Normally I would post this in on the Breeding thread but this time.........................................

[Insider 4,775]

I thought otherwise.

After this weeks disaster [Hastings to Te Rapa] the end is in sight here too.

Tuesday 'You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.' To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee The underlined quotes from the copy of To Kill A Mockingbird, learned by heart so they could be regurgitated in essay form for the Junior Cert English exam, have now become the cliched subject of thousands of inspirational Instagram quotes and memes that populate social media feeds. Their ubiquity might lessen their impact but it doesn't make them any less true. I received yet another lesson in the veracity of that line from Atticus Finch last week when I presented my first homebred for sale at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale.  It's not that as a sales reporter I was ignorant of the realities of life as a breeder and seller for so many people, but the nature of sales coverage forces the focus to be on the headline acts, the horses who bring the hammer down trailing noughts in their wake. They are the minority at each sale but they dominate the words, videos, tweets, reports and press releases because we are all in the business of accentuating the positive. The reality for breeders is quite different away from the headlines, the trite words about how challenging the market is no consolation when those market realities are the ones you are living. I had no experience in owning or breeding a horse prior to this. I was a sports journalist with a passion for horses and racing who discovered bloodstock as an adjunct to racing, and developed a fascination with pedigrees. Upon finally joining the ranks of the full-time employed I indulged my passion and decided to buy a mare. It was meant to be only one but I bought two, as I didn't think it fair to keep one horse without a companion, as friendly and horse-loving as my goats are. I'm not recounting the story of the past almost three years, nor am I going to give an in-depth explanation of my decisions or choices. Writing about my personal life is deeply uncomfortable for me, something I avoid, but I'm sharing this because well, I promised my editor I'd write about it, and also, even though it seems somewhat self-indulgent and anathema to me, I want to show that I really do understand and care about the reality of life as a breeder, because it is my life too. Money isn't the consideration here, although I've got none.  I went into the sale with the understanding that I was not going to recoup the financial outlay of the past two and a half years. I did not have any expectation of financial reward – the hoped-for pedigree updates that every breeder dreams of receiving did not come for this filly and her family, unlike my remaining mare and foal.  Lady is a beautiful filly but is vertically challenged and, in the unforgiving pageant of the sales, that was also going to count against her. Prior to the auction, I felt I was realistic in my expectations. Homework had been done – I have notebooks piled high in my office with the stats of every single day of each sale I’ve reported upon for almost five years now – so I knew that the median price for Part Two was €6,000 in 2023 and, having kept an even keener eye on the preceding yearling sales than I normally would, there was plenty to indicate that it would be even lower this time around. In the event it turned out to be drastically lower at €4,000. I was proud of Lady (my pretty, slightly neurotic chestnut filly) and I was excited about the world seeing her. I also felt privileged that someone like me had bred, raised and cared for a racehorse.  I don't come from a horsey background, nor do I come from a wealthy one either. I didn't have ponies growing up and nobody in my family has ever been involved in racing as far as I know, so even having a mare, yearling and foal is a massive deal. I love having my own horses, caring for them, nurturing them and watching them grow. During bleak times, they have been what has kept me going. Standing at the side of the ring, knowing that not a single person in that auditorium was bidding on my filly (above), was such a horrible feeling. The only comparable experience to which I've been subjected is standing in the middle of a roundabout at rush hour having been involved in a car crash, when it felt as if every driver, cyclist and bus passenger in the city was gawping at my shaking form which was illuminated by the neon glow of the blue lights. There were no flashing lights on Thursday night but I felt as if I was standing in the full glare of the spotlight. It was awful. I felt that Lady had been rejected, that she was unwanted and it was such a painful realisation.  I wanted this horse, if I could have afforded to race her and keep her I would have done, because I believe in her, but I don't have the money to allow me to do that. It felt like I was the only one who did. I wanted her to be alive, she is here because of me, I've cared for her and she matters to me but not to anyone else. I feel like I have failed Lady. I also felt deeply for Olive O'Connor, who consigned Lady, and her team that did such a wonderful job over the last few weeks in caring for her and preparing her for her public debut.  Their care and consideration is real and genuine, and I feel that I failed them somehow, that I let them down by not being able to find a buyer for a filly they had worked with and looked after.  The worst thing is, my experience wasn't an isolated one. The clearance rate on Thursday was 72 per cent. The average price of those horses who sold was €6,647, which means that the average breeder lost a considerable amount of money last week because that average price is nowhere near the cost of producing a yearling from conception to sale. Even the top lot on the day would have been a loss. The New Bay colt made €36,000 but his sire's advertised fee in 2022, the year the colt was conceived, was €37,500. This is not to single out Tattersalls Ireland; I couldn't speak any more highly of the team there who were nothing but welcoming and supportive, their attention to detail and knowledge was second to none and I have nothing but praise for them. This week I will be reporting from Book Two of the Goffs Orby Sale and there will be so many more people in the same position as I was last week. Last year the sale average was €23,248 and the median was €18,000, and you can be certain those figures won't be met this week.  Selling for the average would barely cover the cost of production, while my next stint in the sales press room will be the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale, where last year's average was €7,906 and the median came in at €5,000. This is an industry where the hard work, dedication and love of the people who breed and care for the animals that provide a thrill for so many on the track is not valued, it's not rewarded and that is such an icily crushing feeling. Harper Lee also wrote: ". . . real courage . . . is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what." That's true for the majority of people breeding and selling racehorses. Refer a friend! If you have a friend who would like to receive Good Morning Bloodstock please send the following link where they can sign up. What do you think? Share your thoughts with other Good Morning Bloodstock readers by emailing gmb@racingpost.com Must-read story “If Godolphin do enter the fray this week, it will be fascinating to see which stallion’s stock they target,” writes James Thomas as he considers some plotlines that could shape this week’s Goffs Orby Sale.  Pedigree pick There is a terrible juxtaposition between the previous 1,400-odd words and the pedigree pick for this afternoon. At Cork in the mile fillies’ maiden (3.40), the sale-topper from last year's Goffs Orby Book One Sale makes her debut for the Coolmore and Ballydoyle axis. Minnie Hauk appears to be named for the American mezzo-soprano whose interpretation of the title role in Bizet's Carmen transformed the opera's reputation and fortunes.   This Minnie Hauk is a daughter of Frankel and MV Magnier dropped €1,850,000 to acquire the half-sister to Group 2 Summer Mile winner and Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan second Tilsit.    Camas Park Stud consigned Minnie Hauk at Goffs and tomorrow they offer her No Nay Never half-sister as lot 370.    They are out of Multilingual, a Dansili full-sister to Group 3 winner Remote and a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner and leading sire Kingman. Their dam Zenda won the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and is a Zamindar half-sister to the great Oasis Dream. Don’t miss ANZ Bloodstock News Subscribe for the latest bloodstock news from Australia, New Zealand and beyond.     Racing Post takes seriously its commitment to

[We're Doomed 5,550]

Thank you for posting that. Very illuminating.

That type of breeder doesn't really dream of a slot race, they just want a $25,000 maiden race and similar not too far down the road that they can be reasonably confident of getting a start in and being competitive in so they can race the horse themselves with their friends if it doesn't sell.

[nomates 4,960]

11 minutes ago, We're Doomed said:

Thank you for posting that. Very illuminating.

That type of breeder doesn't really dream of a slot race, they just want a $25,000 maiden race and similar not too far down the road that they can be reasonably confident of getting a start in and being competitive in so they can race the horse themselves with their friends if it doesn't sell.

The sad part is that there used to plenty of people in this bracket , that knew going in that they were pushing it uphill but hoping that although they knew they were up for a loss somewhere along the line one would become a standout and make it all worthwhile , now though the costs have become so exorbitant that it is simply not viable as a "hobby" , hence the large decline in foal crops .

But the guys at the top don't see it .

[diomed 40]

I went to the Tattersalls Ireland website and I think I found the sales lot.

It was lot 815 at September Yearling Sale Part II 2024 10:00 am 26 September 2024.

 

The yearling filly offered as lot 815 was by Gleneagles (fee Euro 17,500) out of Duchess Dear (2018) by Pride Of Dubai.

Duchess Dear (f) was unraced. Her dam Duchess Diva was unraced, and had two foals from four runners of racing age (no race record of the foals mentioned).

The vendor bought lot 815 for Euro 1,000 i.e. bought back her own lot.

 

Aisling Crowe is a journalist on the Racing Post website and is a pedigree enthusiast (her words).

Lot 815 has this unbreeding: four sons of Northern Dancer; three sons of Mr Prospector, two daughters of Halo.

 

My guess is the reason lot 815 received no bid was the dam was unraced and the second dam was unraced.

The owner also said the yearling filly on offer was vertically challenged.

 

If she paid a Euro 17,500 stud fee to breed from a dam and second dam with no race record, and a second dam with no race record from her four offspring then she was optimistic to expect bids.

 

My opinion is she should breed from a dam with a bit of a race record, and send her to a less expensive sire (about Euro 5,000 fee).

[diomed 40]

This week I had a yearling colt for sale at Goffs Ireland.

The day had 120 yearling lots on offer, of which 10 were withdrawn; 28 not sold or bought back by vendor; 27 sold for Euro 2,000 or less; 55 sold for greater than Euro 2,000.

11 lots made Euro 20,000 or greater.

 

I bought back my yearling colt.

The bid before I bid to buy him back was about 30% of the stallion fee paid to produce him.

That stallion is not too long at stud, has had fee increases, and produced a Group 1 winner..

I paid boarding fees of about one year for the mare from conception to foaling, and one year boarding for the yearling from weaning to sales time.

On top of that there was just under Euro 500 auction fee, and also sales preparation charges by the boarding stud.

 

My yearling got seven views by potential buyers from 10:00 to about 18:00.

I spent eight hours on site (I thought the sales yearling sale started at 10:00, but a horses in training sales started at that time of about 130 horses).

 

I will get rid of three of my four mares.

 

[diomed 40]

The yearling colt is now on a horse transporter on his way from Ireland to France for pre-training.

[Peter R S 479]

Still trying to work out the moral of the story …. Geez I must be thick

[Breeder 631]

Peter RS --no moral to the story. It is just diomed explaining how tough the breeding game can be and probably venting quite a bit of frustration.