Arqana yearling auction sees losses

After seeing increases in gross and average at its breeding stock sale earlier this week, Arqana posted losses across the board Wednesday at its December yearling auction in France.

The one-day auction sold 160 yearlings for about $1,320,000, resulting in an average price of $8,250 and a $5,280 median. Compared year to year in the auction currency of euros, the aggregate was down 20 percent, average fell 15 percent, and median was off by 11 percent. The buyback rate increased from last year’s 34 percent to 40 percent.

Arqana also sold 17 yearlings privately on the sales grounds for a combined 98,000 euros, or about $129,360. Last year, there were 15 private sales totaling 64,900 euros.

The day’s sale-topper was a More Than Ready colt out of the Danehill Dancer mare Mary Montagu that sold for about $76,560. The colt is from the family of group winners Epistolaire and Epitre and sold to the MAB Agency. The colt’s price in local currency was 58,000 euros.

“This year we cataloged and sold 48 more yearlings than last year at the October sale, where the average price was 27,700 euros. Quite logically, the December catalog is of lesser quality as a result, which affects the average and clearance rate,” said Arqana’s president, Eric Hoyeau, adding that the company would like to restrict the auction to 200 yearlings.