‘She’s from a nice Shadwell family’ – Houldsworth goes to €51,000 for Nafithaa
Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) mare Nafithaa hails from a Shadwell family that includes 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) and Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr 1, 1600m) heroine Shadayid (Shadeed) and duly topped the third day of the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale when making €51,000 (approx. AUD$83,250) to Howson & Houldsworth Bloodstock on Monday.
Consigned by Haras du Mont-Dit-Mont, the four-year-old was covered by Intello (Galileo) earlier this year and is out of the stakes-placed Zamindar (Gone West) mare Lanansaak, a daughter of the Group-placed Bunood (Sadler’s Wells).
Bunood, in turn, is a daughter of Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) and Azdihaar (Mr Prospector), a winning half-sister to the top-class Shadayid.
Nafithaa, who is unraced, is related to two winners – the Roger Varian-trained dual scorer Montather (Dubawi) and Zaajirah (Shamardal), a promising winner of her only start to date for the Newmarket trainer at Kempton in October.
Matt Houldsworth said: “She’s been bought for an existing client. At the moment, she could stay in France. It’s hard to buy mares by Shamardal and she’s from a nice Shadwell family.
“Her two-year-old sister was an impressive winner for Roger Varian and the three-year-old brother has won two races from three starts, so that is a young active family.”
‘Superbly bred’ Thaahira heading to Cracksman
Thaahira, a Dynaformer (Roberto) relation to high-class broodmare Tanaghum (Darshaan) and from the family of champion miler Ribchester (Iffraaj), was the subject of an intense period of bidding when selling to MAB Agency for €46,000 (approx. AUD$75,000).
The 13-year-old is out of Irish 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) and Celebration Mile (Gr 2, 1m) victress Mehthaaf (Nureyev) – a half-sister to July Cup (Gr 1, 6f) scorer Elnadim (Danzig) – and is related to Premio Lydia Tesio (Gr 2, 2000m) winner Najah (Nashwan) and Tanaghum, the dam of Group 1 winner Matterhorn (Cape Cross), Andrew Balding’s high-class Bangkok (Australia) and Mujarah (Marju), the producer of multiple Group 1 winner and young sire Ribchester.
Thaahira, who has produced four winners to date, has a yearling colt by Ribchester and was covered by Iffraaj (Zafonic) this term. She will visit Cracksman (Frankel) next year.
Purchaser Marc Antoine Berghgracht said: “She’s superbly bred and has more or less produced only winners.
“She’s carrying to a confirmed sire with a good covering date. We’ll hope the Iffraaj foal will sell well, and she’ll go to Cracksman.”
Narvick all out for Coulonces’ Autumn
The Coulonces-consigned Autumn Snow (Invincible Spirit) looked an intriguing lot on paper and the daughter of Invincible Spirit (Green Desert) was ultimately snapped up by Narvick International for €30,000 (approx. AUD$49,000).
Once-raced for Godolphin, Autumn Snow – who has a Highland Reel (Galileo) yearling filly and produced a colt by Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy) this year – is carrying to Le Brivido (Siyouni) and hails from a high-class family.
The five-year-old is a sister to July Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) and Sirenia Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) runner-up Figure Of Speech, while their dam Epic Similie (Lomitas) is a half-sister to Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Gr 1, 1600m) winner and Haras du Logis sire Ultra (Manduro). Epic Similie is also a half-sibling to Prix Minerve (Gr 3, 2500m) victress Synopsis (In The Wings).
Elbegei falls the way of BBA Ireland
BBA Ireland also signed for a Coulonces lot when going to €25,000 (approx. AUD$41,000) for the unraced Dark Angel (Acclamation) filly Elbegei, who hails from the family of Prix Corrida winner (Gr 2, 2100m) and Pretty Polly third (Gr 1, 1m2f) Elopa (Tiger Hill).
The three-year-old, who is currently carrying to Montfort et Preaux’s Recorder (Galileo), is out of the Listed-winning Dalakhani (Darshaan) mare Elik, who is a half-sister to Mugatoo (Henrythenavigator), a dual Group 3 winner for Kris Lees who also ran second in this year’s The Metropolitan (Gr 1, 2400m) and fourth behind Sir Dragonet (Camelot) in the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m).
BBA Ireland also struck the winning bid at €22,000 (approx. AUD$36,000) for Haras de Bouquetot’s Neeran, a winning daughter of Style Vendome (Anabaa) and a half-sister to Ed Walker’s admirable multiple Group winner Stormy Antarctic (Stormy Atlantic) plus Queen Mary (Gr 3, 5f) runner-up Al Johrah (Bated Breath).
Sale statistics
From 164 lots offered, 137 sold for a clearance rate of 84 per cent and turnover of €1,572,500 (approx. AUD$2,568,000) (down 24 per cent on the €2,055,500 last year, when 209 lots sold from 277 offered at a clip of 75 per cent), an average of €11,478 (approx. AUD$18,750) (up 17 per cent on 2019), and a median of €10,000 (approx. AUD$16,350), which was up 54 per cent from last year.