Vintage Sales

Anybody at the sales?

I was. I didn't buy anything but I helped (??) Laff with his bargain hunting.

The only bargains found at at a yearling sale are the free catalogues (great toilet reading) and the complimentary lunch ! Once you put your hand in the air you join the blokes at the lunatic asylum. Actually I found the only fun of buying a horse was the auctioneering process. The rest is all filled with regret. As Steve Davis always says " If you never never bid you will never never know". I have reached the stage in my life where I no longer need to know.

Heehee Harris..excellent!

I got a feeling you feel the same way Oscar ?

Harris - You are a cynical.........er........sorry......realistic ex(?) racehorse owner. And how right you are!

Racehorse ownership is like a bad marriage. Just when you have finished telling your mates how bad ( and expensive ) the last one was you find yourself on the way up to the altar again. Not that I have ever been married - but I have certainly owned some bad racehorses! And continue to do so.

As you said - the acuction is often the first ( and last ) time you have some fun in the process despite the disapproving glares you will get from the bloodstock agents - who seem to feel that they alone should be mating you to your next mule.

Your first alarm bell should start ringing when the breeder becomes a little t-o-o-o-o effusive when congratulating you on your purchase. He is merely expressing a mixture of joy and relief that you are idiotic enough to take the animal off his hands and balance sheet. For money, nogal! Although there still remains the matter of actually paying for it.

As many of you will attest - much of the 'spin' evaporates as soon as the unfortunate creature goes into training and a variety of vested interests start extracting sums from you that the animal cannot conceivably recoup. This is where the industry suddenly drops the word 'investment' and replaces it with 'fun'. Spending money on fresh air is 'fun'? The only consolation at this point is that the horse came with a free giveaway - A set of racing encyclopedias called 'Excuses :Volumes 1-26' which are recited to you by most trainers in the following order : Green - More Time - More Ground - Blinkers - Gelding - Dump.

Judging by what most industry insiders have to say about the financial side of racing there cannot be too many who would get past Accounting 101. For example -notice how they love to quote horse 'earnings' as if this is a sum of money the owner actually gets in full!!!

The only honest description I have ever heard regarding owners is when they used to be referred to as 'patrons' - the definition of which goes something like this :

'a person who supports with money, gifts, efforts, or endorsement an artist, writer, museum, cause, charity, institution, special event, or the like'. Not a word regarding 'making money' or 'recovering outlay' there - and that's the honest truth!

I sure do Harris..I laughed after I read that then spent the next 2 hours hurling into the toilet between sobs!

....Garrick, spot on.....absolutely accurate and a very good post....

and yet we keep coming back - at least this time around I was a seller and not a buyer(tu)

....Eben which one was yours....did you at least get a good price....and don't it worry you that it turns out to be another Asylum seeker or better....:

Muhti I have a small share in a mare called Twenty Niner - it was lot 98 and I was delighted with the price - not too worried about it being another Asylum as I am not mad about the stallion - and I kept a small share of the older brother by National Emblem last year - anyway we already have another Asylum Seeker (he says while desperately looking around for a piece of wood to grab on to)

....Frodo, very nice dam....and I agree with you about the sire....who is Steinway Bloodstock?