Half a million for Charm Spirit colt. First season sire Charm Spirit headlined a successful Arqana yearling sale for the Aga Khan Studs, which also saw pleasing results for Sea The Stars and Siyouni, as well as a filly out of Shawara, dam of Shareta.

The Aga Khan Studs look forward to welcoming again Charm Spirit to the Haras de Bonneval next season in a continuation of the partnership with Qatar Bloodstock. The first crop of this exciting young sire generated a good deal of interest during Arqana’s August Yearling Sale, with a top price coming at half a million Euros for lot 10, a half-brother to dual Group 1 winner Qemah. Out of Kartica, a winner and Group placed mare by Rainbow Quest, the Haras du Cadran-bred colt was purchased by Shadwell. Angus Gold who signed the docket declared: "He's a very nice individual. Obviously we don't know anything about the stallion's runners yet but he was a very good racehorse himself and this colt is a half-brother to a top-class filly. I thought he was a smart horse every time I saw him and fortunately Sheikh Hamdan agreed with me."

Five yearlings by the top class miler Charm Spirit met with success in the ring, all selling for six-figure sums and an average of 192,000 Euros, six times his 2015 covering fee of £25,000.

Gilltown Stud sire Sea The Stars registered a full–house at Deauville, with all seven of his progeny changing hands. The highlight for the Arc winner and Classic sire was lot 26, a daughter of Group 3 victrix Marvada (Elusive City) from Grove Stud who was snapped up for 400,000 Euros by Godolphin. Another filly, lot 77 consigned by the Haras des Monceaux, out of Listed winner and Group placed Spinacre (Verglas), raised 310,000 Euros from Prime Equestrian.

Haras de Bonneval resident Siyouni was strongly represented numerically with 19 yearlings selected for this prestigious catalogue. 15 of these found buyers at Arqana, for an excellent average of 169,000 Euros, multiplying his nomination fee of 20,000 Euros in 2015 by 8.5. A half-brother to this season’s dual Group 1 runner-up Sistercharlie attracted Siyouni’s top price, as the hammer dropped in favour of Oceanic Bloodstock at 340,000 Euros for this lot 79 from the Ecurie des Monceaux. It was no surprise to see plenty of enthusiasm for lot 43, a full sister to the much-missed Volta, a Group 2 winner and third in the Prix de Diane last year. This chestnut filly from the Haras d’Ellon will join Godolphin after raising a bid of 300,000 Euros.

In addition to the success of Gilltown and Bonneval sires, the Aga Khan Studs dams also attracted buyers. Shawara, the dam of dual Group 1 winner and Arc de Triomphe second Shareta (Sinndar) who was sold at Goffs in 2013, was represented by a daughter by Declaration Of War, and this impeccably-bred filly was knocked down for 500,000 Euros to Mandore International Agency.

Updated on 22nd August 2017.