by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent

Within the last week there have been three yearling sales for trotters in Europe and they all showed a positive trend.

In France the biggest sale of the three was held at Vincennes and the average price was $32,769 — the highest ever at this sale. It was up 7.7 percent from last year.

The top price of $218,000 was paid for Volcan Darche, a colt sired by Love You, who is the world’s most expensive trotting stallion as he stands for $45,000. The dam of Volcan Darche is Java Darche, who was a very tough mare who set her mark of 1:53.4 as a 10-year-old. She won more than $1.3 million. This is her first foal.

Volcan Darche was sold to Swedish interests and will be trained by Robert Bergh, who in 2007 finished second with Adrian Chip in the Hambletonian.

The second highest price at the Vincennes sale — $199,000 — was fetched by Voktail Josselyn, a colt by Coktail Jet and out of Froda Josselyn.

Offspring of Coktail Jet, who has been the champion sire in France for several years, were in high demand at the sale as five yearlings sired by him were sold at an average price of $127,000.

Love You — who is a son of Coktail Jet — had three yearlings sold at the sale for an average of $116,350.

In The Netherlands the 2Companion sale showed a progress in the average price of 16.2 percent to $11,700.

The top price was $60,000 for the colt Conway Fortuna, by Conway Hall and out of Saratoga Yankee. Saratoga Yankee is the dam of Yankee Simser by Yankee Paco (1:574f and $47,581) and Serene Yankee, a full sister to Conway Fortuna who holds a record of 1:55.3 and earnings of $60,586.

In Finland, a Muscles Yankee daughter, Gilding Tiara, was the top price at $32,000 and she stood out at the sale as the average price was just $5,900. However, that was up 17 percent compared to last year.

The dam of Gilding Tiara is the Swedish mare Frosts Lookout, who is a full sister to top trotter and now stallion Good As Gold, the sire of Steinlager, winner of the Elitlopp.