NEWS
European sires fail to make waves at Fasig-Tipton
Posted: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 12:38 AM
by Pete Denk
Efforts by Fasig-Tipton Co. to highlight European sires in its Saratoga sale of selected yearlings did not pay big dividends in 2010, but officials with the Lexington-based sales enterprise said they will continue to try to increase the international appeal of the catalog.
Only one of the three yearlings by Europe-based sires in this year’s sale sold: a Dubawi filly for $200,000.
Siena Farm’s Oasis Dream (GB) filly out of the Dehere mare Devout (Aus) was listed as reserve not attained on a final bid of $290,000 on Monday, and Highfield Farm’s Cape Cross (Ire) colt out of Two Clubs (GB), by First Trump, was bought back for $295,000 on Tuesday.
“I think the interest was there in these horses. They just have to get through all the hoops,” said Fasig-Tipton’s Vice President of Sales Bayne Welker. “What we’re trying to do is get sires that have been highly successful in Europe and bring those over to try to give our sale a little international appeal.
“Primarily we’re trying to give American buyers access to European sires. It’s a process and a learning curve for our buyers and consignors.”
Blandford Bloodstock bought the Dubawi filly out of stakes winner Fawaayid, by *Vaguely Noble, for an undisclosed client who plans to race her in Europe. Dubawi is from the only crop by Dubai Millennium.
The Irish-bred filly was consigned by Paramount Sales, agent for breeders Tinnakill Bloodstock and Alan Byrne. Paramount’s Pat Costello said the filly was well received.
“She brought a nice price,” Costello said. “[Dubawi] is one of the most successful young European sires coming up, and we had some American people looking at her. They knew who [Dubawi] was.
“The cream of the crop has gone to Europe for the last 20 years. Maybe it’s time to get some of them back here.”
Blandford’s Tom Goff said, at this point, it is difficult to expect Americans to buy European-sired horses.
“You bring a horse by a European stallion over here for a particular reason, and that is to sell to a different clientele and make it stand out in a different market,” Goff said. “I don’t think you can expect sales companies to gather stock by European stallions for the American market. Although in my humble opinion, the American bloodstock industry needs to realize that European stallions at the moment are the best stallions in the world.”
Suzi Shoemaker of Lantern Hill Farm in Midway, Kentucky, who consigned Highfield’s Cape Cross colt, said she was surprised at how many Americans loved the colt.
“He’s a big strong colt with a beautiful shoulder and a big walk. He lived in the walking ring,” Shoemaker said. “There was tremendous interest in the colt, all the right people and lots of vet work. But at the end of it, I don’t think we had quite what we had hoped for. I don’t know if that was because of the sire or the market or because of the fact you tend to have a very tight-knit group of buyers here in Saratoga who may not be ready for European sires.
“I think it’s a great idea to have an international market place. I would love to see it become that, but it’s such a hard time economically to launch an experimental project. I hope they keep trying.”
Pete Denk is sales editor for Thoroughbred Times
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: DBH, Schenectady, NY on August 04, 2010 at 02:26 PM
I love the idea, but it is going to take time. While the Cape Cross horse is gorgeous and it could not hurt to bring in his blood lines, I am sure US buyers are looking at the market realitites and saying to themselves that this is not what the US market is buying.
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Posted by: Lexi, Chicago, IL on August 04, 2010 at 10:32 AM
Novel idea, but American buyers only want speed,speed and more speed, they are not interested in sires for "classic " type races, like in Europe, 1 1/2..only 6f to 1 1/8 currently infecting most US tracts....
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