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fewer lots . The weanling section of the sale , responsible for 135 of the 204 sold lots , demonstrated further success with the average sale price increasing from € 13,997 in 2024 to € 19,993 , although the median remained the same at € 10,500 – a difficult statistic for smaller breeders to swallow , with the cost of upkeep remaining on the increase . Moyglare Stud were responsible for the top lot of the sale , a weanling Blue Point colt ( Lot 266 ), who was bought by Tally-Ho Stud for € 250,000 . Out of a half-sister to multiple Group-winner Carla Bianca , the colt hails from the same maternal line which produced Group 1 Irish Guineas victor and Champion Three-Year- Old Filly in Ireland , Homeless Songs . Options remain open for the colt , with purchaser Tony O ’ Callaghan indicating that he could return for the yearling sales or head down the breeze-up route .
ARQANA FEBRUARY MIXED SALE The Arqana sales season commenced with the February Mixed Sale and it was little surprise to see a unique short yearling filly top the single session . The first progeny of the Australian sire Extreme Choice to be offered at a European sale , she was bought for € 110,000 by Haras d ’ Etreham . Nicolas de Chambure , from Haras d ’ Etreham , said : “ The filly is by an Australian sire who has quite exception- al statistics from limited crops . I think she ’ s the only Extreme Choice to be sold in Europe . We love to diversify our bloodlines and she ’ ll be particularly easy to cross . I also loved her physically .” With a smaller catalogue on offer compared to 2024 ( 28 fewer lots ), turnover was down to € 2,691,500 with a marginally lower median of € 5,000 ( from € 5,500 ) – arguably a similar result to 2024 , with no major dispersals to skew results .
MAGIC MILLIONS PERTH YEARLING SALE The state of the current economic climate was reflected in final statistics at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale , with both the average and median sales price dropping from the 2024 renewal – the average was AU $ 66,676 , 10 % down on last year and the median dropped from AU $ 55,000 to AU $ 50,000 . Despite the reduced average , the all-time record price for a colt at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale was broken on day one . Consigned by Alwyn Park Stud on behalf of Anita Vale , the Playing God colt sold to Idan Young for $ 450,000 and is expected to go into training with Perth-based trainer Dan Morton . One of three yearlings to achieve over $ 400,000 or more on day one of the sale , his pedigree appealed to buyers , with dam Clear Blue Sky being a half-sister to Group 1-winning stallion Portland Sky .
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REPOR- TAGE
� PAGE 74
By Céline Gualde
FOREIGN INVES- TORS , THE HOPE OF FRENCH HORSE RACING
Out of the 6,815 active racehorse owners in France , a little over 1,900 are foreigners , representing nearly 28 %. The British make up the majority , accounting for 7 % of the owners registered with France Galop . In these economically challenging times for the French horse racing industry , foreign clients , sometimes from other continents , are a blessing — even for breeding .
Oliver Pawle is a busy man , leading the UK branch of a major consulting firm . He rarely has time to visit the half-dozen broodmares he has stationed in France or to attend races on this side of the Channel . But October
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