A SLUGGISH start to the Arqana October Yearling Sale saw figures fall on the opening day of trade, but consignors enjoyed an upturn on Wednesday as returns improved to better last year’s corresponding statistics.

Tuesday’s clearance rate of 70% - down from 86% at 2024’s opening session - was a clear indicator of a patchy market, as was the 12% drop in the average price to €92,790. However, the median’s decline was less pronounced, dropping by under 5% to €70,000.