Buying a Racehorse

Buying a Yearling at Auction

Buying at auction can be just as exciting as winning a race. More than 5,000 yearlings are sold at auction each year around Australia. The horses are old enough to be assessed by your advisers (vet, trainer, bloodstock agent) for conformation etc, but have not been broken in, so their racing ability has not been exposed.

The average price at yearling sales around Australia vary from sale to sale, but prices can start at a few hundred dollars or reach as high as $3 million plus.

Champion racehorses can come from humble backgrounds, but are more likely to be found at major sales where yearlings are selected on pedigree and conformation and are considered the ‘cream of the crop’.

Catalogues

Catalogues are available for Magic Millions major yearling sales approximately six weeks before each sale. Catalogues provide extensive details about the relatives of each yearling offered (i.e. how many foals/winners the dam has produced, the race and progeny record of a sire).

Catalogues also contain the conditions of sale – the legal terms upon which all purchases are based.

Attending a Sale

Anyone can attend the QTIS Sale and seating is unrestricted. They are public auctions and you are free to bid on any lot, as long as you have the finance available. You are quite free to ask an attendant to bring a yearling out of its stable for inspection by you, your adviser or your veterinary surgeon. Once the auction commences, about 25-30 yearlings will be sold per hour.

Pedigree Legend

1. Colour and sex of horse
2. Foaling date and brands of horse
3. Year of birth of dam
4. Horse which has led the Australian Sires Premiership
5. Mother of catalogued horse
6. Stakeswinner
7. Grand dam of catalogued horse
8. Winner
9. Prizemoney earned
10. Stakes placed horse
11. The name of the stud or individual selling the horse
12. The stable and box where the horse is located during the sale
13. Four generation tabulation
14. A summary of the sire’s racing record and progeny
15. A summary of the racing record of the first dam’s offspring
16. A summary of first dam’s racing record and progeny
17. Donates horse has sired winners
18. Name of race horse has won
19. Mare’s producing record

Getting the Facts

It’s easy to obtain information on the thoroughbred industry from any of the industry websites, or specialist newspapers and magazines on sale at most newsagents. These publish the results of yearling sales, stakes races and the sires’ lists (leading sires by earnings, by winners, etc).

Some Good Buys from Magic Millions Sales

Horse	Yearling Price	Earnings
Dark Ksar Stylish Century Plastered Regimental Gal Private Steer St Covet General Nediym St Jude Spark Of Life Polar Success Lovely Jubly Mummify Clan O’Sullivan Carnegie Express Testa Rossa Al Mansour Excellerator Kinjite Defier Dance Hero Assertive Lad	$850 $6,000 $10,000 $16,500 $18,000 $18,000 $20,000 $25,000 $30,000 $32,000 $36,000 $41,000 $44,000 $45,000 $45,000 $50,000 $50,000 $60,000 $80,000 $90,000 $110,000	$1,065,453 $2,460,820 $1,548,340 $1,585,350 $3,407,290 $1,318,630 $2,121,898 $1,917,670 $1,519,300 $2,171,505 $1,486,000 $4,134,320 $1,786,858 $1,088,960 $3,034,191 $1,542,850 $2,228,495 $2,211,050 $2,638,950 $3,910,440 $3,358,275

Why Buy Queensland Yearlings

Queensland horse sales offer pedigrees/bloodlines of International quality, including the most prominent bloodlines from USA, England, Ireland, Japan and France.

By supporting the sunshine state you can be in the race for millions of dollars in prizemoney.

Queensland horses have outstanding success records across the nation as well as internationally. Export markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and New Zealand.

Australian bloodstock is well regarded throughout the world, with total exports increasing by almost 100% since 1997, with the number of imports decreasing, indicating the popular demand for Australian thoroughbreds worldwide.

Prizemoney in Australiais a key indicator of the economic health of the industry. In the past six years prizemoney has risen by over 50%, indicating a strong and growing industry.

Australiais one of the leading nations in distributing prizemoney amongst owners, with the third highest total prizemoney in the world, totalling $308 million at an average of $14,535 per race.

What Will It Cost?

Costs vary depending on where your horse is trained as training costs are considerably higher in metropolitan areas compared to those in country areas.

For further information on training costs, registration, insurance, spelling, breaking-in, nominations, track fees etc, please feel free to contact us at Clear Mountain Fairview on 07 4697 1198 or email admin@clearmountainstud.com.au.

Your First Racehorse

Thoroughbred racing is described as the ‘Sport of Kings’. In many ways this is misleading – in Australia at least. While the rich have certainly taken an interest in racing, participation in the sport is not confined to blue bloods or multi-millionaires.

If you want to you can own a racehorse. Owning a horse is much more than watching it race for a few brief minutes every now and then. If you invest in the industry and become part of its lifestyle, one thing should be uppermost in your mind – owning a racehorse is a sport, not a business.

Everyone connected with racing is taking part because they love the sport, the horses and the excitement. Part of the challenge in racing is the very fact that money can’t guarantee success. There is a long list of expensive racetrack flops and an even longer one of bargain buys – horses bought for a proverbial song who have returned their owners their purchase price many times over.

There is nothing as thrilling as seeing your horse win, be it a Group 1 event in the city or a maiden handicap in the bush.

Incentive Schemes

Racing has never been more lucrative with state-based incentive schemes distributing millions in bonuses combined.

The Queensland Thoroughbred Incentive Scheme (QTIS) is internationally recognised incentive scheme designed to maximise market interest inQueenslandbred horses and increase their racetrack earnings.

QTIS distributes millions of dollars in added bonuses to owners, trainers and breeders.

Getting Help

If you are new to the industry, don’t try to buy a horse without seeking advice. A skilled professional from Magic Millions or other recognised Bloodstock Agent or trainer will provide advice and assistance. They will analyse a sale catalogue for you, bearing in mind your budget and goals. They will then present you with a short list of suitable horses which are expected to fall within your price range, inspect a horse at the sale and arrange for a veterinary inspection of any horse in which you are particularly interested.

Going Alone or With Friends

There are several ways to enjoy ownership of a horse.

Sole owner: All the glory, but all the cost too.

As one of a maximum of ten partners: Race clubs recognise up to a maximum of ten partners racing a horse, each partner appears in the racebook as an owner and is given raceday privileges such as entrance to the members’ enclosure and mounting yard.

As a member of a syndicate: A syndicate must be registered and a representative appointed. Syndicators must be licensed (the Registrar of Racehorses can supply details). Syndicators buy yearlings at sales and then offer syndicate shares in them through advertisements in the media.