Store trade might not be as tough as many think but private sales of top pointers could undermine public auctions

With just two weekends remaining of this season it would seem reasonable to expect some meaningful analysis of the campaign would be possible, but there is still a lot to happen with eight fixtures left. 

Wet weather has brought a late surge of entries at many courses that might normally have attracted only a fraction of the quantity in other years. There is much chatter around the likely trade for stores this season and this discussion is now largely based on the likely strength of the point-to-point market. Almost every point-to-point sale that took place this season saw reasonable trade with healthy clearance rates, but there was no avoiding the reduction to the aggregate which ultimately means less money in the pockets of the now dominant point-to-point purchaser in the store market. 

That does not tell the full story, however. It is clear that, unlike in recent seasons, many of the leading four-year-old winners this campaign have not been offered for sale at public auction. 

In the short term, this might mean there is more money to be spent than it may appear at first glance. It can be safely assumed that to force a private sale of a promising youngster the stakes must be high.

It's possible there is a short-term gain, long-term pain issue with this in that, if it transpires that the cream of the crop are being sold privately, then those who go to sale will be considered the second tier and the market could potentially polarise even further. 

In 2023, the Tattersalls Cheltenham sale sold 30 Irish pointers, while the Goffs Doncaster May sale found homes for an additional 176, with that combined total of 206 horses realising over £7 million in turnover. 

That equated to just over 20 per cent of the entire public trade last year, so it cannot be underestimated how much business can still be done, and in some instances, may need to be done. Entries are large this weekend and many will be hoping for late wildcards to sell next week, illustrating the importance of the next seven days, in terms of racing and sales, as well as the knock-on effect for the success or otherwise for the store sale market.

Weekend fixtures

Tomorrow

Stradbally, first race 14.00

Taylorstown, first race 14.00

Sunday

Ballindenisk, first race 13.00

Stradbally, first race 14.00

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