Aktem's Daniel Cooper on launching a new sales company in France A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of catching up with Daniel Cooper while he was over in Ireland inspecting two-year-olds for Aktem’s inaugural Breeze Up Sale. I'm really looking forward to heading across to Maisons-Laffitte in June for the sale which is set to be an exciting addition to the sales calendar. Aktem was founded in 2025 and is a French horse racing auction house dedicated to Thoroughbreds and Arabians. Aktem positions itself as a new and innovative player in France, with the ambition of offering sellers a fresh market opportunity in a high-quality environment designed for both horses and people. Launching a new auction company in a market dominated by Arqana is ambitious - what gap in the market is AKTEM aiming to fill? Launching a new sales company in France is a very exciting venture and it’s always a positive when new players in this tough game are willing to put their chips down on the table. The European bloodstock market is highly competitive. How does AKTEM plan to attract vendors who might traditionally sell through established sales companies? Monsieur Benaroussi is very passionate about the game and having horses in training with many different trainers, he understands the industry very well. As he said in one of his very early interviews when he launched Aktem that he thought there was room for another sales house in France, that he would try to be competitive with the major sales company in France. Aktem is listening to all breeders, big and small. I can honestly say they have been very welcoming to Aktem. After two very successful online sales the bigger vendors are entering horses for upcoming sales especially our yearling sales next September. National Hunt horses appear to be an important part of AKTEM's strategy. Why do you believe this sector has such strong potential right now? French bred national hunt horses are dominating whether its the winners enclosure in Cheltenham or the sales ring so its important Aktem try to be a competitive auction house selling Top National hunt horses. The team has vast experience in the National Hunt sector. We are all lucky to be working alongside Guy Petit as his list of winners sourced is extraordinary and his experience is priceless. We also have Gregoire Leenders whose brother Gaby won the Cleeve hurdle, they are steeped in National Hunt racing. Vincent le Roy has sourced many horses for top consignors in Ireland and UK and has a great work ethic. What challenges come with launching a completely new sales company in the bloodstock industry? It’s by no means an easy feat to gain the confidence of vendors but that will come as we understand we have to show how professional we work. AKTEM plans to stage sales at Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse, how does that venue enhance the experience for buyers and vendors? Maisons Laffitte is in a perfect location very central for buyers and vendors. Bringing horses across Europe, flying them to all destinations is also very accessible. Chantilly, with over 100 trainers, is less than an hour away. Many buyers and trainers from France have a long car ride up to Deauville whereas Aktem is 25 mins from Charles de Gaulle and a 3 hour train ride from London. Travelling horses is also very accessible from all major ports. How important is innovation, such as hybrid online and physical auctions, to the future of bloodstock sales? Having physical auctions is very important especially for unraced horses or young stock but maybe with online sales we could provide more detailed info to potential purchasers of performance horses or the online breeze up sale, but certainly Covid did bring positives to the market with online bidding and sales. For breeders and consignors, what advantages does AKTEM offer compared to established European sales? Bonuses for a horse that can win the Grand Steep de Paris and The Cheltenham Gold Cup, full details of all different types of bonuses are on our website. Breeders have welcomed the bonus incentives Aktem are offering and looking at our entries for upcoming sales the right people are entering horses. We also pay our vendors out within 30 days of sale, not six weeks like some other sales companies. This has been very well received. What do you think are the biggest trends shaping the bloodstock market today? The market is always changing, however with trainers struggling to find good staff willing to ride yearlings in the middle of winter, it's a very attractive option for them to buy ready made 2 year olds. From the many different Breeze Up yards I have visited I have to take my hat off to them. It's a great shop window buying from Breeze Up yards and more so in this day and age. I was lucky enough to spend 6 seasons with Con Marnane, mainly in France. What an insight I got off Con into the game, he is always thinking outside the box. Seeing how proud he is of his horses of all abilities whether they won a small country claimer or a listed race his enthusiasm is something else. The Breeze up Consignors are a very important part of Yearling sales and International horseracing. As the company grows, how will AKTEM ensure it maintains quality while expanding its catalogue? Aktem will ensure to get the best quality for sales and buyers will be very well received when they come to our sales. If you could change one thing about the modern bloodstock market, what would it be? One thing I think we could change would be to judge the animal not what hotel it comes from and give everyone a chance who has a nice animal to get into the sale they want.
