired the 5-year-old Count Rostov (Lot 48) for €60,000 ($67,927), an Oasis Dream  gelding out of a full sister to Rajsaman  offered by trainer Francis Graffard.

"His recent form is good and he is probably high enough in the ratings here," said Marconi. "The overall plan is Dubai but we are trying to build up a string that can race all year round so that means Europe as well. We'll keep our options open.

"I find the form between French turf and Dubai dirt is quite consistent." 

Eternal Appeal of Galileo 

As a foundation mare for a new breeder with means, a mare by Galileo must be high on the wish list.

Out of the dual grade 1 winning Dynaformer mare Harmonious , the unraced Balkis (Lot 154) certainly fits that bill.

Consigned by Haras de Bouquetot in foal to Bated Breath , she went to a persistent Marc-Antoine Berghracht for €80,000 ($90,569).

Her siblings include Al Shaqab's listed-placed mare Ajayeb, herself by Galileo's chief standardbearer in the stallion ranks in Frankel . 

"She is for a new investor who is keen to launch a breeding program," said Berghracht. "She's by Galileo and is carrying to a good stallion, while her foal is reported to be magnificent so it's all there."

With only one six-figure lot the opening day average (€12,567/$14,227) and median (€6,000/$6,792) were slightly down on last year but a very healthy clearance rate of 78% and a slightly enlarged catalog ensured an 8% increase in turnover at €1,772,000 ($2,006,117).

The second and final day emphasizes breeding stock, with selling getting under way at 11 a.m. local time.