The Arqana August Yearling Sale in Deauville provides the first glimpse of an intriguing cohort of young sires, headlined by Arc hero Ace Impact at Haras de Beaumont and a deep French-based roster including Vadeni, Mishriff, Erevann and Onesto. Here is everything you need to know about the young stallions that are hitting the yearling sales over the coming days, weeks and months.Angel BleuStanding at Sumbe at €6,000 Angel Bleu ran eight times throughout his juvenile campaign, which culminated with Group 1 successes in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere over seven furlongs and the Criterium International. He also trained on to win a Group 2 contest as a four-year-old which, similarly to his duo of Group 1 triumphs at two, was achieved on soft ground. Out of a Galileo mare, who is herself a sister to globetrotting star Highland Reel, Angel Bleu has six yearlings due to sell during the V2 session at Arqana.Mario Gussago: “He is quite similar to Belbek in that he is producing stock that looks as though they will run in the beginning of 2027. They appear to have plenty of precocity but also class.”Ace Impact Standing at Haras de Beaumont for €30,000 in 2026Not racing as a juvenile proved no barrier to Ace Impact becoming a world champion and remaining unbeaten during a wonderful three-year-old campaign that culminated with a memorable triumph over Westover in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He is without doubt the most exciting young stallion based in France and it will be fascinating to see how his progeny will be received at Arqana and beyond over the coming weeks and months.Mathieu Alex: “Ace Impact is a very strong horse and his yearlings appear to have a lot of strength and great movement, too. He is quite a laidback horse and his progeny all appear to have excellent temperaments.”AsymmetricStanding at Mebajeona Stud Farm in India after spending one season in IrelandWinner of the G2 Richmond Stakes and placed in the Prix Morny when trained by Alan King. He also managed to land a Listed contest over the minimum trip in France as a four-year-old. Asymmetric stood at Ballyhane Stud until mid-March of the 2024 covering season before being moved to Starfield Stud and later sold to continue his stallion career in India. Therefore, he has a very small crop of yearlings. Despite this, he could be something of a dark horse on the strength of some of his foals catching the imagination at the sales last year, notably the renowned pinhooker Paul McCartan who paid €78,000 on a colt by the stallion at Goffs. BelbekStanding at Sumbe for €5,000 Like his stud mate Angel Bleu, Belbek also landed the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp. That proved to be his career highlight but he did train on to beat The Revenant in a Group 3 contest the following season. Belbek hails from a good Juddmonte family that includes Dansili. Mario Gussago: “We have a few yearlings by him at home and they look precocious. There are quite a few in V2 and they should do well in that sale as they are horses who are ready to run. He is probably putting a little more size into his progeny than Angel Bleu is – he stamps them. They are very strong, deep horses with a good top line. They look runners.”BouttemontStanding at Rathbarry Stud for €5,000 Bought by a syndicate headed by Kevin Blake and Jack Cantillon prior to running down the field in the G1 Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh, he then endured a luckless passage when 12th, beaten only four lengths, in the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye before signing off on his racing career with a runner-up effort in the G3 Mercury Stakes at Dundalk. A multiple Group and Listed winner in his pomp, he has 47 yearlings on the ground. Paul Cashman: “Bouttemont is stamping his stock very well. There is a lot of Acclamation about them, which is exactly what we would have hoped for. We have a lovely bunch of yearlings by him for the sales and we feel he has a real chance based on what we are seeing.”ChaldeanChaldean | JuddmonteStanding at Banstead Manor Stud at £20,000A top-class two-year-old who won the G1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, Chaldean returned to the Rowley Mile the following spring to win the 2,000 Guineas. A Classic-winning son of Frankel, his foals were in strong demand last year, selling for as high as 240,000gns. Unsurprisingly, Chaldean is well-represented at all of the premier yearling sales. Shane Horan: “Generally he is getting stock with a very strong top, very muscular, good walks, pretty heads, good temperaments, too, which is something that's become very apparent, and which hopefully will stand him in good stead. Obviously, he's always been very popular since he went to stud. I think the fact that he was a stand-out foal, and what he sold for, helped greatly. Breeders flooded to him to see him at the farm. They loved him. His walk sold him. He's not your typical Frankel in that he's very precocious looking and was a very good two-year-old. He was popular in year one and has maintained his book size – we were 173 mares in year one, 150 in year two and 181 this year. The vibes have been very positive from breeders and the sales companies have reported back to us about what they're seeing on their inspections, and that has been very encouraging.”Dragon SymbolStanding at Whitsbury Manor Stud for £8,000Finished first past the post in the Commonwealth Cup before losing the race in the Stewards' Room. A typically well-supported Whitsbury Stud stallion, he has 113 yearlings which will give him every chance. Ed Harper, “We couldn't be happier with the way the Dragon Symbols are prepping. They love their work and they don't leave a nut in their bowls. We're delighted with the spread of his stock throughout all the various yearling sales. He's well represented all over but we're particularly pleased to see he's got two yearlings in each of Book 1 and the Orby, not to mention 11 cataloged in Book 2 which is a serious feat for such a commercially-priced stallion.”El CaballoStanding at Culworth Grounds Farm at £4,000Tough and hardy sprinter who won the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock. He is the second son of Havana Gold to stand at stud in Britain – the first being Havana Grey – and he is well-represented at the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale, where a proper gauge can be taken as to how the market views him.Sophie Buckley: “We're very happy with the stock – they're strong, athletic and have great temperaments, displaying a real willingness to work. Other consignors have echoed that sentiment, which is great to hear. They seem to just eat, work and sleep. Hopefully that work ethic will stand them in good stead once they go into training.”ErevannStanding at Haras de Bonneval for €8,000Erevann is extremely well bred being by Dubawi out of triple Group 1 winner Ervedya (Siyouni). He proved himself a classy three-year-old with victory in the Prix Daniel Wildenstein and he rates another exciting newcomer to the stallion ranks in France.Pierre Gasnier: “There is hardly a better-looking stallion than him standing in France! In our opinion, he is the best-looking son of Dubawi at stud and of course he is very well-bred. He has great size and so much quality and we are delighted by how he has been passing on those good looks to his progeny. All the Erevanns, they have that quality. They have size, the length from Siyouni and great action. They mean business.”Good GuessStanding at Tally-Ho Stud for €12,500Perhaps unsurprisingly for a Tally-Ho Stud newcomer, but the first foals by Good Guess sold like hot cakes last year – five of his foals sold for six figures between the foal sales at Goffs and Tattersalls – so the shrewdies are clearly backing him to be in demand at the yearling sales. A Group 1 winner in the Prix Jean Prat, the son of Tally-Ho's Kodiac hails from the family of 1,000 Guineas heroine Russian Rhythm and was clearly quite a good-looking yearling himself given he cost 420,000gns at the Book 1 session of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Interestingly, he has plenty of soldiers on the ground to make a splash on the sales circuit and ultimately the racecourse with a massive 179 yearlings in his debut crop. Roger O'Callaghan: “We'll let the horse do the talking. All I can tell you is that we have a few that are very nice. He's putting more scope into his horses than his sire Kodiac does.” Little Big BearMark Byrne [right]: says the Little Big Bear yearlings are “like bodybuilders”. | TattersallsStanding at Coolmore Stud for €17,500The Champion Two-Year-Old in Europe, Little Big Bear's seven-length demolition of Persian Force in the G1 Phoenix Stakes is up there with some of the greatest exhibitions of raw speed that has been demonstrated by a juvenile in this part of the world for some time. While he landed the G2 Sandy Lane Stakes and finished runner-up behind Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, Little Big Bear failed to show that same brilliance at three. Nevertheless, he retired to Coolmore as one of the best sons of No Nay Never and his first foals sold for as high as €155,000.Mark Byrne: “He was a big, powerful horse – different class, really, and his horses have that same size and strength about them. They're like bodybuilders! He's the most magnificent horse and I think people will be really impressed by his yearlings as well.”Lusail Standing at Haras de Bouquetot for €4,000Winner of the Gimcrack and July Stakes at two, Lusail went down by just a head to Coroebus in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2022. A son of Mehmas – who also has Minzaal, Supremacy, Caturra, Persian Force, Scorthy Champ and Magnum Force – he is well represented by five yearlings in the V2 session at Arqana. Arnault Leraitre: “We are very happy with the Lusail yearlings we have seen so far. He is clearly passing on his own scope and bone. I am confident that he will also transmit his speed and precocity, just like his sire. We are really looking forward to seeing the Lusail yearlings at the V2 Sale in Deauville. Also, we have two very nice colts going in training under the Al Shaqab colours.”MishriffMishriff | Emma BerryStanding at Sumbe for €12,500One of the classiest horses to retire to stud in France in recent times, Mishriff landed the Prix du Jockey Club and hardened his reputation as a top-class older horse with wins in the Juddmonte, the Dubai Sheema Classic and also the Saudi Cup on dirt. His planned start at stud was delayed in 2023 due to a foot injury but he covered 112 mares in 2024 and he is well-represented at Arqana with seven yearlings in the V1 session and one in V2.Mario Gussago: “We are very excited about his yearlings and, of course, his foals were welcomed very well last year. His progeny are very like him – he stamps them and they all have his colour. They are nearly all bay with very little white on their legs. They have very elegant heads, a lot of quality and nice walks with a lot of balance. Of course, they are very athletic but we do not expect them to be very early. They look like they could be mile-and-a-quarter horses with a lot of scope.”Modern GamesModern Games | CoadyStanding at Dalham Hall Stud for £27,500An absolute dude of a racehorse, Modern Games won back-to-back Breeders' Cup races as well as the French 2,000 Guineas. All told, he won five Group 1s and the fact he is being compared to Night Of Thunder at Darley sums up the weight of expectations behind him.Eamon Moloney: “The in-house thoughts on Modern Games is that he is very much in the same mould as Night Of Thunder – they have that kind of strength and quality. There is a real sense from a number of people within the company that Modern Games could be potentially very exciting. The majority of his stock is going to Book 2 at Tattersalls – there are 29 selling there – and they are all of similar shape to what Night Of Thunder is capable of producing so we're very excited. If I am being completely honest, this rumour got out that he was sub-fertile which he absolutely isn't. He covered less mares because of that rumour but the mares he covered all went in foal. He was a bit of a victim of chat and it can be hard to beat that. In his first year, he wouldn't have even covered 100 mares but he has 82 yearlings. We 100 per cent stand by the fact that Modern Games is well able to get mares in foal and, like I said, we are genuinely excited by them.” MostahdafStanding at Beech House Stud for £9,000A top-class ten-furlong horse, Mostahdaf produced a memorable performance in the G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot when beating Luxembourg by four lengths. He also defeated top-notchers Nashwa and Paddington when making all under an inspired Frankie Dettori to win the G1 Juddmonte International at York.Will Wright: “Everyone at Shadwell is looking forward to seeing Mostahdaf's first yearlings go through the ring. They are typically quality, well-made and athletic individuals, and I know the stock we have at home is highly regarded.”Native TrailStanding at Kildangan Stud for €16,000His unbeaten juvenile campaign featured wins in the G1 National Stakes at the Curragh followed by a brilliant display in the G1 Dewhurst Stakes, which cemented his Champion Two-Year-Old status. While he was beaten by the fellow Charlie Appleby-trained Coroebus in the 2,000 Guineas, he confirmed that he trained on when landing the Irish equivalent. Eamon Moloney: “I've seen quite a few of the Native Trails and we are very pleased with them. They all appear to have great size about them and also an athletic shape with good action. They're like him – plenty strong with good shoulders and good hips on them. He's well represented at all of the sales and has a great spread of horses across all of the top sales which is a good sign.”OnestoStanding at Haras d'Etreham for €10,000A winner at two, Onesto's career highlight came when running out an impressive winner of the Grand Prix de Paris before placing in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.Nicolas de Chambure: “They are athletic horses with good conformation and a great mind. He had a great mind himself so it is great to see him pass on that temperament to his offspring. A little bit like Frankel, they do take a lot of characteristics from their mother. He has five in the main sale this week in Deauville and four in Arqana so we are excited to see what he can do.”PaddingtonStanding at Coolmore Stud for €20,000An outstanding three-year-old, he won four Group 1 races – the Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James's Palace Stakes, Coral-Eclipse and Sussex Stakes within the space of two months. He has only 41 yearlings so there will be a rarity factor to his progeny.Mark Byrne: “Paddington is by Siyouni and out of a Montjeu mare which, on paper sounds like the perfect cross, and it really came to fruition when you see the horse in the flesh – he's beautiful. Aidan O'Brien described him as “an unbelievable specimen” and it's hard to disagree with that. Thankfully, he seems to be passing on his good looks and quality to his stock – they have scope, strength, power and loads of class. He is highly, highly exciting and he has a nice bunch of yearlings selling this week in Deauville which will hopefully get him off to a nice start.”Shaquille Standing at Ace Stud for £10,000A freakishly-talented sprinter who was a brilliant winner of the G1 Commonwealth Cup before following up by beating the older horses in the G1 July Cup at Newmarket.Paul Curran: “We are thrilled with how the Shaquille yearlings have done to date and are looking forward to seeing how they will go at the sales. Overall, the main standout from what I've seen is that his yearlings are taking after him from a physical standpoint. He is stamping his stock very well – they are well put together, strong, athletic and also have a lovely attitude. Most breeders have given him the ultimate compliment by sending another mare back the following year which is the most pleasing thing to see. We are all very much looking forward to seeing what his yearlings can do commercially and roll on 2027 for his runners.”The AntarcticStanding at Castlehyde Stud for €5,000A brother to the brilliant sprinter Battaash, he won a Group 3 at two and three. Mark Byrne: “The Antarctics look fast but all appear to have plenty of scope about them as well so he has a chance of producing milers and not just sprinters. Like Paddington and Little Big Bear, he was quite an expensive yearling [cost 750,000gns at Tattersalls Book 1] himself. He was a sprinter who possessed an extremely high cruising speed and we're excited to see what he can do. Triple TimeStanding at Dalham Hall Stud for £10,000Top-class older miler who won an up-to-scratch renewal of the G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. Out of the outstanding broodmare Reem Three, he is a brother to seven highly-rated black-type performers. Eamon Molony: “In my mind, he is one of Frankel's best-looking sons at stud – they have size, shape and quality. With that type of pedigree – it's a pedigree to die for being out of the brilliant Reem Three – and the fact he was such an incredible racehorse, there is no reason not to think that he will be a success.”Vadeni Vadeni | Zuzanna LupaStanding at Haras de Bonneval for €15,000The Champion Three-Year-Old colt, he won the G1 French Derby before getting the better of Mishriff in a memorable tussle for the G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.Pierre Gasnier: “He passes on great depth to his stock. They have quality, are short-coupled with strong back ends with plenty of power. Obviously, they are very well-balanced and they seem to have the same temperament as he has – very straightforward and genuine. He covered 130 mares in his first year – a very good book of mares – and he was supported by Princess Zahra Aga Khan.”The post First-Season Sire Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know About The Young Guns Ahead Of The Yearling Sales appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.