Bloodstock agent Knight hopes new sales platform can open opportunities for Australian buyers
Wesellbloodstock.com launched yesterday with innovative approach to the global trading of mares and horses in training
If there is such a thing as a positive aspect to have come out of this dreadful prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, it’s the viewing of the exciting innovations that have been made across all areas of life and industry, not least the thoroughbred market, as participants adapt to the changing landscape.
For UK-based bloodstock agent Richard Knight, a sourcer of many notable talents plying their trade across the racing globe, including Hong Kong galloper Waikuku (Harbour Watch), as well as Group 1 winner and Royal Ascot-winning two-year-old The Wow Signal (Starspangledbanner), the pandemic just added that ounce of impetus required to enact on an idea that had been swirling in the mind of the prominent trader for some time.
Yesterday saw the launch of Wesellbloodstock.com, a unique new platform for the trading of high-end horses in training and broodmares over £50,000 (approx. AU$90,000), that Knight believes will be a game changer for the sourcing and importation of horses in racing jurisdictions across the world, including the buying of all-conquering European stayers for Australia’s leading prizes.
“It’s been something I’ve thought about for a number of years, but certainly last year, with coronavirus and everything that has gone on, has just made me put it into action,” said Knight to ANZ Bloodstock News.
“Based on experience, as a bloodstock agent, trying to buy horses for Hong Kong or America or other jurisdictions, the hardest thing has always been; one, is the horse for sale?; two, what price is it?; and three, will it pass the vetting?
“The premise for the idea is, wouldn’t it be nice if we knew that the horse had passed the vetting into those jurisdictions, and would tick all the boxes for the purchaser?”
Wesellbloodstock.com acts as an online platform for selling tried horses and broodmares, with all of these time consuming questions answered.
Having sourced the horse for sale, Knight’s operation will undertake the vetting process required for a given jurisdiction, while all broodmares are listed having undergone a mare vet report to include pregnancy diagnosis for in-foal mares and a scope report for fillies off the track. From there, an asking price for the horse is listed and potential interested buyers are invited to make an offer, in a deliberate move away from a traditional auction setting.
“I was very keen not to make it an auction site,” said Knight. “Not least because there are auctions sites popping up all the time and, actually as an agent we have a sales calendar for all the different sales we go to, and if an auction isn’t listed on there you’re bound to actually miss a horse selling.
“The other key aspect is, while I think the world has moved on and there’s an awful lot online now, we still like to deal one to one with people. I like to deal with the vendors and I like to deal with the purchasers, so we can offer that personal service and a lot of this business is about service and ensuring that people are well looked after.”
For Knight, the undertaking of vetting processes, with a guaranteed five-day period from agreeing to sell the horse to it being listed online, offers several advantages to both buyer and seller.
“The key advantage, first of all, is that there is no commission for purchasers, so you’re immediately making a saving there,” said Knight.
“Any agent who buys plenty of horses in training will tell you that an awful lot of horses fail the vetting when you’re looking for America or Hong Kong or Australia.
“From the vendor’s perspective, and the amount of times when you’re helping someone to sell a horse and your plans get messed around because offers come in for horses, they then fail the vet … this immediately is saving owners, agents and trainers a great deal of money and time, by showing them horses which would pass the vet.”
Another aspect of Knight’s Wesellbloodstock.com, is that the sale platform is available for the listing and purchasing of horses on any given day, all year round, allowing vendors to profit from prevailing opportunity, a case no more highlighted than with Wesellbloodstock.com’s first offering; Zoffany (Dansili) mare Encapsulation, who is in-foal to Camelot (Montjeu) and listed for £250,000.
“I’m thrilled that we’ve got a really nice mare to launch the business with,” beamed Knight. “She’s a listed winner and, as an example with this horse, she’s by Zoffany, Zoffany is the sire of the Classic winner Mother Earth. She’s in foal to Camelot and Camelot had the Derby Trial winner Youth Spirit recently.”
Knight, who has worked with Coolmore, Juddmonte and Darley over the last 12 years, is hoping the concept can prove an attractive innovation for the Australian market, particularly if further rule changes are imposed on the importation of horses in light of the recently-released Racing Victoria-commissioned report on deaths in the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m), which now limits horses to one lead-up run before the Melbourne Cup and requires extensive vet checks before their participation in the Race That Stops A Nation.
“Take that to a horse in training (example) and a horse wins a novice race, or a Listed race, and that horse looks like it has an ideal profile for Australia, they could win the race and we’d have them photographed, vetted and listed within five days and I can proactively market that horse to the southern hemisphere buyers.
“By selling at any stage of the year and not having to wait for the Tattersalls Horses in Training sale in October or earlier July sale, it opens up great opportunities for Australia, I think,” he said.
“If there are further rule changes and if horses are going to need to be in Australia earlier, then hopefully this could potentially be a great asset to the southern hemisphere buyers.”
Furthermore, early response to the concept from southern hemisphere participants have provided added encouragement.
“In the last 12 months people are realising that horses can be sold in different ways and they’re really embracing it. The feedback has been absolutely superb and I’ve been fairly bowled over by the support,” said Knight.
“Chris (Waller) came back and thought it was a great idea and, as I say, from the buyer’s point of view, knowing what horses are for sale, knowing what price they are and knowing that they’ve passed the vetting, that’s ticking all of the boxes, so I hope Australia really embraces it.”
For further information on Wesellbloodstock.com and to view their current offerings, click here.