How a new wave of elite French sires helped Arqana August achieve record sales

Brexit uncertainty, the strength of euro against sterling, unusually poor weather for Deauville in summertime; any or all could have conspired against this year's Arqana August Yearling Sale. But in fact there was record-breaking trade.

Over three days of selling, new high marks were achieved in turnover (€42,869,000, an increase of 17 per cent on 2018), average (€187,201, up 17 per cent) and median (€125,000, up 16 per cent).

The top lot, the €1.625 million Dubawi half-sister to Chicquita, was the most expensive yearling sold at the auction since that filly's close relative Parabellum made €2.6m in 2015.

The clearance rate was a respectable 75 per cent, up from 73 per cent last year.

What is responsible for the remarkable buoyancy of the sale? One explanation is a French stallion scene that holds more commercial appeal at present than it has done in years.

Siyouni in particular was in strong, consistent demand with 21 lots sold for a total of €5,021,000 – the highest gross of any sire at the sale – and an outstanding average of €239,095.

It isn't hard to see why, as the Haras de Bonneval-based son of Pivotal has supplied 31 stakes winners with his oldest crop aged seven, including the popular filly Laurens and this season's impressive Prix du Jockey Club hero Sottsass.

Jason Litt bought the most expensive offering by Siyouni last week, a filly out of the Listed-winning Smart Strike mare Apple Charlotte, on behalf of LNJ Foxwoods for €650,000, while Godolphin helped themselves to a colt and a filly by the sire for a total outlay of €690,000.

Shalaa: first yearlings by the Al Shaqab stallion were in hot demand in DeauvilleCredit: Al Shaqab Racing

The first yearling crop of Shalaa, the dual Group 1 winner at two by in-demand sire of sires Invincible Spirit who stands at his owner Al Shaqab Racing's Haras de Bouquetot, meanwhile generated €2,561,000 in receipts at Arqana August for 14 lots sold.

The dearest, a colt out of Group 2 winner and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches runner-up Maiden Tower, went the way of Narvick International on behalf of Japan's Satomi Horse Company for €600,000.

Incidentally, the priciest lots by Siyouni and Shalaa were both sold by the up and coming operation of Charles Briere's Fairway Consignment, illustrating that there is treasured young human talent in the Normandy thoroughbred business as well as equine.

In total at Arqana August last week, five sires with yearling crops conceived in France achieved total sales of €500,000 or more. Besides Siyouni and Shalaa they were Wootton Bassett (nine sold for €1,095,000), Le Havre (five sold for €960,000) and Olympic Glory (five sold for €612,000).

Compare with the same auction five years ago, when there was only one French-based sire who fell into that category – Kendargent with six sold for €1,020,000 – and ten years ago, when there were two: Green Tune (ten sold for €630,000) and Muhtathir (ten sold for €528,000).

The growing international popularity of the 'nouvelle vague' of high-class, proven stallions based in France – a group that comprises Siyouni, Le Havre, Wootton Bassett and Kendargent – has meant that turnover for yearlings by domestic sires at the Arqana August Yearling Sale has leapt by around 250 per cent in the space of ten years.

As the accompanying graph shows, French-conceived yearlings in Deauville in 2010 generated receipts of €3.3m – just 12 per cent of the sale total – with more than a third of the sum accounted for by the penultimate crop of the by-then deceased Anabaa.

Between 2010 and 2014 revenue for offspring of French-based sires failed to surpass the €5m mark and was never more than 16 per cent of the sale aggregate.

There was a sudden leap to €7.8m in 2015, when the first full northern hemisphere-bred crop of yearlings by Australian champion sire Redoute's Choice caused a stir, but the proportion of sale takings still stood at under a fifth.

With Siyouni, Le Havre et al fully established by last year's Arqana August Yearling Sale, and the first Normandy-bred youngsters by Charm Spirit, Dabirsim and Intello on offer, turnover for French-based sires reached just over €9m and a quarter of sale takings.

Siyouni – with his strong progeny results and better bred yearlings on offer; he covered at €45,000 in 2017, up from €30,000 in 2016 – was the main driver of French-conceived lots making €11.7m at Arqana August last week for 27.25 per cent of sale proceeds.

There is potential for those figures to grow in future, too.

Siyouni's foals were bred at €75,000 and he covered at €100,000 this year; Le Havre has continued to be well supported at stud; Wootton Bassett has crops bred in the afterglow of supplying champion Almanzor in the pipeline, while Almanzor himself, who stands alongside his sire at Haras d'Etreham, will have his first yearlings on the market in 2020.

HIGHEST GROSSING FRENCH-BASED SIRES AT ARQANA AUGUST

2019 Siyouni (21 sold for €5,021,000)
2018 Siyouni (19 sold for €3,410,000)
2017 Siyouni (15 sold for €2,535,000)
2016 Le Havre (11 sold for €1,540,000)
2015 Redoute's Choice (10 sold for €3,665,000)
2014 Kendargent (6 sold for €1,020,000)
2013 Kendargent (2 sold for €620,000)
2012 Elusive City (15 sold for €1,251,000)
2011 Anabaa (12 sold for €1,254,000)
2010 Anabaa (14 sold for €1,204,000)

Similarly, Dabirsim and Kendargent have plenty of well-bred young offspring set to represent them on the track, and Shalaa has the potential to become a leading sire with a well-bred debut group of two-year-olds to bat for him next year.

Remember also that Siyouni and Le Havre managed to make their name with inexpensively bred early runners. So none of Al Wukair, Attendu, Birchwood, Brametot, Cloth Of Stars, Dariyan, Recoletos, Recorder, The Grey Gatsby, Ultra, Zarak and Zelzal – all unproven and having started out in Normandy priced at €10,000 or under – can be discounted from graduating to the premier league either.

Such a strong stallion base in Normandy should mean success breeds success. For stud owners the increased revenue will allow them to re-invest in better class colts to stand in future, while for local breeders the income from selling more fashionably bred stock can be spent on buying higher quality broodmares.

It could also continue to help insulate French mare owners and vendors from any ill effects of Brexit and wider political issues.

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