With the hustle and bustle of thoroughbred sales, it is easy to get caught up in excitement and think every horse that enters the ring will be the next champion but a reality check can occur when you remember that in any given year there can be up to 4,000 yearlings on offer.
A bloodstock advisor is employed to provide an independent consideration of each horse, to evaluate conformation and to estimate the yearlings’ potential ability to stand up to rigours of training.
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The standard bloodstock service works through these 4,000 available options to select a pool of potential yearlings to purchase from. They review these options on paper looking at different breeding pairing and they look for particular nicks (most breeders recognise that an affinity or compatibility can exist between two thoroughbred sire lines, that, when crossed, yield the best possible runners).
In essence, they are looking to reduce the number of variables or provide a risk reduction strategy. But when you rely simply on historical data to make an assessment you are at risk of missing out on that X-factor that champions like Winx have as part of their makeup. You also discount other factors such as the preparation and nurture of the yearlings to this point.
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It is at this point that miRunners looks to its bloodstock advisors to step in and use their industry knowledge, their relationships, their experience and their “feel”. miRunners bloodstock advisors know how to see past the tricks sometimes employed to cover potential faults such as knowing to visit the yearlings for sale when they have had a long day to gauge the real temperament of the thoroughbred, not the temperament put on display at the scheduled parades.
The miRunners bloodstock advisor relies deeply on their experience with young horses, how they grow and how yearlings are prepared for sales. It is not an accident that the miRunners bloodstock advisors have more than half a century of experience with different levels of thoroughbreds and various trainers.
To narrow selection from the 4,000 potential yearlings for sale, bloodstock advisors look next to conformation but as you would expect miRunners will always look to find a way to get an overall picture of the yearling. miRunners bloodstock advisors look to a yearling’s action and walk to supplement any decisions on physique. The action can give a bloodstock advisor an indication of how the yearling will be able to cover the ground if it progresses to racing.
A consultation with the vet will always be the next stop. This consultation is not so much to give a hard and fast yes or no to a potential yearling but to understand what a vet might see on an x-ray.
Some issues found can be solved easily, others will only work in the right combination. Some trainers’ methods do not suit certain issues whilst other trainers might adapt to the horse. Like pedigree, an “ugly” x-ray may influence the sale price of a yearling and many an ugly x-ray has led to a bargain in the sales ring when it had absolutely nothing to do with the function of the yearling.
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Then miRunners and their bloodstock advisors also recognise that different yearlings work better with different trainers and different systems. It is this deep desire to consider these external factors that will impact on the success of a thoroughbred that puts miRunners in a unique position to find the most suitable thoroughbred for the trainers.
Other factors can also affect price and overlay with an ideal yearling selection. Factors such as sales competition, sire popularity and recent success all affect the price and need to be considered before a yearling can make it to the final list of potential purchases.
At miRunners our bloodstock advisors help us to not only find great yearlings but they help us pair them with great trainers, taking as much of the guesswork out of selecting a yearling as possible. They ensure every miRunners owner has the best possible ownership experience.
miRunners has four yearlings currently available, some of which are primed to run as early 2YO runners. You can purchase a unit for $275 with a monthly fee of $15 that covers everything (so you don’t have any surprise costs).
