The Arqana October yearling sale closed out its three-day run at Deauville in France Oct. 21 with increases from 2008 of 4.9% in gross revenue and 9.5% in average price. The clearance rate of 71.2% was the same as a year ago.
“The buyers’ list shows a very healthy market, with over 145 individual investors signing the docket and many of them acting on behalf of several clients,” said Arqana general manager Olivier Delloye. “It means the buying bench at this sale was as broad and diversified as ever, including some high profile overseas investors who have not always made the trip to Deauville for this sale. It is also encouraging to see that breeders of commercially attractive yearlings that have not reached their full potential in August have a very valuable alternative in the October sale. Indeed, none of the well-bred, well-made individuals that were offered this week slipped through the net, and several vendors were even positively surprised with what they got for these youngsters.”
The 343 horses that sold grossed €8,793,500 ($13,153,053 in U.S. funds) and averaged €25,637 ($38,347). Private sales totaled €312,000 ($466,680). Last year, 358 horses were sold for a gross of €8,381,500. The average was €23,412. Private sales totaled €295,500.
A Whipper filly brought the top price on the final day of €125,000 ($186,971). Horse France purchased her from Haras de Saint-Pair. The bay yearling is out of the 14-year-old winning Night Shift mare Hasanat, who finished second in the Coolmore Stud Home of Champions Concorde Stakes (Eng-III) and third in the Telecom Eireann Brownstown Stud Stakes in 1998. The filly is a half-sister to three winners, including Takrice (by Cadeaux Genereux), who was second in the 2004 Leopardstown One Thousand Guineas Trial Stakes and third in the 2003 Killavullan Stakes (Ire-III).
The results for the sale’s third day included a gross of €2,916,500 ($4,362,413) for the 124 horses that sold. The average was €23,520 ($35,181), and the clearance rate was 68.1%. Private sales totaled €134,000 ($200,433).