Arqana officials have created a new yearling sale for 2011 that will be held Nov. 15 in France. It will follow the store and horses in training portions of the November mixed auction that are set for Nov. 14.The mixed sale is relocating this year to Deauville from Saint-Cloud, and the auction’s horses will be offered in one catalog.
The new auction will "suppress" the December yearling sale that previously followed that month's breeding stock auction, according to an Arqana press release.
“Selling those yearlings that cannot be selected for the August or October sales is a worry for all breeders, hence for us too,” said Arqana president Eric Hoyeau. “The December yearling sale, placed at the very end of the sale season and in the wake of the breeding stock sale, didn’t create much of a synergy and was not the ideal showcase for these individuals.
“Therefore,” he continued, “we are very pleased to have reached a solution that will bring many positives to breeders -- the earlier date of course, but also the combination with the horses in training session. This will give flat and NH (National Hunt) trainers, who will be in Deauville to turn their stock over, an immediate opportunity to reinvest in young stock. Moreover, with both days being assembled into one catalog, the sale will reach the critical size to attract more foreign buyers. Finally, the brand new sales pavilion will offer enhanced comfort to everyone involved.”