The curtain came down on the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale Dec. 9, with the final session led by stallion prospect and group 1-placed Havana Cigar being purchased by Ajay Anne for €50,000 (US$58,136, €1=US$1.16).
At the close of trade, 98 lots sold at clearance of 85% for total receipts of €662,800 (US$770,654), a 32% drop on the corresponding session last year. The average closed at €6,760 (US$7,860), a 32% below last year’s figure, and the median lifted 33 points to €6,000 (US$6,976).
For the overall four days of trade, Arqana reported that 666 horses changed hands at a clearance of 77%, down from 82% 12 months ago. The aggregate dropped 13 points to €47,187,300 (US$54,865,853), while the average dipped 16% to €70,850 (US$82,379), but the median rose 7% to €28,000 (US$32,556).
Havana Cigar won two of his 14 career starts for Francis Graffard and White Birch Farm, and his CV is led by a second-place finish behind Puchkine in the Prix Jean Prat (G1) at Deauville last year. The 4-year-old is out of a half sister to Cumberland Lodge (G3) winner Danehill Kodiac.
Later on in the session, a foal by Mishriff brought €20,000 from Stamina Turf. Offered by Sumbe, the colt hails from the family of group 1 winners Aventure and Left Hand.
After signing for the sale's top-lot, Half Sovereign, on Saturday at €2.6 million (US$3,023,085), Henry Lascelles finished as the leading buyer, while Blandford Bloodstock made the podium in second after purchasing 15 lots for €2.116 million.
The auction's leading vendor was Ecurie Wertheimer and Frere, finishing with a turnover of €3.316 million. With 40 lots sold for €3.129 million, Haras des Capucines took the runner-up spot, followed by La Motteraye Consignment just behind with 53 lots sold for €3.070 million.
Arqana president Olivier Delloye and executive director Freddy Powell said: "The Vente d’Elevage remains a mixed sale that should be analyzed by category. Once again this year, we saw some very impressive prices for fillies, as shown by our top price, Half Sovereign, a record for a 2-year-old filly in Europe in the ring this season.
"On the mare side, turnover increased by 14% and French stud farms were very active in acquiring some very attractive profiles, with Lily Hart for Haras du Cadran, Margie's Music and Eyota for Ecurie des Monceaux and Broadhurst Agency, Paraiba for Wertheimer and Frere, and Willamette Valley and Letsroll for Haras du Mont dit Mont. Seven of the 15 mares and fillies that sold for €500,000 or more will remain in France.
"We see a similar trend in sales figures for foals, for which activity remained strong throughout the sale, with a top price of €400,000 for a son of Lope de Vega out of Pure Zen, sold by Haras d'Etreham to Peter and Ross Doyle. French stallions with their first crops, such as Ace Impact, Erevann, Mishriff, Onesto, and Vadeni, to name but a few, were well represented over the four days and were well received, which bodes well for the upcoming yearling sales.
"We would like to warmly thank all the vendors and their teams, as well as Arqana, that have been hard at work over the last few days. This sale marks the end of the sales season at Deauville, with an overall turnover from all the sales held of over €216 million, another increase on the record established last year. Both the August Sale and Breeze Up Sales were especially strong, recording record turnover, coupled with sustained demand for horses in training, both flat and jump, throughout the year.
"The 2-year-old generation has showed great promise with the superb successes of Diamond Necklace, Balantina, Gewan, Distant Storm, and Zanthos. We look forward to seeing them back on the track in 2026, a year that will mark the 20th anniversary of Arqana, a young agency that has already come a long way and for which we still have exciting projects in store."
