Le Metayer puts his faith in Siyouni once again
With plenty of Australian activity at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale, buyers from the southern hemisphere made their presence felt during the first session of the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale yesterday with prominent agents Louis Le Metayer, Damon Gabbedy and William Johnson all securing mares on the first day of the Deauville sale.
Astute Bloodstock’s Le Metayer made the big splash at the beginning of the day when he forked out €380,000 (approx. AU$621,700) for Sivka Burka (Siyouni), whose three victories included one at Listed level, and she was narrowly denied a second stakes win when being downed by a short-neck in the Prix de Saint-Cyr (Listed, 1400m) last month.
Offered by Sumbe, the three-year-old is out of Dynadin (Giant’s Causeway), who is herself out of dual Grade 1 winner Dynaforce (Dynaformer), making her a sister to Listed-winner Aljezeera (Frankel).
Siyouni (Pivotal) has enjoyed enormous success in Australia and is represented by four stakes winners and they are headed by Group 1-winning star Amelia’s Jewel, whose dam Bumbasina (Canford Cliffs) was bought by Le Metayer – on behalf of the mare’s breeder Peter Walsh – for 75,000gns at the Tattersalls July Mixed Sale in 2018.
Le Metayer told ANZ Bloodstock News that all options are open for three-year-old filly.
“There are a couple of different options; either we send to Australia and race her on and she would be Saturday class in stakes races, which we will very likely do,” he said. “Siyouni has such good stats in Australia and he is a world-class stallion.
“Or the other plan would be to keep her, race her on again and then send her to Frankel. Frankel does so well with those Pivotal-line mares. It is a bit of a magic cross, so we might do that. I like the fact she goes on firm ground, she’s on-pace and she’s tough.”
The Frankel/Pivotal (Polar Falcon) cross has proved successful time and time again, having produced seven stakes winners, headed by five Group 1 winners, including dual Group 1 winner Hungry Heart.
Away from the sale, Le Metayer confirmed that Bumbasina had produced a brother to Amelia’s Jewel and was back in foal to the Aga Khan resident.
“Bumbasina has a lovely colt at foot and he is a brother to Amelia’s Jewel and he looks amazing. She is back in foal to Siyouni and she is on her way back to Australia to Segenhoe,” he said.
“He will get weaned when he arrives in Australia and the colt will be going to Magic Millions or Easter 2025. I love him. He has the brain of his sister and he has an incredible temperament, he’s so chilled and that is why we were confident to put him on a plane as a foal, he is just so composed.”
Gabbedy scores three
Buying in conjunction with Aristia Park under his usual Belmont Bloodstock banner, Gabbedy parted with €140,000 (approx. AU$229,100) for the unraced Medaglia D’Oro (El Prado) mare Meseika.
Catalogued as Lot 31, she was offered in foal to Sea The Moon (Sea The Stars), a stallion who is on the cusp of landing his first sires championship in Germany following an impressive season.
The Lanwades Stud-based sire of 32 stakes winners in total, the stallion’s talents have been advertised this season by Fantastic Moon, who won the German Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) in July while his daughter Muskoka took out the German Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m) in August, leading home a trifecta for the stallion in the Group 1. He is also the sire of last year’s Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) winner, Durston.
Meseika herself is out of 2010 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (Gr 1, 9f) winner Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled’s Song), making her a half-sister to three-time Grade 1-winning US Champion Unique Bella (Tapit).
Meseika has made a solid start to her career as broodmare, having produced two winners from three runners, including the filly Osmose (Zoffany), who was bought for by Howson & Houldsworth and First Light Racing for €160,000 at last year’s edition of the sale.
Now in training with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, the four-year-old finished third in the Tesio Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) in October and was most recently sighted being narrowly denied victory in the Matriarch Stakes (Gr 3, 2000m).
Gabbedy, who also acts as Arqana’s Australian and New Zealand representative, told ANZ Bloodstock News that Osmose, who looks a stakes winner in the making, was the main attraction to the mare.
“The attraction is Osmose, who has been Group 2 and Group 3-placed in Australia since the catalogue went to press, including when she got beaten a nose by Deny Knowledge in the Matriarch,” said Gabbedy.
“I really think she can win a Group race in Australia, which will be a great pedigree update. I bought her for Arista Park, who is the off-shoot of First Light Thoroughbreds, so they race Osmose and they think there is some upside.
Regarding the covering to Sea The Moon, Gabbedy said: “She is carrying a filly and if Osmose can win a Group race, this mare is a cheap mare.
“She will stay here and foal down and we could get her mated to a stallion here on southern hemisphere time, or take her straight home – we haven’t decided yet.”
Gabbedy – this time acting on behalf of Milburn Creek’s John and Trish Muir – made his presence felt a few lots later when buying winning War Front (Danzig) mare Shirin for €160,000 (approx. AU$261,800).
The three-year-old filly is out of Listed-performed Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) mare Esneh, making her a half-sister to Group 3 scorer Bawina (Dubawi), who was also placed at Group 1 level.
Further back this is the same family as Classic-winning duo Egyptband (Dixieland Band) and Reine De Saba (Lyphard).
Speaking to ANZ Bloodstock News, John Muir said she was a very attractive filly and believed her pedigree had plenty of upside.
“I really liked the War Front aspect of this mare,” said Muir. “Although he is in the twilight of his career in America he was the gun sire and I particularly liked the family she is out of and the owners, Wertheimers, have one of the best broodmare bands in the world – so it’s a good family. She was also a beautiful type.
“There are two Classic winners on the page and she is a half-sister to a Group 2-winning Dubawi mare, so there is a lot of upside on the pedigree. The Dubawi mare [Bawina] has a Frankel, so there is plenty of upside. We will talk about plans, but I think we will take her home.
“It’s my first trip to Deauville and I am enjoying it so much. Damon has been a very dear friend of mine for many years and it is a privilege to be here with him.”
Gabbedy also bought Winning Side, a winning daughter of Fastnet Rock (Danehill), paying €80,000 (approx. AU$130,900) for the Haras Des Capucines-consigned mare.
Johnson sees upside in daughter of Exceed
Having left Tattersalls last week with one horse to his name, Johnson made a foray into the French marketplace yesterday when he parted with €135,000 (approx. AU$221,000) for Sun Flare, a dual-winning stakes-placed daughter of Exceed And Excel (Danehill), who was offered as part of the Godolphin draft.
Unraced at two, the four-year-old won her first two starts as a three-year-old over 1600 metres for Andre Fabre at Saint-Cloud and was seen running well over 1400 metres at Deauville on her penultimate start.
Johnson told ANZ Bloodstock News she will race on in Australia and he is confident a change of scene would bring out the best in the filly.
“There is a racing upside in her and I think a change of scenery will make a difference. The raw form figures are quite exciting and while she hasn’t run for a little while she has been in full training and came through all the necessary vetting process well,” said Johnson.
“Although it is the middle of the night in Australia, some clients will wake up to the news that they have a filly running on and a breeding prospect longer term from a nice Godolphin family. She’s an exciting prospect and I’m sure she will sell very quickly.”
Exceed And Excel’s daughters have produced 97 stakes winners, headed by 14 Group 1 winners, including last weekend’s Winterbottom Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Overpass (Vancouver), who bought in conjunction with Darby Racing for $75,000 during Round 2 of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in 2020.
Johnson said, given her breeding, the mare has significant residual value when the time eventually comes for Sun Flare to embark on her career in the breeding barn.
“Exceed And Excel is doing such a good job as a broodmare sire, advertised when Overpass won a Group 1 and he is out of an Exceed And Excel, then of course you’ve got horses like Alizee and a lot of other top-line horses,” said Johnson.
“The amount of stakes winners being produced out of Exceed And Excel mares, means that longer term this mare has a lot of residual value.”
Sun Flare is out of Rose Et Or (Iffraaj), herself a half-sister to Group 1 winner Coquerelle (Zamindar) and Spring Master (Mastercraftsman), whose best performance came when winning at Group 3 level.