“I Love Deauville” – Yoshito Yahagi Leads International Buyers' Bench At Arqana 

DEAUVILLE, France–The August Yearling Sale catalogue provides a unique glimpse into the past, present and-perhaps most importantly-the future. 

On the cover you have last year's brilliant Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Ace Impact (Ire) alongside what bookmakers deem to be the most likely winner of this year's renewal, Look De Vega (Fr). Both colts were sold at this sale.

When you turn the pages, there are over 300 yearlings who could chart a similar path. And the world knows. Not least Japan's superstar trainer Yoshito Yahagi. It was at this sale a couple of years back where Yahagi signed for Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), a full-brother to Arc winner Sottsass (Fr), at a sale-topping €2.1 million. Shin Emperor is being trained with a tilt at the Arc in mind and Yahagi is one of the many international buyers in town who is in search of the stars of tomorrow. 

“We bought Shin Emperor here, and he was third in the Japanese Derby, so yes, this has been a successful sale for us,” the trainer explained on the eve of the sale. “The ultimate goal for him this year is the Arc de Triomphe. Our main purpose for coming here this year is to find another Shin Emperor so we are working very hard in searching for another one.”

“Generally speaking, Japanese owners think that the prices at the Select Sale in Japan are very much standard across the world. But comparing this sale to the Select Sale, there may be some bargain prices. First of all, the main thing we are seeking is speed.”

Asked what particular stallions he was honing in on with a view towards a racing career in Japan, Yahagi added, “We have seen nice horses by Palace Pier (GB) and St Mark's Basilica (Fr). They are the two new ones that we have liked. Of course, there are some other top stallions there that we like, Wootton Bassett (GB) being one. Deauville is always a pleasure. I love Deauville.”

Along with Yahagi, fellow Japanese-based trainers Mitsumasa Nakauchida and Kyoko Maekawa along with breeder Hirokazu Okada and agent Keisuke Onishi have made the trip to Deauville. The sales company also chartered a plane full of buyers that flew in from Saratoga on Wednesday, which was reported to have been well-attended, while a number of key industry figures were also spotted out and about inspecting stock on Thursday. 

This week also marks the first August Sale since the return of Olivier Delloye to the role of chairman of the management board at the sales company. Delloye succeeded the outgoing Eric Hoyeau in the role at Arqana and returned to the company he had previously spent a decade with having worked as managing director for France Galop between 2016 until last September. 

Asked what he was expecting for his first sale back, “A good sale that makes vendors and buyers happy. We do hope that the buyers who are coming from all over the world will find the individuals that they are looking for. I think there is plenty to offer at this sale again and hopefully the buyers will get the Group 1 winners that they are all aiming for. There are a lot of people here and there is a very good atmosphere-perfect conditions to show the horses. We are almost ready to kick off. 

“We have had some very positive feedback from buyers on the individuals we have presented here. There is consistency across all vendors and it is good to keep in mind all of the nice horses who went through the ring here at Arqana in the last number of years were offered by various different consignors and breeders. Of course, the big players like Monceaux and Etreham produce Group 1 winners very often, but we get really nice horses across the board-like this year's French Derby winner Look De Vega, who came from a much smaller farm [Aumonerie]. Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), the Coventry Stakes winner at Royal Ascot, was offered by another small farm in Haras de Beaufay here last year as well. They have the half-sister here this year as well. So I think that the buyers are very much aware of that [a good horse can come from all farms] and they are looking at everything.”

He added, “I have been missing it quite a lot in the last number of years. Things have not changed that much since I have left-things have just got bigger and bigger. I feel that, the most serious players, they are not here occasionally, but they are here coming to Arqana every year. It seems that the August Sale is now on everyone's agenda and the sale has hit a new standard-a new status-within people's mind.”

Few people have been attending the sales in Deaville longer than respected international bloodstock agent Patrick Barbe. The 74-year-old French native had a role to play in the buying of this year's Arc favourite Look De Vega at this sale in 2022 and, while he is not approaching this week's action with unbridled optimism, insists there will be quality horses on offer to buyers as ever.

Patrick Barbe: “It's an aura, even a presence, that you look for in a champion.”| Brian Sheerin

“I was involved in buying Look De Vega,” he explained. “Yann Lerner is a good friend of mine and he was telling me all winter that this horse would win the French Derby. Do you know what I said back to him? Bullshit. He was right, but Look De Vega is a horse who always had great presence. He was led out unsold here a couple of years ago and I said to Yann that he needed to go down and make a private offer. That was my role.”

He added, “Deauville has been very lucky for me. I am responsible for buying the only filly to win a Classic race in England from the yearling sales in Deauville and that was Natagora (Fr) (Divine Light {Jpn}). She won the Cheveley Park, the Guineas and so on. But I am 74 now-I am too old! 

“PP Hogan taught me everything that I know. I learned from him that the first look is most important. It is like when a beautiful woman walks into a room, you are like 'oh my God.' If you keep looking, trying to make her more beautiful, it is not the same. I think the first look, that instinctive feel that a horse gives you, is more important than the legs, the size, the pedigree. It's an aura, even a presence, that you look for in a champion. That's what PP taught me and he was an absolute legend. What a judge.”

There is rightly plenty of caution in the air ahead of the European yearling sale circuit. However, some positives can be taken from Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga Sale, where record aggregate, average and median figures were posted. This sale last year hit averages of €233,470, a median of €170,000 while turnover reached €55,099,000. Nobody would be unhappy if similar results were posted this week but Barbe, one of the most experienced agents in the business, was left hopeful rather than confident. 

He said, “In my opinion, this sale could be tricky. It is the first sale in Europe and, with the flop in the stock exchange, Japanese Yen and what is going on in the world, there is a possibility that there is not as much money going around than there was before. Okay, Saratoga was very strong, and that is a positive. And there are a lot of people here, which is another positive sign. But it will be interesting to see how it goes. One thing I always found was that there was serious value at the beginning and the end of the sales. I would always like to buy the first horse into the ring or even one of the last. Let's see if there is value this week.”