This is the message emanating from the news that the thoroughbred marketing bodies in Ireland, Britain and France are to work together to promote the three European countries to the wider world. This new era does not negate the need for the individual bodies and there will still be areas where a focused country approach will need to be adopted. This will surely be nowhere more evident than in the individual sales houses promoting their particular venue to both vendors and buyers.

The key players in the bloodstock world manage to find their way to all the major auctions in Europe and no doubt will continue to do so. It will be very interesting to see at what level and to what degree the areas of co-operation will occur. The three organisations concerned, Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, Great British Racing International and the French Racing and Breeding Committee, all know each other very well and are regularly to be seen at major racing festivals worldwide competing for the attention of potential buyers.