Big things were expected from the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale and big things duly arrived around three-quarters of the way through the May 13 session in Deauville. Grove Stud's blue-blooded Siyouni colt (Lot 145) was among a whole stack of highly touted juveniles to come under the hammer but sprinted clear at the head of the market at €1,200,000 (US$1,306,584, €1.00=US$1.0888).
A crowd of rival bidders made their interest known during the opening stages, but once the half-million mark had been passed, matters rested between Nicolas de Watrigant, standing in the shadows on the top deck of the auditorium with Coolmore's Paul Shanahan, and Oliver St Lawrence, accompanied by Fawzi Nass and Roger Varian by the bustling gangway.
St Lawrence signaled an increase of €100,000 that took the bid board from €900,000 into seven-figure territory, but the play was immediately returned in kind. However, St Lawrence's next €100,000 raise proved much more decisive as the gavel fell in the agent's favor at a cool €1.2 million.
"He's a lovely colt and was our pick of the sale," St Lawrence said. "He breezed very nicely, on our clock he was the 38th fastest and did it in a lovely style. He's by a proper stallion in Siyouni and he's got a lovely, deep pedigree. He vetted cleanly. There just wasn't anything to dislike about him. He's a lovely horse.
"To me, he looks like a 2-year-old who could debut in August or September and hopefully he can run in a proper race at the end of the year."
The colt is out of Isabel de Urbina, a daughter of Lope de Vega who carried the Merriebelle Stables silks to victory in a brace of listed events during her time with Ralph Beckett, who was among those watching on during the seven-figure showdown.
In turn, Isabel de Urbina is a sister to five winners, including her full siblings Manuela de Vega, successful in the Lancashire Oaks (G2), and Hero Look, a group 2 scorer in Italy. Further back the pedigree includes Kilfrush Stud-bred celebrities like Josr Algarhoud and his half brother Sainte Marine.
St Lawrence also secured the top lot at last year's Arqana Breeze-Up Sale, albeit for significantly less, with the €550,000 Zoffany colt Sakheer going on to win the Mill Reef Stakes (G2) for Varian and KHK Racing. The Newmarket trainer is also set to take charge of the Siyouni colt and a Sioux Nation filly secured from the Bloodstock Connection for €450,000 earlier in the day.
"Sakheer turned out okay so hopefully this horse is as good, if not better," added St Lawrence. "He's definitely as nice a horse as we've seen all season, in my opinion. It's a very strong market. We always knew we'd have to pay seven figures for him, we probably hoped we had to pay only seven figures, rather than a little bit more."
The seven-figure transaction rewarded a typically bold pinhook by Grove Stud's Brendan Holland, who picked up the youngster for €200,000 when he was offered by Mount Coote Stud at last year's Goffs Orby Sale.
"I knew I had a special horse," Holland said. "It's extremely hard to buy into a family like that. That's one of the most well-known families that's been developed for years by Monsieur (Jean Pierre) Binet of Kilfrush Stud. So to get a horse of that quality, by that sire and from that family, it's a difficult thing to do."
This price betters Grove Stud's previous best at this sale, as the team topped the 2019 renewal with the €1.1 million American Pharoah colt Ocean Atlantique.
Reflecting on his latest pinhooking triumph, Holland said: "From day one he was number one. He's just so classy. You never dream about what they could make but I knew he'd do something good because he was the clear number one all year.
"It's a great feeling when you're on a home run and you're watching it unfold after all that's gone into it. It's a great feeling for all the team involved because everyone is invested, so it's a big buzz for everyone. It's amazing really.
"All the lads have been with me for a long time so they've ridden all the good horses that we've sold before. They're adamant that he's equal to those. Now he has to go and prove that on the track, but the feeling we had at home was that he was equal to any good horse we've had before."
The top lot led a market that posted some record-breaking results, with new high marks set for aggregate and median prices. Turnover hit €21,085,500 ($22,958,314), a 58% increase on last year's figure when 37 fewer lots changed hands. The average was up 16% at €151,694 ($165,167), and the median was €110,000 ($119,770), a 10% gain. The clearance rate was a very solid 83% as 139 juveniles sold from 167 offered.
