Arqana Closes Out Sales Season

ARQANA CLOSES OUT SALES SEASON 
By Kelsey Riley 
The European breeding stock sales circuit makes its third and final stop at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale, which begins today in Deauville and runs through Dec. 9. There are a total of 976 lots catalogued, including mares, fillies in and out of training, foals, stallions and stallion shares. 

Arqana enters its final sale of the year riding the momentum of a highly successful sales season that began with this sale 12 months ago. Not only did last year’s breeding stock sale see significant increases in average and median (18% and 8%, respectively), but the previous year’s record aggregate (€19,561,500) for the four-day stand was surpassed less than two days into trade last year, and rounded out at €26,430,000. 

“Last year’s breeding stock sale was a bit exceptional,” said Arqana Chairman Eric Hoyeau. “It will be difficult to achieve [those figures] again.” 

While Hoyeau noted that, perhaps as a result of a buoyant yearling market, some breeders have opted to keep their better mares at home rather than offer them for sale this year, the Arqana catalogue still boasts some high-quality offerings, which is highlighted especially in a trio of mares set to pass through the ring today. The first of those through the ring will be a pair from Haras des Capucines–the Group 3 winner and dual Classic-placed Xcellence (Fr) (Champs Elysees {GB}) (lot 181) and Alterite (Fr) (Literato {Fr}) (lot 188), winner of the GI Garden City S. Both are offered recently off the track from the barn of Chad Brown by owner Martin Schwartz. 

Haras du Mezeray will offer the lone mare in the sale in foal to leading sire Dubawi (Ire) in Group 3 winner Samba Brazil (Ger) (Teofilo {Ire}) (lot 196). The 5-year-old, who is carrying her first foal, boasts strong credentials in her own right, being a half-sister to G1 Grand Prix Von Bayern victor Seismos (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and from the leading German family of Clasic winners Schiaparelli (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), Samum (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), Salve Regina (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) and Sea the Moon (Ger) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). 

In addition, broodmares catalogued including 57 stakes producers and 77 sisters to Group 1 winners. 

Hoyeau noted that Arqana works tirelessly to attract both the best horses and buyers to its sales. One initiative is a chartered flight from Stansted airport near Newmarket to Deauville, which offers those that have been in attendance at the sales in Newmarket free transportation. Hoyeau pointed out that there was a very diverse group inspecting horses yesterday, including representatives from Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, the U.S., Turkey, Scandinavia, Britain, Ireland, Germany and of course France. 

“There is a very good international crowd here,” he said. “We have a flight between Stansted and Deauville that works very well. The right people are here on the grounds. Now we can saw the Deauville breeding stock sale is really part of the European process.” 

That wasn’t always the case. Arqana as it is currently known was born back in 2006, when France’s two sales companies–Agence Francaise de Vente de Pur Sang and Goffs France–opted to merge so as to be able to offer higher quality sales in better facilities with more perks for both vendors and buyers. Those objectives were certainly met. 

“The merging of the two sales companies created a new buzz,” Hoyeau said. “There is more energy, more efficacity. That was the reason we decided to merge. If you consider the general aggregates before 2006 and now, it’s definitely quite different. The Arqana name is now well known all over the world.” 

Hoyeau also pointed out that the support of perennial leading French breeders, as well as the ability to source German families, has helped the company grow and has allowed Arqana to keep quality offerings for its sale, rather than seeing them go overseas. 

“The success of the sales company generates confidence from the vendors, so it’s a real marketplace now,” he said. “We work hard to attract the nice horses. The clientele are looking for good families, so it’s great to have the support of [operations like] the Aga Khans, the Wertheimers. People recognize the fact that the European blood is interesting for Australia and America, too. France is part of that [European blood] too because racing in France is quite selective.” 
The location of the sale in Deauville–a charming seaside town rife with dining, shopping and social opportunities–is another factor that allows Arqana to draw a crowd back to its sales year after year. 

“Deauville is a really special place,” Hoyeau said. “People like to come here. It’s the last sale of the season, we’re close to Christmas, and the city offers a lot of facilities–the food is good and people really like to be here, so we have to use that. People who don’t know Deauville and come for the first time always come back.”