Yearling sales season is here and our founder Tim Palin talks about our Bloodstock strategy
Fri 04 Oct 2024
Since Middleham Park Racing was formed in 1995, we have achieved 1,581 winners. Four Group 1, 10 Group 2, 11 Group 3 and 37 Listed wins on the flat alone. The work that goes into supplying those winners for our syndicates, starts early on at the yearling sales each year and we are ready to go again! Our bloodstock team will be on the scene carrying out detailed research and due diligence into all aspects of the yearlings on offer, to make sure we secure the very best horses and at the right price.
This hard work pays off, as 2023 was another incredible year, achieving 114 winners, earned £2,506,778 of race prize money, as well as returns of £1,694,000 from our bloodstock sales. That's £4,070,778 million pounds of prize money and sales returns achieved in one year for our owners! In 2024, we have so far earned £
1,245,708 of prize money, 61 winners with 15 horses having won or been placed in Group/Listed races.
We always aim to purchase yearlings that will go on to give our owners the chance to compete at the highest level and experience the major festivals. This is an area in which we excel when compared to other syndicates, and our record (see a link below) shows that.
We have so far bought 12 exciting yearlings at the Goffs UK Premier Sale, the Tattersalls Somerville Sale as well as at the BBAG in Baden Baden. A mix between proven and exciting first season sires has served us well in the past, and we believe to have found excellent value again this year. The '2020 European First Crop Champion Sire' Mehmas had an outstanding year with his juvenile as well his older offspring.
Scorthy Champ (Group 1 National Stakes), Aesterius (Group 2 Flying Childers), The Waco Kid (Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes), Star of Mehmas (listed Harry Rosebery) dual Group 1 placed and Group 3 winner Believing ( we have purchased her half brother by Inns of Court ) as well as our very own Silky Wilkie and Clarendon House. First Season Sires Lope Y Fernandez, as well as Starman have caught the eye and imagination of buyers, with top lots selling up to £220,000.
A quick overview on what we have purchased over the past few weeks.
Goffs UK
Mehmas ex Always Thankful colt , Time Test ex Grizzle colt, Lope Y Fernandez ex Avon Breeze colt, Starman ex Paddy Again colt, Sergei Prokofiev ex Queenoftheclyde colt, Dandy Man ex Saffian filly, Ardad ex Some Spirit filly,
BBAG Baden Baden
Soldier Hollow ex Shana Doyenne colt, Intello ex Kazeema colt,
Tattersalls Somerville
Invincible Army ex Khaleesi Wind colt, Inns of Court ex Misfortunate colt, Kodi Bear ex Israfel filly, Space Blues ex Stay Forever colt.
Have a look at our BUY SHARES page, and don't miss out to get involved, as shares are selling fast.
Here are some of our Group and Listed WINNERS that we have previously purchased as yearlings, with their purchase prices in brackets:
Arqana Deauville - Group 2 and Listed winner RAYMOND TUSK (€85,000) and Listed winner and Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes 2nd CLEM FANDANGO (€11,000) 2-year-old Listed winner & Group 1 performer BOITRON (€45,000) Dual - Listed placed TIGRE DU TERRE (€55,000) who was sold to Hong Kong for 1Million Pound during his 3year old season, were both sourced by us, as yearlings, from France.
Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale (formerly known as the DBS Sale) - Group 1 winner, Group 2 winner, Group 3 winner and Champion European 2yo TOORMORE (£36,000), Group 2 winner VENTURA TORMENTA (£95,000), dual Group 2 winner and Listed winner KOOL KOMPANY (£40,000).
https://www.racingpost.com/bloodstock/news/the-harder-you-work-this-sale-the-luckier-you-get-buyers-bid-to-keep-the-romance-alive-as-sales-season-rolls-into-doncaster-aQlJo8r8AsSY/
Group 1 2nd, Dual Group 2 placed, Group 3 winning and Dual Listed winner as well as Goffs UK Harry Beeby Premier Yearling Stakes winner SHOULDVEBEENARING (£40,000) will retire to stud to take up stallion duties at the end of this season. Listed Naas Sprint Stakes winner SANDIVA (£18,000), Listed Spring Cup winner LEXINGTON TIMES (£60,000), Listed winner LILY’S ANGEL (£8,000), Listed winner DEAR MY FRIEND (£40,000), 2nd in the Goffs UK Harry Beeby Premier Yearling Stakes ZIGGY'S CONDOR who earned his price tag back on that day (£62,000) AN OUTLAW'S GRACE (£80,000) winner on debut, 4th in the Group 2 Papin Stakes and a close 5th in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes OR 101.
Tattersalls Somerville Sale - Group 3 winner and Weatherbys Super Sprint winner EDDIE'S BOY (45,000gns), THE DRAGON KING 2x winner already (21,000 gns)
Osarus Yearling Sale - Listed winner BOITRON (€45,000)
Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale - Group 3 & dual Listed winner MARIE'S DIAMOND (€35,000), Group 3 and Listed winner GREAT PAGE (€28,000) and Listed winner VIREN'S ARMY (€110,000)
Take a look at our full list of Listed and Pattern race winners here: OUR RECORD. There is no higher level to win at, than Group 1 races – and all 4 of our winners at this level, were bought at public auction: TOORMORE was purchased at the DBS sale as a yearling (now known as the Goffs UK, Premier Yearling Sale). We bought VENTURA STORM as a 2-year-old breezer from Tattersalls and G FORCE was an HIT 25,000gns purchase, also from Tattersalls. THE PLATINUM QUEEN was another 2-year-old breeze up purchase from the Tattersalls Guineas Sale for only 57,000gns. Toormore went on to be European Champion 2-year-old Colt and G Force, European Champion 3-year-old Sprinter the following year.
Director Of Racing Tim says on 'Yearling Strategy': “We will be hunting for value at the yearling sales on sensible budgets. It has become apparent that at 1 or 2 of the traditional sales, that the prices have become ridiculous and so we will be re-aligning the structure and moving away from the sales where there is simply ‘no value.' Our focus in particular, will be at the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale, and Tattersalls Somerville Sale, where we feel the best value is to be had. So, in essence, where the quality and value is sufficient, we will target these sales.
Tim goes on to talk about 'Cashing In': "It's widely acknowledged within racing, that racehorse ownership should never be classed as an 'investment.' There are no guarantees when you place your hard-earned cash into the stock market and bloodstock purchasing is the same. Our sport offers those lucky enough to become an owner; fun, excitement, endless adrenalin bursts as your horse leaves the starting stalls and the cachet of being 'at the races as an owner.' Anything else on top of that - be it a winner or a lucrative sell on - is a bonus! Selling on is an art form in itself. We often say that the best time to accept an offer on a horse is when you don’t want to sell. There’s no guarantee that a horse can maintain a level, train on or continue racing without facing a setback. Being a 'Black type' winner or placing in a pattern race can add value, but only if it is capitalised upon at the right time and a horses value is something that can easily disappear. We have successfully delivered on this score time after time. Only two years ago the owners of our Group 1 Abbaye winner THE PLATINUM QUEEN struck gold, when she sold for 1.2 million guineas at Tattersalls. She was purchased for 57,000gns and earned £345,730 prize money for her syndicate too.
'What do you look for in an unraced horse?' "We try and buy the best possible page we can afford, but a nice, well put together individual which moves well - this is important too. A good pedigree page alone does not make a good racehorse. What makes a good racehorse is a good page but ultimately the right conformation and for us, our eyes do the hard work before the horse enters the sales ring. There is no rhyme or reason behind where and when we stop bidding on any given horse other than what we value the horse at. One thing is for sure we will never pay in excess of what we believe this true valuation to be.
Potential is the other consideration. The potential to be a very good, high class racehorse, not just 'a' racehorse - does a horse have the size and scope to train on? To try and quantify that, we are offered horses all the time and we see thousands of horses at the sales; however, unless we believe a horse can earn a decent rating, we will pass. There are winners and then there are WINNERS! The rationale being, horses of with higher ratings can earn their keep, as well as compete in Saturday and Festival type races where you associate the larger prize money pots, whereas horses at a lower level rarely do. It's about trying to give owners a fair chance of a return on their monthly/annual fees and better days to go racing: The type of owner badges, you'd wish to add to a framed collection! Yes of course many of our horses will operate very successfully for us with ratings below 90 but there's a difference between knowingly purchasing one and maximising what you in due course have. We have a mantra which we find so often bears out; that if you buy cheap, you end up having to buy twice. You might have ten 2-year-olds in your locker that cost less than £20,000 and one might turn out to be good enough. Buy five for over £40k and your chances of getting better performers are increased. It doesn't matter how much you pay for a horse, they all cost the same each month to train and race in the end."
Here's the list of the forthcoming Yearling Sales:
27th-28th August: Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale
30st August: BBAG Premier Yearling Sale
2nd -3rd September: Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale
30st-4th: Goffs Orby Yearling Sale
8th-10th October: Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1
14th-16th: Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2
17th-18th: Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 3
19th: Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 4
If you would like to be informed about any of our yearling purchases, please add your email address to our mailing list here and we will email everyone on this list first when we purchase any new horse.
If you currently have 'legs' or partnerships or even own horses outright, we would be delighted to welcome you to Middleham Park Racing, If you are interested in a particular horse that you have seen catalogued at any of these sales, do get in touch to discuss a joint purchase, becoming a registered co named owner or possibly the purchase of a naming share (15%)
Please don't hesitate to contact Kat if you have any questions or would like to know more about becoming an owner with MPR: kat.middlehamparkracing@gmail.com. Kat will put you in touch with Tim to discuss options if that's of interest to you.
Here's to another successful sales season and we hope you will be joining us as an owner to race next year.