NEWS
Total receipts, average price down
at Arqana August sale
Posted: Monday, August 16, 2010 6:17 PM
by Tim Nichols
The Arqana August yearling sale in Deauville closed on Monday with a 28.4% decline in total receipts and a 17.2% drop in average price compared with last year’s sale.
Arqana reported 320 horses as sold for $37,638,888 (29,359,500 euros), down from 376 horses who brought $52,551,116 (40,991,500 euros) in 2009. Average fell from $145,716 (113,663 euros) to $120,693 (94,145 euros) while the buy-back rate, not counting private purchases, rose from 25.8% to 31.2%.
Median dipped slightly from $92,304 (72,000 euros) to $89,740 (70,000 euros).
“The top tier of the market has suffered the most through the combined effects of a drop in the amounts that buyers are willing to spend on top class yearlings and reduced competition at the highest level resulting from the absence of several leading players,” said Eric Hoyeau, Arqana president.
“However, the core market has remained very solid, with genuine depth up to 400,000 euros as we saw on the second day of the sale. The lower end of the market did okay but proved very selective, with buyers preferring to go home empty handed rather than purchase a horse that didn’t tick all the boxes.”
Charles Gordon-Watson purchased the sale topper during Friday’s first session, securing a Galileo (Ire) filly for $767,940 (600,000 euros) from the consignment of Haras d’Etreham. The filly is a full sister to Group 1-placed group stakes winner Age of Aquarius and is out of the Top Ville mare Clara Bow, who is the dam of Group 1 winner Turtle Bow.
Monday’s fourth and final session experienced a 13.62% decline in total sales from $6,979,209 (5,444,000 euros) to $6,028,606 (4,702,500 euros). Average price fell 7.5% and median dropped 12.5% compared with last year’s corresponding session. The buy-back rate, minus private purchases, rose from 22.8% in 2009 to 31.3%.
The session topper was purchased by Sir Robert Ogden, who went to $243,580 (190,000 euros) for an Elusive City filly. The bay filly, a half sister to stakes placed winner Mister Hughie, is out of the stakes-placed winning Stepneyev mare Bonne Mere.
For hip-by-hip results, click here.
Tim Nichols is internet content editor of Thoroughbred Times
