THIS year’s three-year-old crop is a fine advertisement for the Arqana October Yearling Sale, which returns on Tuesday, October 22nd. French 2000 Guineas victor Metropolitan was bought there for just €78,000, and Haras de Clairefontaine offer his half-brother by Romanised as Lot 23 next week.

Stall Jedbugh offer another sibling to a leading graduate; Lot 176 is a City Light half-brother to dual group winner and Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest runner-up Exxtra, who cost Carlos and Yann Lerner €26,000. Borna, beaten just a neck in the German Derby, was another bargain buy at €19,000, but perhaps the most impressive purchase was Jean-Pierre Gauvin’s €6,000 spend on Iresine. The seven-year-old is now a dual Group 1 winner, with another four group and three listed wins to his name, his earnings just shy of €900,000.