First five – Godolphin dominates Arqana bidding wars

The 40-year-plus sales-ground rivalry between the world’s two largest breeding operations, Godolphin and Coolmore, marked another remarkable chapter in the Arqana August Yearling Sale in France, with Sheikh Mohammed emerging on top.

Over two days of selling at Deauville, Godolphin purchased the top five lots, all at €1.25 million or more, including a sale-topping Wootton Bassett colt offered by Haras de l’Hotellerie.

The brother to multiple Group winner Topgear sold for €2.4 million (AU$3.9 million) to Anthony Stroud, representing Godolphin, who saw off a determined push by Coolmore’s MV Magnier.

“He’s a lively, very good mover and you’ve got to go for the ones you really like. Of course, it is a great deal of money but I have huge respect for Coolmore, who were bidding on him, and they know what they are looking at when they are buying Wootton Bassetts,” Stroud told local media.

The colt is out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Miss Lech.

The rivalry continued later in the session when Godolphin again defeated Coolmore for a Frankel colt at €2.3 million. Purchased by Stroud, the colt is out of Rumbles of Thunder, a daughter of Night Of Thunder.

“Stating the obvious, he’s by Frankel, who is a fantastic stallion, and is out of a winning Night Of Thunder mare. It’s the same cross as Thundering On so it works well,” Stroud said.

Godolphin also owns the colt’s brother Critical Thinker, a Book 1 purchase from Tattersalls last year for 600,000 guineas.

Godolphin then outbid Juddmonte for a Wootton Bassett colt from Haras de Montceaux, paying €1.6 million and then went to €1.7 million for a Frankel filly from another elite Montceaux family. That purchase was effectively Godolphin buying out its partners’ share. The Frankel filly is out of a half-sister to Australian Group 1 winner Magic Wand.

Through the first two sessions, Godolphin purchased six yearlings for €9.95 million, accounting for 29 per cent of the sale’s turnover.

The only other seven-figure lot went to Japan’s Yoshito Yahagi for an even €1 million. He purchased a Siyouni colt out of Prudenzia, making him a three-quarter brother to four-time Group 1 winner Diamond Necklace.

He was buying on behalf of Susumu Fujita, the Uma Musume creator who also owns the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Forever Young.

Across the Saturday and Sunday sessions, the aggregate has climbed 29 per cent to €34,433,000 and the average has also risen by 20 per cent to €286,942.