Bringing the curtain down on the French sales season, the Arqana breeding stock sale concluded Dec. 11 in Deauville with a new benchmark in overall total receipts for the four-day auction that was bolstered by strong numbers at the top end of the market.
French classic-placed Wild Wind, who was offered in foal to leading sire Galileo, brought the overall highest price of €1,175,000 ($1,527,853) from Kentucky’s Three Chimneys Farm, agent, on opening day Dec. 8. That sale helped boost total sales to a record €20,642,000 ($26,840,793), including 44 private sales for €1,054,500 ($1,371,166), which marked an 18.3% increase from the 2011 sale.
“The upper end of the market has been very strong, whether it be for mares or foals, showing a bigger demand than offered,” Arqana president Eric Hoyeau said, who in part credited a strong international buying bench with the sale’s success.
“It is particularly pleasing to see how many international buyers were active, both new and old faces. The work carried out by Arqana in view to this has born its fruits, with the team travelling and working in tandem with our overseas correspondents to ensure this.”
Overall, 600 of 813 horses sold for an average of €32,646 ($42,450), a 9.9% increase from the 2011 sale. The median price was up 9% at €12,000 ($15,604).
The clearance rate, factoring in private sales, rose to 79.2%, compared with 75.5% last year.
Michael Youngs, representing Three Chimneys as agent for Goncalo Borges Torrealba, secured the sale-topping 4-year-old Danehill Dancer filly, who was offered by Haras des Capucines. The Torrealba family, which operates TNT Stud in Brazil recently became a partner in the Clay family’s Three Chimneys in Midway, Ky.
German-bred Wild Wind is out of the unraced Sadler's Wells mare Woman Secret and is from the family of English, French, and U.S. champion Miesque, a Racing Hall of Famer, and important sire Kingmambo. A listed stakes winner in Ireland for Coolmore and associates, Wild Wind finished third to Golden Lilac in the 2011 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas, Fr-I).
For the first time this year, the sale was made up of two distinct catalogs, with Book 1 on opening day featuring fillies and mares by some of the world’s most sought-after established broodmare sires as well as important younger sires.
Hoyeau said the new format worked extremely well
Other Book 1 sales included Spin, a 4-year-old Galileo filly offered in foal to Fastnet Rock who sold for the sale’s second-highest price of €850,000 ($1,105,255) to Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International Agency.
Haras des Capucines also consigned Elletelle, 7-year-old Elnadim mare who sold in foal to Galileo for the session’s third highest price of €825,000 ($1,072,748) to Adrian Nicoll of BBA Ireland.
Making his first trip to the sale, U.S.-based bloodstock agent Alex Solis II went to €520,000 ($676.156) at the first session for French group III winner Gold Round, a half sister to superstar Goldikova offered in foal to Dalakhani by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer. The 15-year-old group stakes-producing Caerleonmare will be bred to Redoute's Choicein 2013 before being sent to the U.S.