Recent group-winning results and pleasing sale prices at this point last year provide Charles Briere and his Fairway Consignment with plenty of encouragement ahead of this week's Arqana October Yearling Sale, held Oct. 20-23.
The operation is based just half an hour away from Arqana's Deauville headquarters and tends to have a strong draft in this latest stop on the calendar. Twelve months ago Lady Leora went through the ring for €290,000 and made a promising debut when second on her sole outing at Nottingham in August, while Zarak colt Gaio, a youngster from the fabled Niarchos family of Ulysses, Light Shift and Cloth of Stars who sold to Ronald Rauscher for €170,000, has shown ability and is to come into his own as a 3-year-old.
The two graduates who have done most to highlight the success of Fairway Consignment's Arqana October drafts this campaign are from a little further back in time, though Jabracadabra and Rabbit's Foot.
The former is trained by Amy Murphy and ran out a game winner of the Prix Chaudenay (G2) on Arc weekend. The Cracksman gelding sold to Matt Coleman and Murphy for €45,000 in 2024 and he now has two stakes wins to his name, having also won at listed level at Craon on his previous start.
A year before, Rabbit's Foot made €50,000 to Meridian International and was third in last year's Prix de Royallieu (G1). Sold on to White Birch Farm for €625,000 at the Arc Sale, she has gone on to win the Prix Alec Head (G2). The daughter of Golden Horde was beaten only 2 lengths by Friendly Soul in the Prix Vermeille (G1) recently.
Briere said: "We had a very good sale last year. We didn't have many in the first part, but we did really well with medium-tier horses and I think that's the main thing in this sale.
"We have a very nice Havana Grey who is the first foal out of a Kodiac mare called Kanawha (Lot 16), herself a 2-year-old winner. We've also got two Siyounis, so I think there's probably a bit more sire power this year."
The two by Siyouni are a colt out of a Muhaarar mare from the famed 'W' family of Waldgeist, Waldpark and Masked Marvel (15) and a colt out of Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (G1) heroine Teppal (112).
Other notable lots include a Starspangledbanner grandson of dual group 1 winner Qemah (109), a daughter of Galiway out of a winning half sister to group 2 winner and young sire Topgear (291) and a Hello Youmzain filly from the family of 2026 group 1-winning sprinter Mission Central (292).
Fairway Consignment will also offer a number of yearlings by first-crop sires, including a colt by Little Big Bear (142), a stallion Briere has already been associated with. The bay is out of the winning Galileo mare Al Anqa, the second dam of Prix Djebel (G3) winner Afandy and a half sister to 2012 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) scorer Zagora.
Briere said: "We had big success with a Little Big Bear in August (a colt out of Invaluable sold to Amanda Skiffington for €250,000) and we have another one for October, which is really nice. I haven't seen many Chaldeans or Modern Games, so I think for me at the moment it's Little Big Bear. I'm a big fan of the Scat Daddy line too."
Of the first-crop sires, the team also consigns an Ace Impact filly from the Niarchos-bred family of Light Shift, Ulysses and Cloth of Stars (512), as well as an Onesto three-parts sister to the aforementioned Jabracadabra (310) offered on behalf of Tony Parker's Domaine de Quetieville.
A Good Guess colt out of group winner and Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1) runner-up Rehn's Nest (330), who is a half brother of Al Shindagha Sprint scorer Meraas, and a filly by Mishriff out of a Galileo sister to Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) hero Roderic O'Connor (410) also contribute to a formidable draft from Briere, who has built up his business over the last decade following stints working for Bill Dwan, Coolmore, Aidan O'Brien and Wood Edge Farm.
With the majority of the yearling sales done and dusted in Europe and around the world, plenty of comment has been made on the health of the market.
Briere said: "In Europe so far, even in America, I think trade has been very good. (Tattersalls) Book 2 finished the other day and it looked pretty strong as well."
This sale tends to produce a good number of six-figure lots, with last year's sale-topper being a Night of Thunder colt out of listed-winning Deep Impact mare Katara. Katon, who was bought by Sumbe for €450,000 and was sent to Andre and Lavinia Fabre, bolted up by 9 lengths in a conditions race at Chantilly recently.
Two years ago, the St Leger Stakes (G1) winner Highwayman was offered at the sale by Haras d'Ellon but was led away unsold for €19,000 from Haras d'Ellon.
One of the most likely individuals to set pulses racing is a Sea The Stars sister to Grand Prix de Paris (G1) winner and Derby (G1) runner-up Maltese Cross from Haras de la Cour Blanche, who arrives early in the first session (43). Haras d'Etreham has a well-related filly to go very early in the shape of a Modern Games half sister to Prix Marcel Boussac (G1) winner Tiger Tanaka (33).
