Breeding & Racing Magazine

French Yearlings Final Average Up 8%

Overall after 4 days at Deauville, 420 yearlings sold for a cumulative aggregate (including private sales) of €11,087,000 (A$15.633m) which was up 21% from last year (even though the number offered only grew 8%). It is the 2nd best aggregate for this sale, behind "only the 2007 renewal, which of course took place in a radically different economic environment" noted Arqana officials. "Even more remarkable is the total number of horses sold (420), which set a new record since the October Sale was created. This is a clear sign of the strong demand throughout the sale. The overall clearance rate stands at 80%, a striking progression from the August sale, when this indicator had suffered significantly." The €21,000 (A$29,600) median was up 17% from last year & "is also an all-time high & reflects the upgrade in the quality on offer". The final average of €27,773 (A$39,200) was up 8% from last year. Arqana's Olivier Delloye & Eric Hoyeau summed up: "The results are very encouraging & show that the October yearling sale has much more to offer than the left-overs of the August session. This is a market in its own right, which relies on the solid French demand as well as on the strong interest that the French racing system raises among neighbouring countries & encourages them to look for French-bred horses. This was particularly evident regarding British & Irish professionals, who were very active despite having already attended a vast number of sales in their home countries."