CRITICISM of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing and Goffs this week from anonymous vendors at the yearling sale were obviously spoken from a position of disappointment. The question must be asked though if they were entirely fair comments.

I am sure that the sales company and the marketing organisation can show that they promoted the sale as well as possible. In their defence, they cannot create a market where one does not exist. While we may not have an ‘overproduction’ problem, we do have a lack of owners and therefore lack of demand – and I am not speaking of just our domestic market.

It is interesting to note the contrasting stories emerging from Ireland, Britain and the USA this week and reported on in my Breeding Insights column. The rate of growth in the foal population in Ireland and Britain has certainly slowed, but it continues to rise. This year in Ireland we have produced in excess of 9,000 foals for the first time since 2010.

We are well off our peak production, which reached its highest numbers in 2006 and 2007 with over 12,000 foals born in Ireland. Between 2010 and 2014 the numbers fell to less than 8,000. The steady rise, in a time of falling/stagnant or minimal growth in racehorse ownership globally, is contributing to the increasing polarisation of the market.

That said, it was ever so and the bottom sector of any market is always vulnerable. So it was this week. Breeding more horses is unlikely to cure this situation in the short term.

Contrast this with the USA where in 2017 there was a fall of about 6% in the number of mares bred and they were covered by a similarly reduced group of stallions. This is a reaction to a lessening of demand at the sales and a polarisation of their markets also.

The drive to increase racehorse ownership will be the key to an improved demand for foals and yearlings. Until this happens the weakest will suffer the most.

OUR HEALTH

The second of our health and wellness columns, supported by Devenish Nutrition, appears today on page A18. I urge you to read it and take notice. I also wish Devenish well tomorrow with their point-to-point at Dowth, which will be about a lot more than just racing. I hope to see you there in your thousands.