The Arqana October Yearling Sale wrapped up Oct. 22 with the Zelzal filly consigned as Lot 705 fetching a price of €41,000 (US$47,487) to top the sale's final session.
Consigned by J.K. Thoroughbreds, the filly was purchased by Mandore Agency/J. Hammond. She is the third foal produced from the Pivotal mare Write A Classic and hails from the family of group 1 winner Shrewd Idea and group winners Villadolide and Girouette.
Organized in three parts, the Arqana October Yearling Sale was marked by strong demand at all levels, with all the indicators showing record results for the sale.
Over the five days, 84% of the 694 yearlings that went through the ring were sold for an average price of €45,946 ($53,220). The total turnover reached the record sum of €27,214,500 ($31,523,115).
With 26 colts and fillies sold for €3,464,000 ($4,013,808), including the top price of the sale for €440,000 ($509,661), Ecurie des Monceaux, managed by Henri Bozo, took the top spot on the consignors' table. They were followed by Haras d'Etreham, the vendor of 21 lots for a total of €2,193,000 ($2,540,854). La Motteraye Consignment were just behind having sold 30 yearlings for a turnover of €1,894,500 ($2,194,627).
With 15 yearlings bought for a total of €2,395,000 ($2,774,896), Anthony Stroud and Matt Coleman (Stroud Coleman Bloodstock) were the leading buyers at the sale. Deauville trainer Jean-Claude Rouget took the runner-up spot with 24 lots bought for €1,299,000 ($1,504,658). He is followed by Al Shaqab Racing via Nicolas de Watrigant (Mandore International Agency), that purchased seven yearlings for €961,000 ($1,113,146).
Following the sale, Eric Hoyeau, president of Arqana, and Freddy Powell, executive director, said, "After last year's sale that produced mixed results in an uncertain environment, we can only be satisfied with these figures. They have exceeded all our expectations. A total of 63 horses were sold for €100,000 ($115,882) or more and demand remained very strong from start to finish, as evidenced by the 83% of horses sold and with French and international purchases from England, Ireland, USA, Scandinavia, Australia, Germany, Spain, Japan, Eastern Europe, etc. We would like to thank all of our buyers, who never stop increasing, for their confidence. We must also salute the work and endurance of our consignors. All this would not be possible without them. Since August more than 900 yearlings have already been sold. A final session devoted to the flat followed by the cream of the National Hunt yearlings is still to come at the Autumn Sale next month."
Following the first three yearling sales of the year, 1,147 lots have gone through the ring with a clearance rate of more than 80% for an average price of €75,000 ($86,866), generating an unprecedented turnover of €70,524,000 ($81,717,609).
Sold for €2,400,000 ($2,831,061) to Charlie Gordon-Watson at the August Yearling Sale, a daughter of Dubawi out of Typique consigned by Haras d'Etreham remains the world's top-priced yearling at any sale this year. The highest price in Europe for a yearling colt was also achieved at Deauville by a son of Siyouni out of Cercle de La Vie from Ecurie des Monceaux when selling for €1,500,000 ($1,769,413) to Oliver St. Lawrence on the same day.
