Relief for many: racing's return means a kickstart for the sales wheel

Bloodstock’s vast array of stakeholders, who although may not have horses in training, have breathed a huge sigh of relief with the return of British racing on Monday as they are reliant on a full racing calendar for the viability of their business.

The end product of racing and racehorse ownership is vital to keeping bloodstock a functionable industry, as Tattersalls Marketing Director Jimmy George pointed out.

“We have all been looking forward to the resumption of racing for quite a while and it’s a huge boost for everyone that we are now up and running,” said George. “Sales without racing were not a realistic prospect and the sales calendar has, by necessity, been radically altered, but we can now turn our full attention to our breeze-up sales beginning with the combined Craven and Ascot Breeze-Up Sale, which takes place in Newmarket the week commencing June 22nd.”

Johnny Hassett of The Bloodstock Connection, a breeze-up consigner tasked with selling to the sport’s owners, compared buying a racehorse without racing to buying a skiing holiday without any snow on the slopes.

“It’s just great to see the return of racing,” he said. “It’s very hard to sell a skiing holiday if there’s no snow. I mean, no matter how good a deal you’re getting on a skiing holiday, if there’s no snow, you’re just not inclined to buy!”

Micheál Orlandi, one of the industry’s youngest stallion masters, has undertaken a big investment to set up Starsfield Stud in time for the 2020 breeding season. Although restrictions imposed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic did affect his business, he is looking ahead to the future and to continuing the momentum his roster of young stallions have gathered.

“The return of racing is crucial and I can’t highlight that enough,” said Orlandi. “Every phone call I had with a breeder booking in a mare revolved around when racing will happen again and what’s going to happen with the sales etc.

“Being an agent myself, you really see how racing exists thanks to the owner and they have horses in training for the thrill of it – hoping to win,” Orlandi pointed out. “When racing was stopped, there was no winning and we were all losers in a way.

“But, we’ve just had two French Classics, racing has returned to Britain and Ireland will follow suit next week. Already, people seem much more uplifted and positive about everything. We still have a bit to go though and Covid-19 is out of our hands, but at least we can be more focused now that racing is back.”

Bloodstock agent and stud owner Daniel Creighton voiced similar views in welcoming the return of a racehorse owner’s hopes and dreams.

“The joy of winning and the dreams are what this industry is built upon,” said Creighton. “It’s great to have racing back, not least for ourselves to watch the progeny and siblings race from our mares, foals and yearlings that we’ve got coming through, but also for owners to be able to dream of big-race success. That keeps the wheel turning.

“I’m also excited to see Pearl Secret make up for lost time with his first runners in the next few days, as the pandemic prevented him from showcasing his progeny in early spring. By welcoming the return of racing, we welcome the return of some normality.”

The bloodstock industry can be a volatile market at the best of times but the industry has been forced to withstand an unprecedented level of uncertainty over the last few months. The welcome return of racing should help to put some value on horses by allowing owners to earn prize-money, which can only help kickstart the wheel again.

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