THE sales ring can be an unpredictable place. Anyone who has sold horses has experienced that sinking feeling when you walk into the ring, only to find no familiar faces. First looks, second looks, and vetting don’t guarantee your horse will be followed into the ring.

When I sold Romantic Proposal as a yearling, she had a few buyers interested, but strangely enough, the bloodstock agent who had viewed her six times wasn’t to be seen. He said he “went off her” on the sixth viewing – I’d lose interest in any horse after that many showings myself!

Consignors, unfortunately, experienced great uncertainty at Tattersalls Book 1 recently, where all the boxes need to be ticked, not once, but twice, if not more. As Bill Dwan of The Castlebridge Consignment put it: “When you missed, you missed dramatically, and when you struck, you struck dramatically.”

With buyers exercising strict criteria for high-brow buys, Book 1 has often been a sale where yearlings can fall through the net, and there are generally people there to catch them for a value sum. However, it seems that last year’s blockbuster renewal and the general strength of the yearling sales so far this year had scared away the bargain hunters this time.

Vendors needed all the help they could get, so it’s surprising that a select few still adopt a disdainful attitude to who they deem lower-end buyers. There were reports of a certain British stud manager informing viewers that particular horses were out of their budget, and it’s not the first time that this upwardly mobile consignor has expressed a similar outlook.

Uncalled for

A few years ago, when I asked to view yearlings, the same man informed me: “We don’t have time to entertain you right now.” When I turned on my heel, I heard him ask the next lady: “What can I get you?” Thankfully, I’ve since learnt that I’m one of many who have been branded a time waster.

Fortunately, condescending folk are few and far between at the bloodstock sales, which is generally a welcoming environment, where the industry cheers each other on and welcomes newcomers with keen ambition.

Colleagues are always there to lend a helping hand, piece of advice or sympathetic word when not everything goes according to plan.

Those in the business long enough understand that however highly they rate their stock, others may not share the same view. Just as buyers have contrasting opinions, so do vets, and there have been many success stories that began with some failed vet reports.

Pedigree is also no guarantee of popularity – if every horse physically matched up, breeding would be much easier and we’d all be doing it. Among those retained or unsold at Book 1 was a No Nay Never filly out of a Group 2 winner at 30,000gns and a Sioux Nation sister to a Grade 1 filly at 50,000gns.

Even six-figure pinhooks proved unpredictable – one bought for 130,000gns resold for 30,000gns. So, as a potential buyer, there’s no way of telling that a horse is out of budget until you’ve seen it, and even then, nothing is guaranteed.

Besides, no one knows your budget but you. Nor do they know if you’re looking on behalf of a client, compiling a shortlist for a bigger fish, or have more money than they presume. After all, Steve Jobs’ chosen outfit of a black turtleneck, blue Levi’s and trainers hardly suggests his wealth.

Appearances can be deceiving

Never judge a book by its cover – surely horses have taught us that? We can’t see what’s under the bonnet, or inside a bank account. Underbidders are important too, especially if only one of your expected bidders shows up.

But I’m not sure that’s really the point. At the end of the day, there’s no excuse for being rude, or treating anyone inferior to another. No harm can come by treating others well, but there’s always a potential negative to doing the opposite.

Perhaps the consignor mentioned above will learn this lesson when he dismisses a casually-dressed billionaire less widely known than Steve Jobs. It’s the only time I’ve compared the sales to the movie Pretty Woman.

If you haven’t seen the popular love story played by Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, staff at an upscale boutique on Rodeo Drive refuse to serve Roberts’ character due to her questionable outfit.

Following a more successful visit to another store, transformed into a glamorous lady, Roberts returns for revenge. After clarifying that the sales assistants work on commission, she raises her arms weighed down by shopping bags and says: “Big mistake. Big. Huge!”