South Africa’s leading owners Mayfair Speculators were active at the Arqana sale on Monday spending more than 2 million euros when buying two beautifully bred Galileo fillies within a matter of minutes of each other.
The pedigree of the sale’s leading lady is all too familiar to regular visitors to France’s elite auction.
Galileo
The half-sister to Gr1 Irish Oaks winner Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) is out of Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), the mare owned in partnership by consignor Ecurie des Monceaux and Lady O’Reilly’s Skymarc Farm, and whose offspring have been the subject of regular seven-figure purchases at Arqana.
In 2013, the sale-topper’s full-sister Truth (Ire) was bought for a million euros by MV Magnier, while the following year her half-brother Craven’s Legend (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) brought a bid of 1,1 million euros from the Mayfair Speculators.
Derek Brugman – representing the Joostes
Those two buyers teamed up this time around for lot 97, Peter Doyle leading the bidding for a huddle of interested parties at the top of the stairs, including Michael Jooste and Derek Brugman of Mayfair Speculators, along with MV Magnier, Christy Grassick and Paul Shanahan.
Their collective might had under-bidders James Delahooke and Bobby Flay cry enough when the filly’s price tag reached 1,4 million euros.
Post-sale interviews had to be delayed as the team swung back into action for another Galileo filly from Monceaux just two lots later.
This time around it was Australian visitor John Camilleri, breeder of the mighty mare Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}, who left disappointed as the partners had the final say at 650,000 euros for lot 99, a daughter of the Gr3 Prix Royaumont winner Quetsche (Gone West).
“Both fillies have been bought for Mayfair Speculators in partnership with Coolmore,” Doyle confirmed.
“Of course they both have lovely pedigrees and they will remain in Europe to be trained. Mayfair have horses with a variety of trainers, including Aidan O’Brien, David Wachman, Andre Fabre, Nicolas Clement, William Haggas and Richard Hannon, but no decision has been made about these fillies yet. I imagine one will stay in Ireland and one will go to France.”
Excerpt from www.thoroughbreddailynews.com
