High Chaparral colt tops Day 3 at Arqana August Sale

Nicolas de Watrigant’s Mandore International was in the spotlight again on Day 3 at the Arqana August yearling sale when he went to 220,000 euros for a High Chaparral colt on behalf of Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

And it was the third session in a row that Haras de Monceaux topped the vendors’ list.  Lucien Urano’s nursery led Day 1 with a 1.10 million euros Galileo filly and Day 2 with a 1.20 million euros Sea the Stars colt.

Monday’s leader is the second foal of unraced Monsun mare Nightdance Sun.  “He is the absolute spitting image of So You Think,” Watrigant said.  “The colt will take a bit of time to mature and is more of a three-year-old type, but he is very well balanced and walks nicely.”

Nightdance Sun is a half sister to 2005 German champion Nightdance Forest (Charnwood Forest) and Switzerland’s 2011 Horse of the Year Nightdance Paolo (Paolini).

The colt is the latest purchase for de Watrigant who currently leads the buyers table having spent nearly 3 million euros on 13 yearlings so far.

Monday’s session grossed 5.46 million euros and the average of 57,495 euros was down 7%.  The clearance rate plunged 15 points to 63%.