Successful October Yearling Sale ends with rise in figures

With only 82 lots catalogued for Friday's final day of the Arqana October Yearling Sale, which produced fewer fireworks than the three previous sessions, nothing could take the gloss off a successful week, with turnover reaching just shy of €20 million, a 25 per cent increase on 2015.

Arqana president Eric Hoyeau said: "We have really broken a new barrier this week. We always aim to consolidate the business and obviously you like to exceed the previous year's figures. But this is a fantastic result, brought about by a combination of a high-quality selection of horses and the recent crop of big-race winners to have come from this sale."

Hoyeau said that the international nature of the clientele on the grounds in Deauville this week proved that the October sale was now widely recognised, and pointed to the buying activity of Sun Bloodstock, Al Shaqab and Prime Equestrian among others.

The number of lots making €100,000 or more doubled from 23 in 2015 to 46 this week.