DEMAND for high-quality flat yearlings has surged once more, judged on the results of the three-day Arqana August Yearling Sale, which ended in Deauville on Monday evening.

The auction returned a clearance rate of almost 84%, the highest recorded at this sale. The average price of almost €210,000 is also by far the highest registered at this sale, as is the median price of €140,000.

Topping the buyers' list was Godolphin, who bought six yearlings for a total of €5.5 million.

Godolphin bought three of the four Dubawi yearlings on offer in Deauville, including Monday's top lot, a colt out of Group 3 winner Golden Valentine, for €2 million. The colt is from the family of Goldikova. Anthony Stroud signed for all the Godolphin purchases in Deauville, including Saturday's €1.6 million Shamardal colt.

Also on Monday, agent Oliver St Lawrence gave €800,000 for a Kingman half-brother to Guildsman, twice stakes-placed in England in 2019 before transferring to the US where he won a Grade 3 race.

St Lawrence, who was bidding on behalf of Fawzi Nass, said: "Andreas Putsch is a breeder that I have a lot of time for. We loved this colt when we saw him. He’ll go to William Haggas, who was here this weekend and really liked him too."

Offered from Haras d’Etreham, a daughter of Frankel out of listed race winner Crystal River was bought by agent Charles Gordon-Watson for €650,000.

"She’s a magnificent filly with a superb pedigree page," the agent commented. "She’s a daughter of Frankel, a remarkable stallion that had a Group 1 and Group 3 winner just yesterday at Deauville, and the dam is by Dubawi, one of the best crosses that one could find. She’ll go to England and we’ll decide on a trainer later."

Having bought a filly by Wootton Bassett here on Saturday for €550,000, Coolmore's M.V. Magnier struck again on Monday when paying €650,000 for a Galileo colt out of Group 3 winner High Celebrity.

Another busy Irishman in Deauville was Kieran Lalor, who manages Meadowcourt Stud for Abu Dhabi-based operation Al Shira'aa Farms. On Monday he added a €600,000 filly by Le Havre to his haul. The filly is a full-sister to high-class stayer Glycon and from the family of Group 1 winners Hermosa and Hydrangea.

Lalor said: "I think that she was one of the nicest fillies in the sale. She’s out of a very good mare and by Le Havre, an incredible stallion. Her brother is a Group 2 winner. Under her second dam she comes from one of the best families I know, which has a lot of Group 1 winners. It’s been a while that we have wanted to buy into this family - we’re very happy!"

Al Shira'aa bought four fillies in total at the sale, for a total spend of just over €2 million.

The European yearling sales season rolls on to Doncaster next week when the two-day Goffs UK Premier Sale starts on Tuesday.