Danehill Dancer colt goes to Nataf for EUR315,000; BLOODSTOCK WORLD.

Byline: Sally Duckett

AFTER a first-session in which the top lots failed to hit the heights set by the best priced yearlings in recent renewals, service was resumed through the morning session on day two of the three-day Arqana October Yearling sales held at Deauville yesterday when agent Paul Nataf went to EUR315,000 for a son of Danehill Dancer, writes Sally Duckett.

The colt was consigned, like the previous day's sales topper, by Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard and is a half-brother to the Hernando Listed winner Semarang and out of the three-year-old winning Mr Prospector mare Obscura, a three-quarters sister to the Cheveley Park winner Gay Gallanta, dam of Mill Reef Stakes winner Byron.

"I saw the colt at the stud in the summer and thought he was the best one then," said Nataf. "When I saw him at the sale this week, I still thought he was the best. I had to pay to get him though!

"He is for a new client from Libya whom I think is going to be the first registered owner in France from Libya.

I have bought two more for him this week and also purchased some shares in horses in August.

"Buyers are still here for the nice horses and you have to pay to get them."

Nataf's purchase was the only lot to make over EUR150,000, although a further two lots made more than EUR100,000 in the morning session - a Pivotal colt sold by Haras de la Perelle and a Verglas colt named Skates bought by Jean Claude Rouget and sold by Haras de la Louviere.

He became his sire's sixth most expensive yearling sold this year.

Through the evening session, the action was much the same with the average hovering around the EUR25,000 mark with just a few horses achieving bigger sums.

Agent Patrick Barbe went to EUR105,000 for a Galileo filly out of a half-sister to Gimcrack Stakes winner Carrowkeel, whilst a Muhtathir colt named Silas Marner belied his miserly namesake when bought by Oceanic Bloodstock for EUR140,000. He was consigned by the stallion's own farm Haras du Mezeray.

English and Irish buyers still busying themselves include agent David Redvers, who has snapped up five lots, including paying EUR40,000 for a daughter of Hernando; and breeze-up consignor Willie Browne, who bought a colt by Verglas out of a Rainbow Quest mare for EUR20,000.

The clearance rate was 72 per cent with the average down 22 per cent on the same session last year, while the median actually increased by four per cent.

Lot-by-lot details, page 21

Doncaster report and details, page 20