Strong trade at the Arqana August Yearling Sale at Deauville, France, resulted in significant rises across most indicators.
The aggregate (gross) for the four-session sale, Europe’s first yearling auction of the year, came to €37,448,000 at the conclusion late on Aug. 20. Total sales increased 25.8% from €29,772,000 in 2006. The sale’s average, €98,031, was 20.5% above last year’s level of €81,344 while the median of €60,000 just shaded the 2006 level of €57,000.
The sale opened Aug. 17 with the first of two select sessions and saw Coolmore's Demi O'Byrne smash the record for a yearling colt at the Deauville August Sale when going to €1,400,000 for a Galileo half-brother to the top-class miler Turtle Bowl.
The strength of Friday's market was highlighted by the fact that nine different buyers signed the tickets on the top 10 lots, with O'Byrne adding the eighth top-priced yearling to his shopping basket, a €400,000 Haafhd colt.
O'Byrne, who spent €2,050,000 on three individuals at the opening select session, was outdone as top buyer by Shadwell France, which splashed out €2,390,00 for eight lots. Shadwell France’s purchases included the top-priced filly, a Dansili half-sister to Group winners Kandidate and Star Valley, knocked down for €800,000.
French agent Paul Nataf was the session's most prolific buyer on the day with 11 purchases worth a total of €967,000.
It was more of the same Saturday with buyers keen to part with their cash for well-bred individuals. Ten 10 lots sold for more than €200,000 compared with only four on the corresponding day in 2006.
Peter Doyle went to €600,000 for the day's top lot, a Dansili filly, on behalf of Plantation Stud, and also signed tickets on four more lots for a cumulative price of €780,000.
Saturday's most prolific buyer was Europe's winning-most trainer, Pau-based Jean-Claude Rouget, who secured seven lots for a total of € 650,000. Rouget was also successful on the track as he saddled Literato to win Deauville's feature race of the day, the Group II Prix Guillaume d'Ornano.
Shadwell France added a €300,000 Linamix colt to maintain their standing as the sale's top spenders overall. The strength of the session was reflected in a 42% increase on the 2006 aggregate, as 94 lots sold for €8,959,000.
After the high prices of the first two days, Sunday's session was a quieter affair with Broadhurst Agency, acting on behalf of an Australian client, securing the session's top lot, a Hawk Wing filly, for €230,000, while Monday only had one bright moment when Gut Armengol spent €220,000 on an Elusive City colt who is a half-brother to two winners. These final two sessions pulled down the average and median considerably, even though they were ahead of the 2006 levels.
Eric Hoyeau, president of Arqana, said: "We are clearly very pleased with the sale. The depth of the demand and the large number of different countries represented among the buyers are equally satisfying."
