More than ready for a global market 29 August 2005
As the thoroughbred racing and breeding industry becomes ever more global in nature, Australasian breeders need to look forward and take advantage of a flourishing international market.
“In the future I believe we will see more and more local breeders purchasing fillies to race in the Northern Hemisphere, with the long term view of importing them to Australia as broodmares,” said Vin Cox, Keeneland's Australasian representative.
Keeneland September Online 12 August 2005
The Keeneland September Yearling Sale (Sept 12-26) just keeps getting bigger and better, with this year’s catalogue featuring a record number of 5110 yearlings to be offered over 14 sessions.
“The worldwide popularity of this sale rests on the depth of talent which is found in every price range,” said Vin Cox, Keeneland's Australasian representative.
Speculating on Mares Can Make You a Winner 27 June 2005
Broodmare sales conducted over the last few months at both Magic Millions and Inglis have yielded some outstanding results for astute bloodstock investors who played the market on broodmare speculation. That being, the practice of buying nicely bred fillies off the track, getting them in foal to a commercial stallion and presenting them for re-sale as premium broodmares.
A couple of good examples from the recent Magic Millions National Sale include Career Start and Regal Fun.
Career Start is a young mare by End Sweep (USA), which we purchased from the Inglis Broodmare Sale last year for $27,000 as a race filly in training. At the time of her purchase she had been placed at the provincials, so we kept her in work and won a race with her in the bush before sending her to champion sprinter Exceed and Excel in his first year at stud.
Career Start made $120,000 at the Gold Coast, providing a first class return on what was essentially a 12-month investment.
My good mate Antony Thompson of Widden Stud had a terrific result with the Rory’s Jester mare Regal Fun, which he purchased privately through us for a reasonable sum. A metropolitan winner at two, Regal Fun is a half-sister to Group One winners Coronation Day and Heart Ruler, being from Group One winner Born to be Queen.
Covered by the Widden Stud based sire Anabaa (USA) in her first season at stud on a 1st September service, Regal Fun made $275,000. It didn’t hurt that the Anabaa (USA) filly Virage de Fortune had just bolted in with the QTC Sires’ Produce Stakes Gr 1 or that Regal Fun is a big beautiful mare who literally sold herself.
Securing the right type of filly with an attractive pedigree is an important part of the equation, however the choice of stallion is where the real money can be made if you punt a horse whose stocks are on the rise.
Consider the lucky people who sold mares in foal to boom stallion Redoute’s Choice, whose service fee this season has soared to $220,000. At the Inglis Select Broodmare Sale in April, 11 mares in foal to him averaged $397,727, while at the Magic Millions National a further eight changed hands at an average of $329,375.
Arrowfield Stud based Redoute’s Choice stood for just $44,000 last year, so it doesn’t require a calculator to show that his supporters turned a handsome profit indeed.
Another winner for investors was More Than Ready (USA), the red-hot young shuttle sire from Vinery Stud, which is a certainty to take this season’s title of Champion First Crop Sire.
Booked out this spring at a fee of $44,000, his advertised fee last year was just $16,500, so for those breeders who had the guts to stick with an unproven sire in his fourth year the returns have been excellent.
At the Inglis Select Broodmares Sale some 29 mares averaged $118,914 (boosted by the Vinery Dispersal), while at Magic Millions National Sale eight mares in foal to More Than Ready (USA) sold at an average price of $73,250.
Included among the mares in foal to More Than Ready (USA) that were sold at the Inglis sale was Broccoli, which made $75,000. She was a great result for her owner Bill Betar, a very good client of ours who purchased her privately through us and then took the gamble on More Than Ready (USA).
Successful broodmare speculation is not rocket science, it’s about good timing and common sense, paying the right price for a nice filly and then mating her to advantage.
