Mudge

My View: I think @mmsnippets should persevere with the new format of having their March sale on the Gold Coast open to all horses (not just QTIS) eligible While I didn’t land on the buyers sheet, I was able to be active at this sale for the first time in a few years. Of my top 1️⃣5️⃣ in the sale, 🔟 were not QTIS eligible, so their inclusion definitely helped with the overall quality in the sale in my opinion. This showed in the top ten results too, with four of these non QTIS. The toughest part of the sale, and a reflection of the industry overall was the lower end, and in particular fillies. WRONG! To my surprise the colts & fillies BOTH cleared at close to 70%, and averaged the same $36k! 155 fillies sold vs 152 colts! The problem is the market for sub $30k yearlings (roughly 100 of the 136 passed in Lots were reserved at $30k or less) have repositioned their spend on tried horses online who 🕰️ save on time - are closer to racing & earning, & easier to sell 💵 save on money - not having to pay for early education under saddle & on track 🏥 save on risk - the education process relies more heavily on skilled staff who may be less readily available in smaller racing jurisdictions with in 🇦🇺 Breeders will respond, and have already noting the drop off of mares being bred in 🇦🇺 by 50% (we’ll dig deeper on this later in the week) in the last 5 years. Breeding less numbers but with a focus on quality. There will however be lower end stock, relative to their generation based on pedigree, type and or vetting. The opportunity to still offer these horses at auction is important, and incentive schemes like QTIS, BOBS, & VOBIS certainly add value to the end user, which in turn adds value for breeders. Interested in everyone’s thoughts on this 👍 Please share 📝

I hate to think how young you were in this photo @dulcifybp Those hills behind Trentham haven’t changed, while you’ve aged like a fine wine! Happy birthday cuz, hope you’ve had a fantastic day 🎉🏇

Looking forward to getting this filly “Annie” and her massive group of owners to the @SaleYearling in Rockhampton April 12th 💙✨💥