Powerhouse partnership giving vitality for Osarus ahead of keynote yearling sale

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A 19th renewal of the Osarus Yearling Sale brings a renewed sense of optimism with the auction house now partnering with industry giant Arqana.

Emmanuel Viaud, the director general of Osarus, was busy welcoming prospective buyers from all around Europe to the leafy La Teste racecourse, close to the coast in South-West France, as inspections began on Monday, ahead of the two-day sale which gets under way on Tuesday. 

There have been up-and-down times for this event but Viaud seems hopeful the combination of the hard-working spirit of his company allied with the financial, commercial and infrastructural heft of Arqana can provide a firm footing for growth.

"It's a big difference, first for the vendors because we are coming back to the payment guarantee, which is very important, and I'm happy to have been able to have this deal with Arqana. Altogether I think we'll do good things," he said.

"There's security for the vendors, there were some vendors who weren't here before who have come back this year, and for the buyers as well; they've talked about the sales. We talk about it, of course, and it's getting bigger.

"We still have a lot of winners from this sale. Last year we only had a one-day sale because we had about 140 yearlings. This year we have 238. I'm not saying we'll have 400 next year but we want to improve the catalogue in order to attract the maximum number of clients coming here."

Viaud is realistic about what can be achieved, given the top price 12 months ago was €45,000, but many of the country's leading studs and consignors have brought yearlings to market.

A yearling is inspected at La Teste on Monday

"A lot of the catalogues were shown at Deauville and people seemed quite happy with the sire power," he said. "We've got a lot of yearlings by good stallions of the moment, for example there's eight or nine by Armor, who is doing well. The first two-year-olds by Thunder Moon are doing well and we've got a Sioux Nation filly, a lot of City Lights and Galiways and some by Goken, who's been the leading two-year-old sire in France."

Last year's top lot was a colt by Ghaiyyath bought by Cecile Adonias of Cava Associates. He came from the inaugural draft from Windermere Stud, which has returned with another dozen.

The farm's name is derived not from the Lake District but a yearling complex at Arrowfield Stud in Australia, where Pierre-Hugues Henry spent some formative years.

The Frenchman and his Australian wife, Janine Gandy, only began consigning from their operation near Mayenne last year.

"All the sales were the first ones for us last year as a home consignment. We managed Channel Consignment for ten years and then we started on our own," Henry explained.

"It seemed like now or never. It's been very good. People have been very nice in sending us some horses, we had a good first year. We had a couple of big sales, we had the top price at Arqana in October [Night Of Thunder colt Katon who made €450,000 to Sumbe] we had a top-priced National Hunt horse in November, as well as the top price here last year. We've been very lucky but we're happy it happened."

The leafy parade ring at La Teste, which recently played host to a visit from James Doyle

An obvious one in the draft is a chestnut Galiway colt (lot 85) who is a half-brother to black-type performers Kalganov and Run Zarak Run while there is also an Intello filly (201) out of an unraced Lope De Vega mare who is a daughter of Group 2 Balanchine and Cape Verdi Stakes winner Cladocera.

"I think in general we've got a nice bunch," Henry continued. "Some that you'd think were early types, some will need a bit more time, a few different sires, and I think hopefully they'll all find a good home. 

"They don't all necessarily have the most exciting pages but you'd think they're all racehorses. There's a lot of trainers here and I think most people who come here will look first at the horse and then look at the page. Deauville is obviously a nice spot too but it's a nice place to come for a change for sellers and buyers."

Among those surveying the complex was a man back at his home-from-home. Christophe Ferland began his training career from La Teste, from where he brought Dabirsim right the way through the ranks to win the 2011 Prix Morny and Jean-Luc Lagardere.

Although now among the biggest names in Chantilly, he was keen to show his face.

"I was here for 15 years, so I know every centimetre of it," he said.

"I always support these sales and every year I've bought a nice horse here at a decent price. We had [Prix du Calvados winner] Cavale Doree from here, Lettre De Chateau
and many others. Now they've joined with Arqana, it's going to be good for these sales and especially for smaller owners and breeders, they're not in the middle of the big boys.

Christophe Ferland is a keen supporter of the saleCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"It's always a good time to be here. It's going to be good, I think it's got a big part in the French calendar."

As the sun re-emerged at lunchtime, the sales arena was being erected in front of the grandstand. Visitors are in for a treat at a charming garden racecourse surrounded by pine woodland and which played host to a visit from James Doyle a couple of weeks ago when he won the Listed Prix Millkom on Wathnan's New Connection.

Four years ago, forest fires almost reached the gates and while this area of the Gironde was badly affected again during this summer, the flames thankfully did not creep anywhere near as close. Business can continue as usual.

"We won't have a top price of €400,000 or €500,000 but we'll have a lot of horses sold, hopefully, and staying in France, which is important for the vendors, but there's also people coming from Ireland for the breeze-ups, from Spain, Italy and Czech Republic," Viaud added.

"We've had a lot of good two-year-olds every year, and some starting early in the season. Hopefully it will go well, the industry needs this sale.”

Osarus Yearling Sale Factfile

Where La Teste racecourse, South-West France
When Tuesday at 1pm local time (12pm BST), Wednesday 12pm (11am BST)
Last year's stats 103 of 137 lots sold at a clearance rate of 75 per cent for an aggregate of €1,018,500 (up 11 per cent year-on-year), an average €10,866 (up 8 per cent) and median €8,500 (up 6 per cent).
Notable graduates Sands Of Mali (sold by Haras des Faunes, bought by Con Marnane for €20,000); Trueshan (sold by Haras de Clairefontaine, bought by Pegasus for
€8,000); Fatale Bere (sold by Haras de la Haie Neuve, bought by Joel Boisnard SAS for €14,000)

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