Cutting out the Middle Man –The Rise of Bloodstock Agent Trainers

Tara Madgwick - Tuesday May 13

There were plenty of interesting stories to come out of last week’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale, but one of the most fascinating was the blurring of the line between racehorse trainer and bloodstock agent.

In times gone by, a trainer put the polish on a filly and turned her into a valuable Black Type winning commodity before handing the job of monetizing her into a broodmare prospect to a bloodstock professional.

Usually a commercial stud farm with a long list of contacts was given the task on the assumption they were guaranteed to eke out the best possible financial result in the open auction scenario of the public sale ring.

Ciaron Maher was the leading vendor at Inglis Chairman's Sale this year.

Our champion trainers Ciaron Maher and Chris Waller have now realised the process isn’t that hard given they already have a lot of the same contacts involved in their racing stable, so why have your owners pay a middle man commission when you and your team can do that job yourselves.

The leading vendor at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale was Ciaron Maher, who offered eight mares and sold the lot for $12.7million with highlight horses the sale-topper Bella Nipotina ($4.2million), Estriella and Tiz Invincible, who both sold for $2.8million, plus Semana who made $1.55million.

He tested the water at this sale in 2023 selling Swats That for $900,000 and last year at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale sold eight mares for $3.4million with his best result Ruthless Dame sold for $2million.

Advertisement

This year Ciaron Maher has focused on Inglis Chairman’s, while Chris Waller has sent the mother lode of his mares to Magic Millions after testing the water as a vendor last year selling Tutta La Vita at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale for $3.2million and then Madame Pommery at the Gold Coast for $2.7million.

Triple G1 winner Zougotcha is going to be a big attraction at Magic Millions National - mage Steve Hart

Chris Waller Racing will offer 17 mares at the Gold Coast and they include the two mares most likely to top the sale in Zougotcha and Atishu, so there is a strong likelihood he could finish as the leading vendor.

Triple G1 winner Atishu (NZ) will also have a legion of admirers - image Grant Courtney

If that scenario comes to pass we will have a situation where our two most elite breeding stock sales have been topped by our champion trainers and that is something unique to Australia in terms of global racing and bloodstock.

Footnote: For regular listeners of our Tara Talks Racing podcast, this topic would have been great food for thought, but my running mate Clocker is on holiday in Europe so our podcast is also on a short break for now.  

Advertisment
More Reading...
How Much for a Snitzel Colt from Winx?
The record price for a yearling by the late champion sire Snitzel stands at $2.8million, but that benchmark looks set to be smashed at Inglis Easter next year.
$190,000 Per Incanto Colt Heads Vibrant Weanling Sale
The  2025 National Weanling Sale saw its first dual-code weanling session in play at Karaka, with a total aggregate of $2,410,000 outlaid across 84 lots by a strong domestic buying bench plus international support from Australia, Hong Kong and China.
$190,000 Per Incanto Colt Tops NZB Weanling Sale
Little Avondale stallion Per Incanto’s outstanding season carried on in the Karaka sale ring on Thursday, where his weanling colt fetched a sale-topping $190,000 in the opening hour of the NZB National Weanling Sale.
Wootton Bassett Winning Whirl
It was a red letter day for Wootton Bassett (GB) at The Curragh overnight with a treble of winners highlighted by top class filly Whirl, who captured the Group I Pretty Polly Stakes (1m2f), a race won by the mighty Via Sistina in 2023.
Sires With Winners - Saturday June 28
Here is the full list of 109 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Unbeaten So You Think 3YO WA's New Excitement Machine
One month to the day since he first set foot on a racecourse, So You Think’s three year old son  Opportunistic remains undefeated from three starts, is a dual stakes winner with earnings of $200,250 to his name, and is WA's new rising star of the turf.
Another Aussie SW Sourced from Aga Khan Studs
When Australian investors buy tried horses out of Europe from Aga Khan Studs they know they are getting quality, but the good ones don’t come cheap with Elamaz (IRE) sourced from their draft at the Arqana Arc Sale last year for €480,000.
Profondo Weanlings Impress
The first progeny of Windsor Park Stud stallion Profondo made a favourable impression during the NZB National Weanling Sale at Karaka on Thursday.
Sires With Winners - Sunday June 29
Here is the full list of 53 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
National Online Breeding Stock Sale online now
The National Online Breeding Stock Sale has launched on Gavelhouse Plus with bidding open on the 87 Lots sale which is set to end from 7pm on Wednesday 9th July.