A daughter of Giant's Causeway led the way at the Arqana breeze-up sale at Saint-Cloud in France, bringing €260,000 ($369,585 in U.S. funds) May 14. Charles Gordon-Watson Bloodstock purchased the 2-year-old bay filly from Mocklershill.
Bred in Kentucky by Castleton Lyons and Kilboy Estate, the filly is a $280,000 graduate of the 2009 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, where Oceanic Bloodstock, agent, purchased her as a weanling from Paramount Sales, agent. She is a full sister to Naissance Royale, who captured the Lake Placid Stakes (gr. IIT) in 2005 and the Las Palmas (gr. IIT) and Suwannee River (gr. IIIT) handicaps in 2007. Naissance Royale also scored in the 2006 Nassau Stakes (Can-IIT).
The Giant’s Causeway filly and Naissance Royale are out of the winner Net Worth (by Forty Niner). Net Worth also produced the winner Spinette (by Spinning World), who finished second in the Tattersalls Musdora Stakes (Eng-III) and third in the Peugeot Sun Chariot Stakes (Eng-II) in 2002. Spinette is the dam of French added-money winner Green Lyons (by Green Desert), who was third in the 2009 Beverly Hills Handicap (gr. IIT).
The results for the breeze-up auction included a gross of €7,096,000 ($10,086,800) for the 114 horses that were sold. The average price was €62,246 ($88,481) and the median price was €50,000 ($71,074).
Compared to a year ago, the number sold and gross increased 5.6% and 27.3%, respectively. The average rose 20.6% while the median grew 25%.
The clearance rate was 80.3%, up from 77.1% in 2010.
In addition, nine horses were sold privately, bringing €160,000 ($227,437). Last year, 12 horses were sold privately for €435,000.