Step 10 - Buying Your First Racehorse

Why buy Australian?

Prizemoney is a key indicator of the economic health of the industry. In the past three years, prizemoney has risen by 20.6%.

Australia is one of the leading nations in distributing prizemoney amongst owners, with the third highest total prizemoney in the world, totalling $428 million in 2010-2011 at an average of $22,678 per race.

Another reason for buying Australian is that Australian bloodstock is well regarded throughout the world, with approx 1,463 horses being exported last year, with the number of imports decreasing to 899 horses, indicating the popular demand for Australian thoroughbreds worldwide.

Why is Australia the greatest country to breed, rear, purchase and race Thoroughbreds ?

The Answer is often in one word CHOICE.....

• The magnificent horse country
• Black Type that really counts
• A wide range of breeders
• The choice of hundreds of stallions.
• The choice of outstanding Stud Farms in perfect climatic conditions.
• The choice of thousands of yearlings.
• The choice of dozens of trainers in many training centres in the most professional racing country on earth.

The Magnificent Horse Country

Australia is blessed with magnificent horse country that is found predominately along the ranges and slopes in Eastern and Southern Australia. Because of its isolation, Australia is relatively free of equine diseases.

Black Type that really Counts

Black type is more conservatively allocated in Australia than in other countries so it really counts. Most countries allocate 5% of their races as group and listed races and often run group with only four or five states.

Black type races are only about 3.0% of total races in Australia and nearly all attract fields of over 10 starters. The criteria and conditions are published and the black type (group and listed races) programme and results can be found on this website under the heading Black Type Racing all results are hyperlink to the Australian stud book for the viewers convenience.

A wide range of breeders

Over 85% of breeders have less than 6 mares.

The smaller and medium sized studs have tremendous success on the track and our analysis of the breeders of Group and Listed races has shown that the bigger studs, which tend to be developing into stallion stations, are frequently not the breeders of our better horses.

So buyers in Australia have a great choice of rearing skills as well as pedigrees from which to choose.