Agence Francaise were relieved on Wednesday by the upturn on the fourth and
final day of their August Yearling Sale, which officials put down to the
decision last year to stretch the quality more evenly over the whole auction.
Four yearlings broke the 100,000 barrier and the average was up by more than 3
percent.
“We sold four animals for 100,000 or more against none on the same day last
year, all to the international buyers who stayed,” said Jocelyn de Moubray, the
company’s international representative. “This proves to us again that the
four-day format is a success.”
Top honors in the final session went to Anthony Stroud, who went to 150,000
to secure Haras des Capucines’s Hip No. 338, a Kyllachy filly from a family
developed by the late Jean-Luc Lagardére.
Fillies were in demand on Wednesday, with the second-highest priced yearling
consigned by Haras de Bernesq. Hip 442, a Marchand de Sable full sister to the
unbeaten juvenile filly Sirene Doloise (Fr), was knocked down to her
sibling’s trainer, Alain Bonin, for 140,000. Lady O’Reilly’s Haras de la
Louviere supplied the top colt when Hip 358, a son of Galileo (Ire) from the
family of Prix de Diane (French Oaks) (Fr-G1) winner Latice (Ire) (Inchinor
[GB]), was purchased by trainer Nic Clement for 115,000.
Despite the reversal of fortunes during the session, the overall average was
down along with the gross and clearance rate.
“The reduced number of horses didn’t bring what we expected,” de Moubray
said. “The market has become more and more selective, but the positive point is
the international demand. The negative is the significant drop of the domestic
buys. There are big efforts to be made to develop a new French clientele
interested in ownership.”
Full results can be found at www.deauville-sales.com.