Now that most of Europe’s major auctions now done, Saturday sees the
switching of attention to Deauville for Arqana’s December Sale, which acts as a
season finale. With the statistics holding up in Kildare and Newmarket, hopes
are high that the first three days of mares and foals and Tuesday’s Yearling
Sale will compare favorably with the 2008 renewal. That saw subsequent Prix Jean
Romanet (Fr-G1) heroine Alpine Rose (Linamix) sold for the top price of
€550,000, and she graces the front cover this time alongside fellow high-class
graduates Jukebox Jury (Ire) (Montjeu [Ire]) and Vision d’Etat (Chichicastenango).
The latter sold three years ago as a yearling for just €39,000.
With the emphasis on youth, the 559 mares cataloged contain 77 black-type
performers and 16 group winners, while among the 186 foals are the first
representatives of Authorized, Dylan Thomas (Ire), Lawman, Manduro, Rail Link,
Stormy River and Turtle Bowl. Most are eligible to the French premiums.
Two notable additions to the catalog were recently announced. They are Hip
No. 20, the Haras du Logis-consigned six-year-old black-type earner MRS SNOW
(Singspiel [Ire]) from the immediate family of dual Group 1 winner Wiener Walzer
(Dynaformer) in foal to New Approach, and Haras de Saint Pair’s Hip 50, a filly
foal by Street Cry (Ire) out of the 2006 Honeymoon H. (G2) and San Clemente H.
(G2) winner Attima (GB) (Zafonic).
“Once again this year we will have major international buyers attending the
sale and being active in all segments,” said Eric Hoyeau, executive president of
Arqana. “We expect three different Japanese groups and one from Australia and
New Zealand. Even though the exchange is not very favorable to them, Americans
will be there as they are always in search of French blood and are especially
interested in fillies out of training. There will be people from Turkey, who
have been quite active in Ireland and here last year. There will be also buyers
from all European countries, and we have had a lot of communication in Eastern
Europe. We also expect, as every year, people from Tunisia and Morocco and new
clients from Libya.
“There were a few mares with French blood on other markets in Europe and that
shows how much vendors trust the Arqana sale. There are a lot of black-type
fillies out of training, classic winners, Group 1 and Group 2 winners with some
exceptional pedigrees. Maybe we lack some young mares in foal, but it is a trend
worldwide as there are very few available on the market. In the past, French
breeders didn’t like selling foals too much because most of them were exported
and were not eligible for French premiums anymore, but pinhookers now fully
understand that it is best to keep them in France and sell them back here in
order for the yearlings to keep that eligibility.”
Full catalog and updates are available on www.arqana.com.