Arqana Deauville yearling sale: Two tie for top price in buoyant first session

Arqana Bloodstock’s three-day yearling auction at Deauville, France, began with an opening session that posted significant gains across the board, topped by a pair of seven-figure horses.

In the opening session, a total of 22 horses sold for 200,000 euros (about $266,530) or more, topped by two that went for 1 million euros ($1,332,700). The session finished with gross sales of 14,091,000 euros ($18,780,000) for 87 lots sold, including private sales, up an impressive 50 percent compared with the opening session in 2012. The average price of 214,323 euros rose 48 percent, and the median of 128,000 climbed 35 percent. The buyback rate of 25 percent improved slightly from 27 during last year’s first session.

Peter and Ross Doyle bought one of the two top-priced yearlings, a Dubawi colt out of the unraced Indian Ridge mare Mise. Consigned by Ballylinch Stud, the colt is a half-brother to Group 1 winner Nahoodh.

The other seven-figure yearling, a Galileo filly, went to Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier. The filly, consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux, is out of stakes winner Prudenzia, by Dansili. Her three-quarter sister Chicquita, by Montjeu, won the Group 1 Darley Irish Oaks last month. Galileo finished the first session as leading sire by gross receipts at nearly 2.2 million euros.

The Arqana Deauville yearling sale continues with a second session on Sunday following Deauville’s sterling racecard featuring the Prix Morny and the Prix Jean Romanet. The session begins at 5 p.m. local time. Arqana’s sale concludes with a third session on Monday, beginning at 1 p.m.

For complete first-session results, click here.