A quintet of yearlings selling at the 2023 Arqana Yearling Sale will set the tone for what the China Horse Club believes is the best batch of yearlings its European division has ever brought to market.
Select drafts will be sold across Arqana, Goffs and Tattersalls over the coming months and collectively, they are the embodiment of a decade of continued investment and astute matings.
Best known for its elite international racing divisions courtesy of 49 G1 wins in only 10 years of operation, China Horse Club has also seen the rewards of dedicated investment plans in its breeding programmes play out at major yearling sales and on racetracks the world over.
In recent years its graduates have topped major sales or sales sessions in Australia, Britain, France, Ireland and the United States but it is the performances on the racetrack that are particularly rewarding.
Graduates of the standing of Communist (G1), Johannes Vermeer (G1), Kimari (G1), Saffron Beach (G1) and Valiance (G1) have franked the Club’s breeding capabilities in recent years. Importantly, they have also been the catalyst for increased investment in this space.
And while CHC Europe is a boutique commercial division alongside its larger scale peers in Australia and the United States, it is undoubtedly pulling its weight and building a reputation in its own right as a proven source of excellence.
“Over the last decade the investment programme has focused on quality over quantity with both mares and stallion investments and that has continued to be refined to a point where we will offer our very best yearling portfolio in 2023,” said Matt Houldsworth, China Horse Club’s European Representative.
“Four outstanding Siyounis and an exceptional Wootton Bassett, all from deep families, are must-sees at Arqana. They set our standard from the first of the big yearling sales in Europe and there is every reason to believe some of them will earn their place alongside group and stakes winners on the Club’s honour roll.”
The above mentioned Johannes Vermeer and Saffron Beach headline that honour roll for CHC Europe which is inclusive of Elizabeth Browning (G2), Patrick Sarsfield (G3, G1 placed), Sapa Inca (Listed) and Cobhfield (Listed) among others.
“It is quite exceptional for a smaller operation to breed a G1 winner like Saffron Beach from mare and stallion assets they own,” Houldsworth added.
“The importance of Club’s long-term investment in high level stallion equity like Siyouni and New Bay and more recently State of Rest cannot be understated. It will continue rewarding the Club and those who buy from CHC Europe.
“Commercialising these assets is obviously paramount to the sustained development of the European broodmare band. But it’s as important, if not more so, for CHC to bred top class racehorses and for the world to see this and understand this stock then goes to market.
“In recent years we have sold full of half relations to world champion sprinter Harry Angel and G1 winners Saffron Beach and Johannes Vermeer and in the coming seasons will also be selling relations to Hong Kong’s current champion Romantic Warrior.”
Significantly for the 2023 Arqana draft:
- Siyouni is second only to Frankel this season among European Stallions by prizemoney. Champion in the making, Paddington, and fellow G1 winners Tahiya and Mqse de Sevigne are a testament to his exceptionalism having sired 10 individual G1 winners and more than 70 stakes winners.
- Wootton Bassett is just as hot in the market with the untapped King of Steel bidding to become the sires seventh individual G1 winner after.
- The five yearlings at Arqana have been bred, raised and will be sold by Monceaux who has a 7.64 percent stakes winners conversion rate.
The Arqana quintet may be the first of CHC Europe’s elite yearling offerings but they are certainly not the only notables listed to sell in 2023.
A striking full-sister to the above mentioned G1 heroine Saffron Beach is drafted for the Goffs Orby Sale but could walk into any catalogue in the world.
Joining her will be a Dark Angel filly out of a stakes-placed half-sister to G2 winning sprinter and sire Tasleet. Dark Angel is having a defining season with stakes winners being delivered with unerring regularity.
Tattersalls Book 1 Yearling Sale will again showcase a full-brother to the above-mentioned Patrick Sarsfield (G3 winner, G1 placed). In 2022, the Hong Kong Jockey Club secured a full-brother for 280,000 guineas.
“We are immensely proud of the yearlings CHC Europe is bringing to market in 2023,” Houldsworth said.
“It is the culmination of a decade of astute investment and the benefactors are those who will own and race these individuals.”
BREAKOUT: ‘Matt Houldsworth assesses CHC’s Arqana yearling draft’
Lot 80: Siyouni x Soteria colt
“Sharp, athletic with a great outlook. A half-brother to stakes placed 2yo Imperial Yellow.”
Pedigree: https://www.arqana.com/lots/vente_de_yearlings_d-aout/334/97490
Parade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1YCS1PYMHw
Lot 164: Siyouni x C’est Ca colt
“Strong, well made colt who continues to do well in his preparation. Out of a young Galileo mare from a world class family.”
Pedigree: https://www.arqana.com/lots/vente_de_yearlings_d-aout/334/97573
Parade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO1DkcmXRp8
Lot 198 Siyouni x Easter Lily colt
“Neat, effortless mover with lots of quality.”
Pedigree: https://www.arqana.com/lots/vente_de_yearlings_d-aout/334/97607
parade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FbX9F7yHTg
Lot 243: Wotton Bassett x Holy Roman Empress colt
“This is a very, very good colt by an extremely hot stallion. He is an exceptional first foal and not far off being
the top pick of CHC’s draft.”
Pedigree: https://www.arqana.com/lots/vente_de_yearlings_d-aout/334/97651
Parade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBeiJ73UH1Y
Lot 244: Siyouni x Hourglass colt
“This colt reminds me of St. Marks Basilica as a yearling. He is incredibly athletic and so much quality.”
Pedigree: https://www.arqana.com/lots/vente_de_yearlings_d-aout/334/97652
Parade: https://youtu.be/PRScUzZk-eU
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