Arqana Autumn Sale Concludes With Strong Clearance Rate

The four-day Arqana Autumn Sale ended on Thursday with a session devoted to National Hunt breeding stock comprised of foals, broodmares, and fillies. Three horses broke the six-figure mark, and Grade 3 heroine La Boetie (Fr) (Saint Des Saints {Fr}) (lot 820) hammered at a session-topping €190,000 to Guy Petit, who had been active earlier in the sale. Petit signed for 17 lots on Thursday alone, which grossed €584,000. His total by the end of trade was 32 lots for a gross spend of €983,000.

Presented by David Cottin, the 4-year-old mare has won the G3 Prix Sagan and is a half-sister to Libueno (Fr) (Martaline {GB}), who is stakes-placed over jumps at Auteuil.

Petit said, “I've bought her for an Irish client, said the agent. She'll be a broodmare in France. She ticks all the boxes and she's a lovely mare–she has everything that you could look for in a broodmare.”

Thierry Cypres's Bridge Consignment, Ltd. was in action for both a €160,000 colt foal already christened Mondoctor Jem (Fr) (Doctor Dino {Fr}) and the winning €105,000 AQPS Glady (Fr) (Rail Link {GB}). Haras de Cordelles consigned the Feb. 22-born foal. His half-brother Theleme (Fr) (Sidestep {Aus}) succeeded in the G1 Prix Renaud du Vivier. The latter, from Elevage Cypres, is a half-brother to AQPS Bipolaire (Fr) (Fragrant Mix {Ire}), who won the G1 Prix la Haye Jousselin over fences. She is pregnant to Karaktar (Ire).

A total of 214 horses passed through the ring on Thursday, with 156 (73%) finding new homes for an aggregate of €3,231,000. The median was €12,500 and the average was €20,712. Overall, 515 sold of 675 offered (76%) for a gross of €14,531,500. The average was €28,217 and the median was €15,000.

Eric Hoyeau, President of Arqana and Freddy Powell, Executive Director, commented, “We would like to thank all our buyers who came to the sale at this very busy time of the year. It is difficult to draw any conclusions about the Autumn Sale as a whole, as each day had its own distinct class. The  horses-in-training at the start of the sale were marked by a buoyant market, with very strong international demand for all profiles.”