Why the sales calendar dictates everything
In the bloodstock world, timing is not a detail. It is a strategy. Buying a yearling in August at Arqana or in October at Tattersalls is not the same process, not the same budget, not the same type of horse. And missing a sale session sometimes means waiting six months before the next equivalent opportunity.
This calendar is our working tool at TS Bloodstock. We know it inside out, we prepare weeks in advance, and we adjust as catalogues are released. For an owner — whether a first-timer or a seasoned professional — understanding it is already an advantage.
Here is the complete overview of major European thoroughbred sales for the 2025-2026 season.
Arqana Sales (Deauville, France)
Arqana is the leading French auction house. Based in Deauville, it organises several sessions throughout the year, each with a distinct positioning.
Breeze-Up Sale — May 2025
Dates: 10-11 May 2025 Venue: Deauville Type: Two-year-olds that have already breezed (timed gallop in public) Price range: EUR 15,000 to EUR 300,000, median around EUR 40,000
This is the most informative sale for a buyer looking to reduce uncertainty. The horses have already been put into work. You have seen them gallop, with times to back it up. The breeze-up is essentially a test drive before purchase — except the car has emotions and may decide not to cooperate on the day.
Tip: Attending the breeze-ups the day before the sale is essential. Raw times only tell part of the story. The horse’s action, behaviour, attitude in the ring afterwards — all of that matters as much as pure speed.
August Yearling Sale — August 2025
Dates: 16-17 August 2025 Venue: Deauville Type: Select yearlings (the best pedigrees of the season) Price range: EUR 50,000 to EUR 3,000,000, median around EUR 150,000
This is Arqana’s flagship sale. The social event of the French racing summer. All of Deauville gathers under the marquees for two intense days. International buyers flock in — Irish agents, Newmarket trainers, representatives from Gulf racing operations.
Prices can go through the roof. In 2024, the top lot exceeded EUR 2 million. But there are also opportunities between EUR 50,000 and EUR 100,000 for well-bred yearlings whose bloodlines happen to be out of fashion that year.
Tip: Pedigree fashions shift quickly. A stallion whose first crop has not yet raced will be undervalued. If his yearlings show good conformation, that is sometimes the best value in the catalogue.
October Yearling Sale — October 2025
Dates: 14-16 October 2025 Venue: Deauville Type: Yearlings (broader catalogue than the August sale) Price range: EUR 5,000 to EUR 200,000, median around EUR 25,000
The October sale is the playground for sharp buyers. The catalogue is larger, competition less fierce than in August. You will find yearlings whose pedigree is less flashy but whose physical conformation can rival lots sold for three times more two months earlier.
This is also the sale where smaller budgets find satisfaction. At EUR 10,000 or EUR 15,000, you can acquire a yearling with genuine potential, provided you know what you are looking for.
Tip: Look at lots towards the end of the catalogue. The last numbers often go through a ring that is emptying out, and prices drop mechanically. Some of the season’s best purchases happen there.
Autumn Sale — November 2025
Dates: 28-30 November 2025 Venue: Deauville Type: Horses in training, broodmares, foals Price range: Variable, from EUR 3,000 to EUR 500,000 depending on category
Arqana’s autumn sale is a deliberate mixed bag, and that is what makes it interesting. You will find horses in training changing hands, mares at the end of their racing careers heading to stud, and foals for those willing to bet early.
For the investor focused on breeding, this is often the most strategic sale of the year.
Tip: Broodmares whose last foal has not yet raced are often undervalued. If the pedigree analysis is solid, it is a formidable buying angle.
Tattersalls Sales (Newmarket, England)
Tattersalls is the oldest bloodstock auction house in the world. Founded in 1766. The English market remains the deepest in Europe, with unmatched volumes and catalogue depth.
Somerville Tattersalls Sale — September 2025
Dates: 8-9 September 2025 Venue: Newmarket Type: Yearlings Price range: 5,000 to 80,000 guineas, median around 15,000 guineas
A quick note that always surprises the French: Tattersalls sells in guineas, not pounds sterling. One guinea equals GBP 1.05. It is a tradition dating back to the 18th century that nobody has felt the need to modernise. Part of the charm.
The Somerville Sale is good hunting ground for reasonable budgets. Quality sits below the October Book 1 and Book 2, but so do prices. Horses that outperform relative to their purchase price regularly emerge from here.
October Yearling Sale — October 2025
This is the major event in the global bloodstock calendar. The sale breaks down into four “Books” spread over two weeks:
Book 1 (6-8 October)
Price range: 50,000 to 5,000,000+ guineas The absolute cream. The best-bred yearlings of the European season. This is where the world’s biggest buyers go head to head. Godolphin, Coolmore, the Aga Khan — everybody is there. For a buyer on a standard budget, it is fascinating to watch but often out of reach.
Book 2 (13-14 October)
Price range: 20,000 to 300,000 guineas The sweet spot for many professional buyers. Quality remains very high, but competition is less extreme than in Book 1. Median around 50,000 guineas.
Book 3 (20-22 October)
Price range: 5,000 to 80,000 guineas Large catalogue, variable quality. This is the sale that demands the most homework in advance. You have to sift, inspect, eliminate. But the gems are there.
Book 4 (23 October)
Price range: 1,000 to 20,000 guineas The last day. The lowest prices. Risk is higher but the entry ticket is minimal.
General tip for Tattersalls: Allow plenty of time. The October sale takes two full weeks if you want to cover all four Books. Physical inspection of lots requires entire days in the Tattersalls yards. It is a marathon, not a sprint.
December Sale — December 2025
Dates: 1-4 December 2025 Venue: Newmarket Type: Broodmares, horses in training, foals, remaining yearlings Price range: 1,000 to 2,000,000 guineas depending on section
The December sale combines several sections: mares, horses in training, foals. It is an end-of-year market where portfolio adjustments take place — operations sell to balance their books, which creates opportunities.
Goffs Sales (Kildare, Ireland)
Goffs is the Irish auction house. Ireland being the historic heartland of thoroughbred breeding, Goffs catalogues are packed with yearlings from the best studs.
Orby Sale — September 2025
Dates: 23-24 September 2025 Venue: Kill, Kildare Type: Select yearlings Price range: EUR 20,000 to EUR 1,000,000, median around EUR 70,000
The premium Goffs sale. The name comes from Orby, the first Irish-trained winner of the Epsom Derby in 1907. Lot quality rivals the best sessions at Arqana and Tattersalls Books 1-2.
The Irish advantage: prices are generally 10 to 20% below what you find at Newmarket for a comparable pedigree level. Ireland produces more yearlings than the domestic market absorbs, and that relative oversupply benefits foreign buyers.
November Sale — November 2025
Dates: 11-14 November 2025 Venue: Kill, Kildare Type: Foals, broodmares, horses in training Price range: EUR 2,000 to EUR 500,000
The big Irish autumn sale. Four intense days. Foals constitute the most speculative segment: you are buying a horse that will not race for at least two and a half years. But the prices reflect that uncertainty.
How to prepare for a bloodstock auction
Turning up on the day without preparation is the best way to overpay or go home empty-handed. Here is the method TS Bloodstock applies systematically:
Three to four weeks before
The catalogue is published online. We go through it thoroughly. Each lot is analysed on three criteria: pedigree (bloodlines, siblings’ racing records, female family), target budget (estimated likely price based on previous sales), and suitability for the client’s brief.
From 300 lots, we narrow down to a shortlist of 20 to 30.
The week before
Travel to the venue. Physical inspection of every lot on the shortlist. Conformation, limb alignment, model, walk. We eliminate those that do not meet the required standard.
The shortlist goes from 30 to 10-12 lots.
Sale day
We arrive with a precise list and a ceiling price for each lot. Discipline is everything. In the electric atmosphere of the ring, the temptation to bid one more is constant. A good agent knows when to stop. That is what separates a smart purchase from an emotional one.
The IFCE (Institut Francais du Cheval et de l’Equitation) publishes useful resources for understanding the basics of evaluating a horse.
What TS Bloodstock does on site
When TS Bloodstock acts for a client at auction, the work breaks down as follows:
- Catalogue pre-selection: analysis of bloodlines, siblings’ performances, market trends
- Physical inspection: evaluation of conformation, limb alignment, overall model
- Bidding strategy: setting the ceiling price, ring tactics (bid early, wait, bluff)
- Post-sale negotiation: when a lot fails to sell in the ring, it is sometimes possible to negotiate privately in the hours that follow
- Logistics: organising transport to the trainer, administrative formalities, France Galop registration
The goal is not to buy the most expensive horse. It is to buy the right horse at the right price. The distinction is fundamental.
Trotting sales: a separate market
Flat racing gets most of the attention, but trotting represents a significant market in France. Le Trot organises its own sales, with a distinct calendar and different conventions. Entry-level prices are often more accessible, and the French trotting market is the largest in the world by volume.
For those interested in trotting, TS Bloodstock is progressively developing this expertise. It is a fascinating world with its own subtleties — driven versus ridden, distances, surfaces — that deserves a dedicated article.
Looking ahead to 2026
The precise dates for the 2026 sales will be confirmed at the start of the year by each auction house. But the calendar structure stays stable from year to year. Breeze-ups in spring, premium yearlings in August-September, large catalogues in October, and end-of-year sales in November-December.
The best way not to miss an opportunity: plan ahead. If you are considering investing in a racehorse in 2026, the conversation should start now. Contact TS Bloodstock to build your buying strategy together and identify the most relevant sales for your profile and budget.