Turkish Breeder Alkas Snags Carenot on Arqana Day 3

Turkish breeder Emir Alkas walked away with the top lot from the penultimate session of the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale in Deauville Dec.11 after agent Llama O'Mahony of Whitethorn Bloodstock bid €72,000 (US$77,446, €1=US$1.0756) for Carenot.

The 10-year-old daughter of Iffraaj  was offered by Haras du Lieu des Champs in foal to Kildangan Stud stallion Earthlight , whose first yearlings have been the subject of particularly positive reports this sales season.

The mare has bred three winners from as many runners, including the Michael Bell-trained filly Liberalist. The 3-year-old daughter of Pivotal (GB) added an important piece of black type to the dam's record when third to Sparks Fly in the listed Prix Isola Bella on her latest outing.

"When I buy a mare, I try to wait until the last moment to watch all the replays of the mare and her foals, and possibly siblings, too, if I have time," Alkas said. "That third place in a listed race was a big update and probably boosted the price up, although I was more than happy to give it.

"For me it's not just what's on paper; you have to watch the races, too, to see how she runs, who she beats. Even without the update I'd have still been interested in this mare. I wouldn't consider myself an expert but the covering stallion is one of the last things I look at, contrary to the received wisdom. I like when the horse and page match up."

The breeder expanded on his international approach, saying: "I try to run an operation in two different countries, one being Turkey, the other being Ireland. I work exclusively with Whitethorn Bloodstock, and for this mare we're thinking of keeping her in Ireland for the time being and possibly selling the offspring as foals."

He added: "I have around 15 mares in Ireland in Abbeyleix at Whitethorn Stud. Racing and breeding has been a pursuit of generations for me as my interest came from my grandfather. He bought his first horse in 1970 and was second in the Turkish Derby in 1974, then third in 1984. I'm trying to take it to another level by taking it abroad."

Reflecting on his domestic interests, Alkas explained he has 14 mares split between two stud farms. "Breeding and racing are interlinked in Turkey, but I prefer the breeding side. The operation I have in Ireland is more suitable for me," he said. "The prize money is so good on the racing side in Turkey that the breeding is somewhat of a side job because there is no organized sale or sales company. A lot of mares and stallions stay racing so long that they end up going to the breeding shed so late that it actually holds the breeding side back."

However, he added that the stallion scene is improving in Turkey, saying: "After the case of Daredevil, that gave the Turkish Jockey Club the chance to buy more stallions and now we have Super Saver, Authorized, Tilsit, and Battleground. Plus we have very good private stallions. In fact, most of our top stallions are privately owned right now."

The sale concludes Dec. 12 with the fourth and final session starting at 11 a.m. local time (10 a.m. GMT).