AS prize money remains stagnant, a growing number of owners and trainers have turned their focus to trading horses, with significant sales key to keeping many operations afloat. It’s a definite factor in the increased interest in yearlings bred for middle distances.
That was the reason behind Aughamore Stud pinhooking a colt foal by Maxios – now a National Hunt sire – for €20,000 last winter. As Michael Gleeson explained to me after reselling the well-bred bay for 105,000gns at Tattersalls Book 1: “If you buy a middle-distance horse and get it to a rating of 70 plus, you can sell it to the National Hunt boys. If you get it rated above 90, you can sell it to Australia for 300,000 to 400,000.”
If you need proof, just consider this year’s two Group 1 winners sourced at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale. Royal Patronage, a 62,000gns yearling, won group races as a juvenile and progressed to finish second in the Dante Stakes.
After an unsuccessful stint in the US, the Wootton Bassett colt sold to McKeever Bloodstock, Gai Waterhouse and Adrien Bott for 300,000gns and gained a top-flight win in the Canterbury Stakes in March.
The same partnership paired with Go Bloodstock and De Burgh Equine last year to buy Ballydoyle’s Grand Prix de Paris third Sir Delius for a sales-topping 1,300,000gns. They were rewarded with a pair of Group 1 wins in the Underwood Stakes and Turnbull Stakes, earning the son of Frankel favouritism for the Melbourne Cup, though he has since been ruled out.
International market
Australian buyers purchased five of the top 10 lots last year, while owners from the Middle East accounted for another two. Two more stayed in Ireland or the UK, with one destined for the US.
Investment from Australia and the Middle East has been a driving force in the demand for horses in training in recent years. At the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale, three of the last four renewals have produced a record-matching median price of 16,000gns.
Last year’s average price was the second highest in the sale’s history and the clearance rate of 87% reinforced the health of the market. That said, bargains can still be found, with the sale responsible for three Group 2 winners in 2025 bought for 27,000gns and under.
Next week, buyers will be dreaming of unearthing a horse as consistent and talented as nine-time stakes winner Al Qareem, who was bought by Karl Burke and Nick Bradley for 27,000gns as a two-year-old from the Shadwell draft.
John Nallen turned to William Haggas’ consignment for a horse to give his nephew Sean Bowen experience, and hopefully some winners. His 15,000gns buy Cristal Clere gave the young apprentice four wins in the saddle and added a listed victory to his record last month, taking his earnings past €100,000.
Archie Watson and Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Biggs have developed a reputation for finding value at horses in training sales, and one of their more recent success stories is Spartan Arrow.
Bought from Consign Ltd for 17,000gns after seven months off the track, the Sioux Nation gelding has rediscovered his form as a five-year-old, going close in the Epsom Dash and winning a listed race at Chantilly.
High-class wildcards
These rags-to-riches stories have an element of intrigue – Spartan Arrow, for instance, was rated 92 when offered for sale, so it’s safe to presume that there were negatives to his profile, considering his price of 17,000gns. Therefore, predicting this week’s top lots takes some doing, especially considering the large number of withdrawals that tend to accompany sales of this nature.
A total of 17 wildcards have boosted numbers to marginally exceed last year’s catalogue and the late additions will be no afterthought for potential buyers, either. Peter Schiergen sends across four-year-old gelding Geography, a five-time group winner over a mile in his native Germany, who was last seen finishing fifth in the Prix de la Foret.
Julie Camacho’s five-year-old Naqeeb will be offered off the back of his maiden blacktype success in the Listed Foundation Stakes at Goodwood. Bought at last year’s sale for 170,000gns, the Nathaniel gelding placed in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes and Chesterfield Cup earlier this season.
Jamie Railton consigns Henri Devin’s Group 3-winning juvenile Afjan, while Italian Derby victor Molveno makes the shorter trip from Marco Botti’s yard. Group/Grade 1 winners White Birch and New Century headline an impressive array of highly-rated performers in the original catalogue.
Lot 300: Criterium International runner-up Mount Kilimanjaro went on to win the Dee Stakes
Lot 302: Deira Mile finished fourth in the Futurity Trophy, Epsom Derby and St Leger. Four-year-old Camelot entire is sold out of training
Lot 319B: Alsakib won a Group 3 last year and placed in a Group 2 this season
Lot 627: New Century won the Grade 1 Summer Stakes and finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last season. He moved to Brendan Walsh this year, placing at Grade 1 level
Lot 667: Tower Of London, a five-year-old entire by Galileo, is a three-time group winner
Lot 669: Beautifully-bred three-year-old Officer won the Listed Tetrach Stakes
Lot 670: Camelot colt Puppet Master is offered by Coolmore with an official rating of 105
Lot 673: Ballydoyle’s Galileo three-year-old colt Stay True placed in the Lingfield Derby Trial and the St Leger
Lot 674: Tyros Stakes second Swagman made a smart start to the season, winning the Group 3 Classic Trial
Lot 675: Thrice landed a dramatic renewal of the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes and is offered by Coolmore with an official rating of 110
Lot 709: Tattersalls Gold Cup victor White Birch won a total of four group races and placed in the Epsom Derby
Lot 715: Dual stakes winner My Mate Alfie has earned over £350,000 and placed in seven stakes races
Lot 726F: Listed winner and group performer Room Service is rated 105
Lot 1007: July Stakes third Jel Pepper won the valuable Tattersalls October Auction Stakes last time out
Lot 1043: Juddmonte’s blacktype homebred Calla Lagoon is currently rated 94
Lot 1045: Juddmonte’s progressive Frankel colt Pinhole has a rating of 105
Lot 1049: Nightwalker gained his fourth blacktype placing when beaten a neck last time out
Lot 1051: 101-rated five-year-old Bravais was Group 2-placed in France as a three-year-old
Lot 1062: Candy won a listed race as a juvenile and the Ayr Silver Cup last month
Lot 1078: Push The Limit has progressed to a rating of 103, with his best form over a mile and a half
Lot 1080: Two-year-old Palace Pier colt A Bit Of Spirit finished second in two listed races before winning the Group 3 Solario Stakes
Lot 1121: Military Academy won a listed race last season and placed at Group 3 level this year