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Shahnameh most expensive lot sold on Sunday when bought by BBA for €175,000
Winning mare Shahnameh (Churchill) was the most expensive lot to sell during the second session of the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale on Sunday when bought by BBA Ireland for €175,000.
Consigned by the Aga Khan Studs as a filly in training, Shahnameh has won twice as a three-year-old this year for trainer Francis Graffard. She is out of the listed winner and Group placed Danehill Dancer (Danehill) mare Shamanova who is herself a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Shamdala (Grand Lodge).
The mare was one of ten lots to sell for €100,000 or more on Sunday.
Progeny of Persian King in demand
The first crop of the Haras d'Etreham-based Persian King (Kingman) was sought after in Deauville, with the ten lots sold by the sire during the first two days of the sale selling for an average of €79,000 with a top price of €160,000, that came for Lot 306.
The colt was bought by Robert O'Callaghan from the draft of Arcadia Elevage and is the first foal out of the unrated Siyouni (Pivotal) mare Miss Monde. She is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Mask Of Time (Holy Roman Emperor) while this is also the family of the 2014 Group 1 1000 Guineas (1m) winner Miss France (Dansili).
"He is for us one of the nicest foals in the sale," said O'Callaghan.
"He ticks all the boxes. He's a lovely colt by Persian King and comes from the excellent family of Miss France. We are really happy."
Persian King will stand for a fee of €25,000 at Haras d'Etreham next year after standing for €30,000 during his first two seasons at stud.
Figures up on 2021
Following on from an exceptional first day on Saturday, the second day of the sale continued in the same form, registering very solid results.
Of the 262 mares, fillies and foals that went through the ring, more than 80% were sold for an average of €36,654, up 12% from 2021, generating at turnover of €7,734,000 (+15%). A total of ten lots were sold for €100,000 or more, in comparison to eight last year