By Emma Berry
DEAUVILLE, France—There is little let-up in the packed European sales calendar. Tattersalls brought down the shutters on its October marathon on Saturday afternoon but by Monday morning Goffs was back in action with its Autumn Sale and today (Tuesday) sees the start of the four-day Arqana October Sale.
This understudy to the flamboyant August yearling sale in Deauville has traditionally been conducted in two parts but this year it has a distinct grading system for each day, with the seemingly strongest set of yearlings offered in the opening session.
The sale's clash with a three-day race meeting in the town means that the first two days of trade will not begin until 3pm. That may be just as well for those looking at yearlings on Monday who had to spend plenty of time dodging heavy seaside showers.
The October Sale is always more of a domestic affair than its August counterpart—especially in the second half—but among those potential buyers from afar at the sales ground on Monday were Matt Becker of Australia's Group 1 Bloodstock and his compatriot John Foote, who was responsible for buying The Everest winner Yes Yes Yes (Aus) (Rubick {Aus}) as a yearling and has long been a fan of buying middle-distance stock in Europe.
On Sunday, Ocean Fantasy (Fr) became the second group winner for her young sire Make Believe (GB) in the G3 Preis der Winterkonigin at Baden-Baden and she also provided a decent boost for her yearling half-brother, who will sell on Wednesday as lot 326 from the draft of his breeder Haras du Mezeray. By Germany's leading sire Soldier Hollow (GB), the April-born colt is the third foal of Oceanie (Fr) (Dansili {GB}), a winning half-sister to G2 Prix Maurice Nieuil winner Watar (Fr) (Marju {Ire}) from the family of Group 1 winner Grape Tree Road (GB) (Caerleon).
It will take a mighty horse to topple the October Sale's poster girl Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) with her six Grade I wins, but another graduate enjoyed the spotlight on a big day this year when Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper) won the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot and he is represented by a half-sibling in lot 109, the Style Vendome (Fr) filly offered by the Lepeudry family through their Elevage de Tourgeville. This filly comes just 16 lots after another half-sister to a Group 1 winner from the same draft. Already named Lily For Ever (Fr), the filly from the first crop of the Aga Khan Studs stallion Dariyan (Fr) is sold as lot 93 and is a sibling to the Prix Marcel Boussac winner Lily's Candle (Fr) (Style Vendome {Fr}).
Turnover for the October Sale had been on the climb since 2015—from almost €16 million to just over €21 million—but it took a bit of a dip in 2018 when 451 horses sold for a total of €18,493,700 at an average of €40,383. The catalogue has grown slightly, with 608 slated to sell compared to 571 yearlings 12 months ago. If recent sales across Britain and Ireland can be taken as a guide, it seems fair to assume that the auction will get off to a solid start during the first two days at least.
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