As the prices have dropped, so has the clearance rate risen at Arqana, with 84% of the 164 mares and foals offered on Monday being marked as sold.
Other indicators also improved on the trade from the equivalent session last year as the average rose by 17% to €11,478 and the median jumped from €6,500 to €10,000. From a much smaller offering than in 2019, the 137 lots sold during the third session brought an aggregate of €1,572,500.
Matt Houldsworth of Howson & Houldsworth Bloodstock has been busy throughout the sale, signing for seven horses in total, including Monday's top lot (544) from Haras du Mont dit Mont. It was the second time that Nafithaa (GB), a 4-year-old daughter of Shamardal, has been through a sale ring in 18 months and this time around she was offered in foal to Intello (Ger). Bred by Shadwell, she is a daughter of the listed-placed Lanansaak (GB) (Zamindar) from a family which traces back to the G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Desirable (GB) (Lord Gayle).
“She's been bought for an existing client,” said Houldsworth after bidding €51,000. “It's hard to buy mares by Shamardal and she's from a nice Shadwell family. Her 2-year-old sister [Zaajirah] was an impressive winner for Roger Varian and the 3-year-old half-brother [Montather] has won two races from three starts, so it is a young active family.”
Top of the foals on Wednesday was a first-crop son of the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois winner Al Wukair (Ire) (lot 566). The colt out of the four-time winner Money Time (Ire) (Arch) was sold by Haras de Doumy for €40,000 to Morten Buskop.
A colt by another freshman, Sioux Nation, was the pinhook choice for Michel Zerolo at €31,000.
He said of lot 640, “I bought the dam so I had to buy the little guy. He's a first foal, and a good-looking colt from a lovely family. He's been bought for a group of friends and will come back here to sell next year.”
His dam, the dual winner Volute (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who is out of a half-sister to G2 Prix de Sandringham winner Volta (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), went though the ring on Sunday for €65,000, carrying her second foal by Sea The Moon (Ger). Both were sold by La Motteraye Consignment.
The final day of the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale commences on Tuesday at 10am.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
