Coolmore paid €4.6 million for a Wootton Bassett colt and shattered the Arqana record

M.V. Magnier prevailed over Godolphin following a spectacular bidding duel for the half-brother to the dam of the outstanding Scandinavia

DEAUVILLE, France (Special for Turf Diario).— Some duels unfold on the racetrack, while others take place inside the sales ring. Coolmore and Godolphin, two of world racing's greatest powerhouses, staged one of those unforgettable clashes at Arqana, driving the price of a colt by Wootton Bassett to a staggering €4.6 million.

Lot 306 thus became the most expensive yearling ever sold in the history of the traditional August sale at Deauville, shattering the €3 million record established just 12 months ago.

In the end, it was M.V. Magnier, representing Coolmore, who had the final word against Anthony Stroud and David Loder, who were handling the bidding for Godolphin.

The battle lacked no drama. Auctioneer Bernard Condren opened the bidding at €3 million, and it quickly became apparent that neither of the two giants was willing to concede easily. Godolphin made a couple of €200,000 jumps—first from €2.8 to €3 million, and later from €3.8 to €4 million.

Coolmore, however, matched every advance. Magnier ultimately offered a firm nod of the head for the decisive €4.6 million blow. Deliberation followed on the opposite side, but no further response materialized.

"It's a case of run with him or hunt him, gentlemen," Condren called out, waiting for a potential counter from Godolphin. None arrived. The gavel came down, and a new record was set.

The outcome carried an extra touch of satisfaction after Sheikh Mohammed's operation had dominated the earlier sessions, investing €13.3 million and outbidding Coolmore on several high-profile lots.

Yet there were plenty of reasons why Magnier was determined not to let this colt slip away.

The new Arqana record-setter is a son of Wootton Bassett, one of Coolmore's cornerstone stallions, out of Deadly Nightshade (Justify), a full sister to the outstanding Scandinavia, winner of the Gold Cup (G1) and one of the star performers of the European season.

The storyline features a further twist of irony: Deadly Nightshade had actually carried Magnier's colors during a brief four-race career under the care of Joseph O'Brien. Coolmore later sold her, and Écurie des Monceaux paid 900,000 guineas for the mare, carrying this very colt in utero.

Magnier made light of that decision with good humor: "First of all, we're the clowns who sold the mare!" he joked. "It's important that we sell good mares, and we'll do so again this year. We want the people who support us to do well, so congratulations to Monceaux. They have been great clients of ours."

Regarding the colt, he added: "He's a lovely horse. He has everything: pedigree, he's by the right stallion, and he ticked all the boxes. As I said, we were the clowns who sold the mother; let's hope we're not the clowns again."

And pedigree is abundant here. Deadly Nightshade and Scandinavia are out of Fabulous (Galileo), a full sister to the legendary Giant's Causeway (Storm Cat), the famed Iron Horse. Another sister to Fabulous is You'resothrilling(Storm Cat), one of Coolmore's most influential broodmares of recent decades and dam of champions and G1 winners such as Gleneagles (Galileo), Happily (Galileo), Joan of Arc (Galileo), and Marvellous (Galileo).

The previous auction record belonged to a daughter of Night of Thunder, a half-sister to Diamond Necklace (St Marks Basilica), for whom Amo Racing paid €3 million in 2025. Coincidentally, that filly was also consigned by Écurie des Monceaux.

"I'm shaking a bit, but extremely proud of the team," admitted Henri Bozo, director of Monceaux. "It's not easy to breed horses like this, manage them properly, and keep cool. I knew he was very popular and would sell well, but I didn't know quite how high he could go."

And the story could yield even further dividends: Bozo confirmed that Deadly Nightshade currently has a "beautiful" foal at foot by Wootton Bassett and is back in foal to Kingman.

The record sale crowned a remarkable performance for Monceaux, which finished as top vendor with 33 yearlings sold for a aggregate of €19.07 million.

Yet it wasn't just a single horse making history in Deauville. The entirety of the Arqana August Sale posted unprecedented figures.

Total turnover reached €65.528 million—a 14 percent increase over 2025, a season that had already set an all-time high. The average also set a new mark, reaching €278,845, reflecting a 4 percent year-on-year growth.

The median, by contrast, slipped slightly from €165,000 to €160,000, while the clearance rate hit 80 percent, with 235 yearlings sold out of 295 offered across the three days.

Extraordinary figures for a sale that once again showcased the immense strength of the international market. And it all concluded with a climax hard to top: Coolmore versus Godolphin, Wootton Bassett in the middle, and €4.6 million on the table. This time, Magnier didn't blink.