ALL previous records were shattered as the final major flat breeding stock sale of the year in Europe came to a conclusion on Tuesday. The 2017 edition of Arqana’s December Sale posted a 36% increase in turnover, a rise of 22% in average and the median also rose by 19%.

The main action took place on the opening day last Saturday when over €21.5 million changed hands. Twenty lots sold for €300,000 or more, and the highest price of €1.3 million was only ever bettered once before at this sale, back in 2006 when Mandalara sold for €1.7 million.

The object of most desire this time was Haggle, a four-year-old daughter of Pivotal who enjoyed a fine season in the care of Henri-Francois Devin, most recently winning the Group 3 Prix Fille de l’Air. In addition her dam’s half-sister Sitara bred the Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling, while the immediate family also includes Alexandrova and Chiquita among its numbers.

A year ago Stephen Hillen purchased Haggle at the Tattersalls December Sale for 125,000gns and at the time she was a stakes-placed maiden winner. Her own performances this year saw her earn a sizeable proportion of that cost back, while her sale to the Wertheimer brothers was a real coup for Hillen.

Haggle is by the broodmare sire of Cracksman, Hydrangea, Rhododendron and Precieuse, and after her purchase the Wertheimer’s manager Pierre-Yves Bureau said: “This is the most amazing family and Pivotal is flying as a broodmare sire. We need to regroup and have a think but there is a possibility that she could race on at five as her form has only been improving of late. Whatever happens, she will be extremely easy to mate.”

Three lots on Saturday commanded a value of €600,000 in the ring, and the first two to reach that mark were consigned from Ecurie des Monceaux. The stakes-placed Galileo seven-year-old was sold carrying an attractive covering by Le Havre, and her first three produce are sons of Declaration Of War, Kingman and Siyouni. She was bought by James Delahooke for Willie Carson, who had a most successful sale at Tattersalls recently.

Also from Monceaux was Molly Malone, the Group 1 Prix du Cadran winner whose dam is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Wekeela, a purchase by David Redvers for Sheikh Fahad at 1,800,000gns in Tattersalls. Her close relation cost €600,000 and is in foal to the Derby and Arc winner Golden Horn. The mare’s first foal and runner was stakes-placed recently and Peter Molony was acting for Redvers when securing Molly Malone.

Tim Richardson of Equine Advisory Agency was acting for the Thompson’s Cheveley Park Stud, run by brother Chris, when his €600,000 bid was enough to secure Troarn for the stellar broodmare band at the Newmarket farm.

This two-time winning daughter of Wootton Bassett was runner-up in a listed race this year and the three-year-old is an own-sister to the triple Group 1 winner Almanzor who retires to stud in the spring in France.

Completing a quintet of mares and fillies who brought half a million euro or more was Maimara, a dual Group 3 winning daughter of Makfi. She is one of three stakes winners from her stakes-placed dam and will now join the broodmare band at Ballylinch Stud where John O’Connor will plan her 2018 mating.