Bringing together 157 lots in total, Part I of the catalogue returned to levels close to those of 2018, just behind the very good results of 2019. A total of 75% of the yearlings offered changed hands. The average price reached €257,136 (-11%) and the turnover amounted to €30,462,000 (-9%).

Half-sister to recent Group winner BABYLONE makes top price at the sale

The turn in the ring of a daughter of Dubawi from Haras d’Etreham (lot 108) saw Charlie Gordon-Watson make his presence felt in Deauville. With an additional update following the publication of the catalogue after the filly’s half-sister BABYLONE’s win in the Prix de Malleret (Gr.2) at ParisLongchamp, a strong bidding war ensued, which saw the agent go to €2.4 million for the granddaughter of Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr.1) heroine DENEBOLA, that hails back to the very successful Niarchos family of COUP DE GENIE.

“She’s an outstanding filly – I think that she is the nicest daughter of Dubawi that I have ever seen,” said the agent. “She’s a daughter of Dubawi and her dam has already produced two good horses including Babylone, that is now a Group winner. She’ll join Andre Fabre, who also liked her a lot.”

Consigned by Haras d’Etreham, the filly is the second generation of her family bred and raised by Haras Voltaire, the young entreprise founded by Zadig & Voltaire founder Thierry Gillier, situated close to Deauville.