THE money spent at British and Irish sales always raises eyebrows from those outside horse racings bubble, and you can understand their disbelief at the prices of what they simply see as animals, at the end of the day.

I’ve had a similar reaction when observing corresponding sales in the US, including when reporting on the 35 yearlings to sell for $1,000,000 or more at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale last month.