Yearling sales season is here and our founder Tim Palin talks about our Bloodstock strategy
Fri 14 Aug 2026
Yearling Sales Season is here !!
Since Middleham Park Racing was formed in 1995, we have achieved 1794 winners. Four Group 1, 10 Group 2, 15 Group 3 and 41 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 paid off: 2025 was another incredible season, with £2,296,422 in race prize money and £776,265 earned from 2-year-olds alone. In 2026, we have so far earned £1,411,848 in prize money and are currently on 92 winners.
We always aim to purchase yearlings that will 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.
Have a look at our BUY SHARES page, and don't miss out on getting involved, as shares are selling fast.
YEARLING SALES DATES
AUGUST
Goffs UK Premier Sale (Doncaster): August 25th–26th
SEPTEMBER
Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale: September 2nd
BBAG Premier Yearling Sale (Germany): September 4th
Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale: September 22nd–24th
Goffs Orby Sale: September 28–October 1st
OCTOBER
Tattersalls October Yearling Sale (Book 1): October 6th–8th
Tattersalls October Yearling Sale (Book 2): October 12th–14th
Tattersalls October Yearling Sale (Book 3): October 15th–16th
Arqana October Yearling Sale: October 19th-24th
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) was retired to stud to take up stallion duties at the end of last 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. SONG OF THE CLYDE TFR 106 (£85.000) - Listed Carnarvon Stakes, Winner of the 2025 Harry's Half Million at the Ebor Festival York, with an incredible £338,821 to our winning owners.
The BBAG Yearling Sales ( Germany ) has become a happy hunting ground for MPR: BLINDEDBYTHELIGHTS, TFR 96, the incredibly genuine and consistent son of Protectionist was a dual winner in our silks, and finished second on 7 occasions from only 14 runs. A huge horse, with an even bigger heart.
Just as we thought, we had bought the best son of Protectionist in 2021; Jeremy Brumitt returned on our behalf to the German sales complex and sourced us another gorgeous son of the stallion. Lazy Griff won the Group 3 Prix de Conde as a 2-year-old. In 2025, Lazy Griff gave us one of the most memorable moments in MPR history. He kicked off the season with a gallant second to Lambourn in the Chester Vase, before he chased home the same horse in the Epsom Derby to finish another unbelievable second. A third place in the Irish Derby rounded off a rather incredible season. In 2026, he added the Listed Coral Marathon ( Esher Stakes ) to his remarkable CV, his sights firmly set on the Irish St Leger later in the season.
The Tattersalls Somerville Sale was launched in 2021. In its first renewal, we bought Eddie's Boy, a Group 3 Prix Eclipse winner, Weatherbys Super Sprint winner, Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte 2nd, and Somerville Auction Stakes third, for only 45.000 Guineas. Later that season, we resold him to Will Douglass on behalf of Qatar-based owners, at the Tattersalls HIT Sale for 320.000 Guineas.
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). Last year, we bought the impressive winner on debut, Alpe D'Huez, who also finished a close 2nd in the Woodcote at Epsom and a very good 4th in the valuable Ballyhane Stakes at Naas Racecourse.
Osarus Yearling Sale - Listed winner BOITRON (€45,000).
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 a 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, the following year, G Force, European Champion 3-year-old Sprinter.
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, prices have become ridiculous, so we will be realigning the structure and moving away from sales where there is simply ‘no value.' Our focus will be on 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 are 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 adrenaline 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 horse's value is something that can easily disappear. We have successfully delivered on this score time after time. Only a couple of 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 more than 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 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 have in due course. We have a mantra that we find often bears out: 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 increase. 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."
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: [email protected]. 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.