Buyers will have the opportunity to purchase some of the best National Hunt fillies and mares to come on the market in many years as leading owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede have announced they will disperse their breeding stock at Arqana in December.
During the final session of the four-day Breeding Stock Sale that runs December 8-11, 30 young broodmares and fillies in training will be offered by their home base Haras du Lieu des Champs.
Star names among the draft include Grade 1 heroine Gitane Du Berlais, the former Nicky Henderson-trained Ma Filleule, who won the Grade 3 Topham Trophy at Aintree by a stunning eight lengths, and Cheltenham Festival scorer Une Artiste.
All three are offered in foal to leading National Hunt sire Martaline, whose jumps progeny includes Dynaste, Agrapart and Munir and Souede’s exciting dual Grade 1-winning novice chaser, Terrefort.
Grade 1 winner Utopie Des Bordes, a half-sister to talented fillies Victoire Des Borde, Belle Du Berry and Quenta Des Bordes, will be offered in foal to Balko.
Four mares in foal to Haras D’Etreham’s Saint Des Saints are set to go under the hammer, including the Sholokhov mare Loxlade, winner of seven consecutive races over hurdles and fences for Francois Nicolle, including a Listed steeplechase at Enghien.
Simon Munir said: “We have been very fortunate over the past few years to have had a lot of racing success with our mares and fillies, who have subsequently been retired to stud.
“This has resulted in the number of horses in our breeding operation and racehorses in training growing far faster than we anticipated.
“We have therefore decided to sell our broodmares to enable us to manage our bloodstock interests more effectively.
“It is very hard to part with these mares, especially those such as Ma Filleule, Gitane Du Berlais, Une Artiste and Utopie Des Bordes, who are very close to our hearts and have given us wonderful days at the racetrack and have already produced exciting progeny that we are retaining.”
