Q&A | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘In My Mind, She Never Made AU$10 Million’: Jonathan D’Arcy And A Lifetime Of Sales

by Keely Mckitterick/TTR AusNZ

Following the sale of the AU$10 million Winx (Aus) filly and his announcement to step back from full-time duties at the end of the year, Jonathan D'Arcy, Inglis's general manager of bloodstock operations, spoke with TTR AusNZ.

A few days after Jonathan D'Arcy, Inglis's general manager of bloodstock operations and auctioneer, made headlines for knocking down the Pierro (Aus) x Winx filly for a staggering AU$10 million to Woppitt Bloodstock, he took the time to sit down with The Thoroughbred Report for a Q&A session.

While there was news of D'Arcy's retirement, he was quick to clarify that he would only be stepping back from his full-time role at Inglis. However, he plans to remain involved as part of the bloodstock inspection team and will continue his duties as an auctioneer.

D'Arcy told TTR AusNZ, “I'm stepping back from a full-time position, but I'll certainly still be around. I will be playing a role in inspecting yearlings with the team in August and September and I'll be in the auction box for as long as they [Inglis] want to keep me.”

Keely: Jonathan, could you provide readers with some insight into how your career in the breeding and racing industry began?

D'Arcy: Certainly, I am going back a long time, probably before you were born, but I grew up in Brisbane and I was always interested in the thoroughbred industry.

During my school holidays, I'd go and work on a stud farm or I'd go down to Eagle Farm Racecourse and help out a couple of trainers down there.

My mum was a tipster on the radio and had a column in the paper tipping horses, so there was always an interest there and after finishing school I worked for a couple of properties and then to the Agricultural College in Victoria, and as part of that course I ended up doing some experience with Inglis in 1986.

After that work experience I was fortunate enough that John and Reg Inglis offered me a position in the pedigree team. At that stage we wrote pedigrees, they weren't generated by computers, so we wrote all of them.

At that stage I certainly wasn't thinking I was going to become an auctioneer. I just enjoyed being around the horses and loved the pedigree side of the business. I was learning a lot, as you do working for a company like Inglis.

A couple of years later Reg Inglis asked me and Vin Cox if we'd like to have a go at auctioning. We both took up the offer, I kept going with it and Vin decided he'd go down more of a sales path where he became a successful bloodstock agent before embarking on his very successful management career.

I stayed with auctioneering because I enjoyed it so much. I've been lucky enough to see the world as a company representative and it's been a very enjoyable career to this date.

Keely: How do you ready yourself for an auction? Do you plan out your approach in advance, or do you prefer to improvise and go with the flow?

D'Arcy: Every auction is different, and obviously a sale like the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale there's a lot more work that goes into having a think about how you can promote these horses you're selling. Most auctions we take 90 seconds to 2 1/2 minutes to sell a horse.

So, there's not an awful lot you can say, you just make sure you're up to date with the pedigree and what the stallion's latest racetrack results are. We get all the information on the successful nicks and crosses, but all the buying bench is so well versed in all this information.

They don't really want to hear a lot about pedigrees–it's all in the catalogue and so they really want an efficient auctioneering service that can get the horses bought and sold in a good time.

I think we're actually selling a bit faster these days just to get through the large number of lots that we've got on our selling days.

But overall, I don't think we want to bore people with extra statistics or pedigree information. You just got to be up to date with anything that might help or make a difference when the final bids are called for.

Keely: Throughout your extensive and successful career, who have been some of your influences and sources of inspiration?

D'Arcy: I've been fortunate to be around a lot of successful people in this industry. Early days, I was learning from the auctioneers that were present at the company. So, that was Reg Inglis, John Inglis and Jamie Inglis.

Down the track we took over Dalgety Bloodstock in Victoria, and that meant that we had the services of Peter Heageny. Peter was certainly someone who I learned a lot of auctioneering skills from. We also worked with Simon Vivian.

I spent a lot of time listening to other auctioneers and I was lucky enough to follow Damien Cooley, who's a very successful real estate auctioneer. I followed him around for several months just learning how he sold houses. I was lucky enough to do a real estate auction for his company.

An inspiration has been Neville Begg. I am very fortunate to have developed a strong friendship with Neville. Obviously, he's been a successful trainer in Australia for many years. When he went to Hong Kong, I was lucky to stay with Neville and his wife on several occasions. Neville remained a very close friend and someone I learned a lot about horses from.

I've spent time with many successful bloodstock agents like Kieran Moore and John Foote. There's too many to name. You learn from everyone you're around, and it's an industry that you keep learning. You're still learning to this very day and that's what makes it interesting. It's an industry where a lot of people get involved and a lot of people do share their knowledge with you.

I think that's great for young people coming up through the business that you can learn from all these different people that we've got within the industry.

Keely: What is your favourite aspect of your role?

D'Arcy: At Inglis, we have a great bloodstock team. We've got about 10 people in the bloodstock team, so we talk to each other a lot. We have meetings almost weekly where we talk about some of the things we need to do, whether it's for a digital sale or whether it's recruiting buyers to certain sales. Sometimes it's about what we need to do to attract yearlings or attract mares for the Chairman's Sale.

So, there's always something different happening throughout the year. The most enjoyable part to me is the auctioneering. I love it because I think we can make a difference to the returns for our clients, and I love the theatre of it. I love the fact every sale is different.

When you're calling bids at a million dollars and seeing the emotion on both purchasers' and vendors' faces, that's a great kick. It's great to play a very small part in a successful sale. Because the breeders have spent up to 18 months, two years, breeding the mare to get the foal and then foal to a Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale or a Inglis HTBA Sale or Classic or Premier–to get the result for them that they dream of that's very important for not only myself but all the people in the company.

Keely: Apart from the Winx filly, could you share some of your other career highlights?

D'Arcy: I was lucky enough to sell a mare called Samantha Miss (Aus). She was put through as a racing and breeding prospect as a 4-year-old mare. She'd won the VRC Oaks and was probably one of the highest profile race mares to be sold that year.

Samantha Miss sold for AU$3.85 million – that was a great thrill. I was also fortunate enough to sell Makybe Diva (GB)'s Galileo (Ire) colt at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale when it was held at Newmarket many years ago.

Once again, that was not dissimilar to what we saw play out this week, there was a lot of mainstream media attention there. Makybe Diva having won the Melbourne Cup on three occasions and a Cox Plate. There was a lot of international interest, the colt made AU$1.7 million.

That was exciting but some of the biggest thrills you get are selling horses for AU$100,000 when the client thought it was worth AU$40,000 or selling a horse for AU$80,000 when they thought they were struggling to get AU$20,000.

That gives you as much thrill as selling the high-priced horses. Sometimes a result like that keeps that breeder in the game. It means they can breed the mare again the following year. So, I think it's very important, and it's not a cliché but every horse we offer is important. We would like to think that we're giving every horse the same opportunity to maximise its sale price through our auctioneering team.

Keely: Could you share some of your funniest or most cherished memories from your career?

D'Arcy: I can remember when I was a bit younger and I was actually taking bids in the Newmarket ring, which many people will remember had quite a lot of residential housing around it and a school and hospital across the road.

I can't recall if it was a Inglis Classic Sale or an Easter Sale but my wife and I lived across the road and we had a young beagle puppy called Jackson. Anyway, I had my back to the auctioneer and was looking at the clients under the tree taking bids and there was a commotion and I turned around and here was this beagle puppy racing straight towards me! It was quite a hilarious moment.

I'm sure there would be a lot of other funny moments around the sales. You get people who are surprised at what their horses are making, absolutely gobsmacked and wonderful things like that. We sold a colt for a vendor from New Zealand one day, who thought the horse was going to make AU$400,000- AU$500,000 and they ended up making well over that mark, selling for AU$1.5 million.

So, that was a bit of fun. You share a lot of jokes and camaraderie with the clients. Many of the people who attend the sales have been attending them for a very long time, you can always have a laugh with them about certain things that happen in the sale ring.

Keely: What positive changes or innovations have you observed in the industry, and are there any aspects you'd like to see improved or altered?

D'Arcy: I suppose the innovations are the way computers are used these days. The statistics are up to date and you can get the ratings that are put out after every meeting. I think that's certainly a tool that many people use now when they're buying horses or if they're trading horses to Hong Kong, those ratings are something that have become very

Prior to the introduction of computers – analytics, statistics, ratings was very much a personal opinion but now it's solid data behind why horses are bought and sold. One of the biggest changes with the selling of bloodstock/livestock has been the introduction of digital sales.

We've been lucky at Inglis to play a role in that. We're turning over AU$90 to AU$95 million a year in digital sales. But that's made it a very liquid market so you don't have to wait three or four months to sell a horse or even prior to this it wasn't really possible to sell a five or 10 per cent share in a horse.

Now you've got a sale every two weeks. So, it's almost like the stock market, like a trading floor of a stock market and I think that has changed the way people look at trading bloodstock.

We have horses that one year they're sold as a yearling for AU$400,000 and they have a couple of starts and the syndicate might decide that they're not exactly going to make a stallion, so they're traded for say AU$200,000. That horse might win a couple of races for that owner and then maybe nine months later they're traded again for AU$90,000 because they need to continue their racing in an easier jurisdiction.

Some of these horses have been traded three, four, five times in their lives and at each time it's important for the owners to be able to conduct that trading. I think the fact we've developed a trading platform that assists everyone.

The second part, I think the industry is now much more focused on welfare and the importance of displaying to the world that we care about these horses, not only during their racing careers but their post racing careers.

While there's still more that can be done and needs to be done, I think everyone is now thinking in the right direction. There isn't just financial support but also having a think about how we look after these horses once they are retired. So, I feel that was something that was very much required and it's been a rocky road to get to that point.

Keely: Is there a particular stallion that holds a special place in your heart over the years?

D'Arcy: I was fortunate enough to be around when Danehill was really in full stride. I can remember looking at his fist crop and they sold okay but when they started racing it was quickly understood that he was a breed shaper stallion. Danehill was getting colts and fillies, his sons were going off to stud and were successful – the likes of Danzero (Aus), Flying Spur (Aus), Redoute's Choice (Aus), Fastnet Rock (Aus).

The fact that we were able to sell Danehills for something like 12 years, the incredible popularity of the stallion and the success they had. Many of them were sold through our Easter Yearling Sale, it was just a great time to be involved.

I remember Danehills regularly making a million dollars, two million and he never had any sex bias. It's a rare thing to see in a stallion – the term is a breed shaper and I've only seen a couple of breed shaper stallions in my lifetime. Danehill was probably the greatest one and to have the opportunity to his progeny for an extended period of time was certainly a great highlight of mine.

Keely: Do you consider the sale of the Pierro x Winx filly to be the pinnacle of your career?

D'Arcy: I suppose a lot of people will because it got all the publicity, and it was certainly probably the most highly anticipated moment of my career.

I just hoped everything would play out well. I was pleased that there was competition, I would have loved to have had a few other people to jump in. However, I know people were trying to have a bid at AU$3 million, AU$4 million and AU$5 million. People have spoken to me afterwards saying we tried to get in but it was just too fast.

I was just delighted to be able to play a very, very small role in what was a great story. The marketing team here and the way buyers were recruited did a massive job.

I think the whole story captured the imagination of the Australian public and the thoroughbred industry around the world – that was great.

As an auctioneer we sell a lot of horses every year but it's been very enjoyable being part of this sale and it's very fresh in my mind. It's an easy one to remember because there's just been so much written about it and a lot of video content.

It was just a thrill to be involved and I'm pleased that it played out well for everyone. Fingers crossed the filly can go on and continue the legacy that Winx has laid down.

Keely: Has the reality of selling a yearling filly for AU$10 million fully set in for you?

D'Arcy: I practised selling her for about a month before the sale, not every day, but if I was driving for half-n-hour or every couple of days and in my mind she never made AU$10 million. When practising I'd be taking bids of AU$200,000 or AU$250,000 but to be taking bids of a million and a million and a half, that wasn't something I considered was ever a possibility of occurring.

I don't think any auctioneer in the world would have imagined they'd be calling bids of that magnitude in such quick succession as how it played out. Personally, I really didn't think she would be making that sort of money. When you think about it the highest-priced yearling ever sold was a colt at US$13 million and it was a long, long time ago.

The Australian record for a filly was AU$2.6 million, and I thought she'd be making somewhere around AU$5 million because of the interest. At AU$10 million, it is still sinking in for a lot of us. Just a magic moment to be involved in and a horse's worth is determined by what two people are willing to pay.

Debbie Kepitis had a part ownership of the filly, but she had to pay an awful lot of money to buy out her partners. It was a unique opportunity to buy the daughter of arguably the greatest racehorse we've ever seen in this country.

Keely: What would you name the Pierro x Winx filly?

D'Arcy: I quite like a name called An A Nod. Three words, a wink and a nod. Sort of something like that. There's an old saying, a nod and a wink. So, that's why I think An A Nod. But I'm sure smarter people than I will come up with a very suitable name for her.

The post ‘In My Mind, She Never Made AU$10 Million’: Jonathan D’Arcy And A Lifetime Of Sales appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Amy Marnane Q&A: ‘This Industry Is Like A Big Family – It’s Very Special’

There were few more deserving winners at this year's ITBA Awards than Amy Marnane. At just 30 years of age, Marnane has crammed a lot in. From breeding to pinhooking and even consigning horses under her own name, Marnane has accomplished plenty in the industry, which led to her scooping the Next Generation Award.

Of course, that award was tinged with sadness after the death of Marnane's mother, Theresa, at the age of 61 in December.

In this week's Q&A, Marnane discusses how the bloodstock industry has served as a tonic in times of sadness, her hopes for Givemethebeatboys and much more.

BS: In all of his 25 years hosting the awards, Master of Ceremonies Leo Powell said he'd never seen a standing ovation like the one you received at the ITBA Awards last Sunday? That must have been pretty special.

AM: It was a very emotional night. Sure I just thought there would be a small award and everyone would clap but there was a standing ovation when I went up to the stage and then again when I came back down after I got the award. It was just unbelievable. It meant a lot and it certainly put a lump in my throat. Although I might not show it on the outside, it was very special. For the ITBA to even put my name to paper initially, and then to be picked as the winner, it's just incredible. Obviously the award was tinged with sadness after we lost Mum in December but this industry is like a big family. Whenever anyone is going through something, the whole industry rallies around them. It's very special.

We've been through some desperately sad times as an industry. Take the death of Pat Smullen or Jack de Bromhead as an example. The sport tends to pull together in hard times and I gather it was no different when Theresa passed away. To that extent, I think we can be immensely proud of our industry.

Completely. It's an amazing game. We found out that Mum had cancer the morning of the breeze at the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale. We tried to keep it quiet but people knew that there was something up and that something was wrong. By the time the yearling sales came around, the word was out that Mum was sick. Any consignment we went to visit, you wouldn't be met with a, 'hello, how are ya? What would you like to see?' You were met with a, 'how's your Mum and is there anything we can do?' Mum passed away during the December Mares Sale at Tattersalls. It's the biggest funeral I have ever seen but, if that sale hadn't been on, there would have been even more people there. The phones were hopping. We got through Christmas and headed off to Australia for a holiday. Even at the Goffs February Sale just gone, people have still been amazing. Frances Smullen, in particular, has been very good to us. Obviously she has been through everything with Pat and was there to offer us a helping hand. I must say that, in the sales ring or on the track, everyone in the industry is ready for a dog fight but, when you go through something like this, you couldn't ask for better people to rally around you. The industry has shown this time and time again and I'm hugely proud to be a part of it.

Your life has been a soundtrack of horses for as long as you can remember. I can only imagine that, for all of the big days and success that you have enjoyed, the horses and working closely with them were just as important to you when you were going through such difficult times.

Absolutely. Going out to the yard every morning and keeping yourself busy was important. Con is a bit like a child, you need to keep him busy all the time, but even he will tell you the very same–it was getting up every morning and getting into the yard to watch the horses canter or to simply just be around them, that proved to be a major therapy for us and helped us to take our minds off everything else that was going on. They're incredible animals and the team of people we have working with us are equally as important. I couldn't thank them enough for what they have done for us. They would literally stand on their heads for you. They look after us just as much as they look after the horses. Particularly Mike O'Brien, Mr Ribchester himself, he has been an absolutely saint. He manages everything at home and without him we'd be lost.

You've gathered up a lot of experience in the industry in your 30 years. Is there a certain path you'd like to go down or are you happy to continue as you are with your finger in so many pies?

I think it's important not to put all of your eggs in one basket. Some years the breeze-up horses can be very lucrative and the next year it might be the foals that you bred or the yearlings that you pinhooked that do well. Once you have your finger in every pie, something is bound to go right every year. That has to happen to keep the whole thing afloat. If the truth be known, we're probably completely addicted. If there's any Flat sale on, we'll be there. Trading horses is our business.

I suppose you're getting sick talking about Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) but he provided you all with plenty to smile about last year and the best may yet be to come in 2024.

I'll never get sick of talking about that horse. He has been a revelation. The Brickley brothers, who sold him to us, have been unbelievable and have tracked his journey the whole way through. The horse was bred by Mrs Rogers at Airlie Stud and you just can't beat those families. Givemethebeatboys got us through last year. To go and make that kind of money at the Goffs London Sale, to win the Marble Hill and to run such a good race in the Coventry Stakes, he's just been phenomenal for us. He's done very well over the winter-he's grown and filled out. Hopefully this time next year we'll be sending mares to him.

The Commonwealth Cup would presumably be the big aim for him this year?

Look, Royal Ascot is what it's all about for us. We finished second in the Commonwealth Cup with Sands Of Mali (Fr) so we'd love to go and win it. The King's Stand Stakes is also an option and, to be honest, it would just be a dream to win any of the big sprint races with him. The Sands family own the majority share in Givemethebeatboys and they have been so good to us. They are really, nice genuine people and I just hope the horse can go on for them this year and that we have a very exciting horse to look forward to together this summer.

What was the result that got the whole thing off the ground for you?

I had just finished my honours degree in Equine Science when I went over to America in 2015. I had been buying a few foals here and there in Ireland and, before I went to America, Con told me that if I saw a nice foal in America, to go and get it bought. I saw this Orb foal–it was his first crop-and I bought him for $13,000. I gave him to Gerry Dilger, who has been so good to me, to prep him for the year. Gerry rang me and told me that the horse was getting into Book 2 at Keeneland in September. I was expecting him to tell me that the horse got into Book 4 or something. We chanced it anyway and the horse went on to make $125,000 and he turned out to be a Stakes horse. We were delighted with the price and even more delighted that he turned out to be a good racehorse. His name was Zero Gravity.

What do you do with $125,000 in your mid-20s? I know what I'd do!

I reinvested the money. Con told me to go back and buy a couple of breezers and I did. I bought an Uncle Mo colt for $40,000. We brought him to the Craven Breeze-Up Sale and he made 150,000gns. He turned out to be a very good horse called Corrosive and was sold on again at the Tattersalls Horses-In-Training Sale in October 2018 for 450,000gns, so that was another good result.

To have someone like Con in your corner must be brilliant. I know he said it half tongue in cheek at the awards night on Sunday, but you really couldn't have learned off many better people in the industry, could you?

I'd never say this to him but I'm probably the luckiest person in the world. We get up at seven o'clock in the morning to feed the horses together. I watch them galloping with him, and see all the things that he does with them, which is a lot-there's a treadmill, a swimming pool, they go away to gallop and we've five different gallops. His mind is working overtime. He never dwells on the past and never stops thinking about what he can do next to improve. Whether that's staying up to three in the morning Googling how to produce his own Alfalfa hay in Ireland or looking at the next gadget for the yard, he never stops. He'd always say that you never stop learning in this game and he's a prime example of that. He's a bit of a freak lately.

It's not just Con that you have struck up a good relationship with. You've enjoyed some good results with his brother and your uncle David through buying a number of yearlings to race in the famous MRC International silks each year. Lady Tilbury (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) and Night Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) are two good examples given that both horses made six figures at the horses-in-training sale last year.

David has been so good to us and the whole family has grown closer in recent times. I buy all of David's yearlings and we've had plenty of luck. We never spend huge money on a horse and we have to try and think outside the box. Lady Tilbury cost us just 18,000gns and was sold to Paddy Twomey for 150,000gns and I hope she's very, very lucky for him. She's a very good filly. Night Moon came from Germany. He's a bit different to the horses that I usually buy but he won impressively for David at Listowel and was sold to Harold Kirk on behalf of Willie Mullins for 100,000gns. He could be an exciting horse going forward over hurdles for them.

There you go. You grew up watching with the Bansha Bullets but a nice horse is a nice horse no matter what the code and you can clearly spot them, whether they are out-and-out speedsters or middle-distance types. What is it that you look for at the sales?

You know a nice horse when it comes out of the box. The horse literally needs to take one or two steps and it's either a yes or a no. You need an intelligent-looking horse who has a good ear and a good eye. Different people like Mike and Mary Ryan, Niall Brennan, Gerry Dilger, Peter and Ross Doyle and even a lot of vets, they'd forgive a horse for not being perfect in front. I don't think we should start messing with them in terms of putting screws in and things like that. It can cause more trouble than good. I usually find that, if a horse is strong enough behind, he'll keep the weight off his front legs.

Finally, your family is known for unleashing top-notch two-year-old talent so I can't let you go without nominating one or two for us to keep an eye on this year.

I wish we had a Pinatubo (Ire) in the yard. We tried and tried to buy one last year but we kept coming up short. I think he is in for a big year. We have a couple by Sands Of Mali and they are very nice. They have super temperaments and have huge hind quarters. His progeny remind me a lot of him because they have such good attitudes. We have 24 to breeze this year. There are some very special horses in there-four Blue Points, four Havana Greys, a very talented Starspangledbanner (Aus) out of a sister to The Tin Man (GB) and a half-brother to Sands Of Mali himself who goes really well. There's a lot of quality in there.

The post Amy Marnane Q&A: ‘This Industry Is Like A Big Family – It’s Very Special’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Freddie McKibbin Q&A: ‘My Auctioneering Style Is Lots Of Energy’

Freddie McKibbin has established himself as one of the most recognisable auctioneers at Tattersalls in a short space of time. The achievement is impressive enough given McKibbin is just 25 years of age. But the fact that he didn't set out to be an auctioneer in the first place is all the more creditable.

McKibbin sat down with Brian Sheerin during the December Mares Sale to discuss his career to date and hopes for the future for the latest TDN Q&A.

It's hard to believe that you've only been auctioneering for two years.

I started in August 2021 but it feels like I have been doing it for a good while now. Auctioneering at Book 2 this year was nerve-wracking but, since then, it just feels like it is second nature for me which is encouraging.

And you didn't set out to be an auctioneer, either.

No, that's true. I started bid spotting for Tattersalls during my gap year to try and earn a little bit of extra money on the side. I was working as a pupil assistant with Simon Crisford at the time. I'd always looked at the auctioneers and thought, 'God, I could never do that.' A couple of years later, after I'd done the Irish National Stud course and worked in Australia, I came back and applied for the Tattersalls internship. Luckily, I got that, but it wasn't until I sat down with Ollie Fowlston that I thought about becoming an auctioneer. When you think of auctioneering, you think of the American and Australian way of doing things, where the numbers just roll off the tongue. Obviously at Tattersalls, we have a more traditional way of doing things, where you make out what the auctioneer is saying and the figures the auctioneer is asking for. I initially thought I'd be too boring-and just say numbers, numbers, numbers-but I practiced a lot and Ollie came up to the ring with me quite a bit at the start. He was my mentor and the guy who honed in on me and said, 'right, if you want to give auctioneering a go, this is what you need to do.' Edmond Mahony was also a huge help and he invested a lot of time in coming up to the ring whilst I was practising and giving me advice and things to work on. It took a good year of practicing pretty much three or four times a week before I was ready for the real thing.

What does that unseen practice consist of?

So, we'd do it in sections. The ring would be completely empty but for me and Ollie. We'd start with the figures, going from one thousand, to two thousand and three thousand, and just get into a patter from there. Next we'd add in the fillers, which would be, 'bid again,' for example and then we could concentrate on introducing the lot and eventually the selling of the lot. We'd do it all in different parts before piecing it all together in the empty ring. Once I got to a certain stage Edmond would then come up with me, he would put his hand up and I would take the bid from him. I wasn't allowed to go on to the next bid until he took his hand down. I was like, 'right, this is a live situation,' and I had to stay on that figure and work as though it was a real sale. Essentially, counting is the easy part, but it's when you haven't got any bid and you have to fill the time, that's when it becomes tricky.

Even for me watching on as a journalist, I find it hard to track who's bidding so I can only imagine how difficult it is for you to maintain your rhythm as well as everything else.

It is difficult and, here at Tattersalls, we can't take a bid unless we have seen it. At other sales houses, they have bid spotters who can make noises to signify a bid has been taken, but we don't do that here. The bidder has to bid to the auctioneer at Tattersalls for it to be accepted. There's a lot going on but, it's really enjoyable and, the more you do something, the more confident you get. My confidence is growing but, again, there's still lots to be working on and I still try and come up to the ring when I can to practise. I do a lot of charity gigs as well to keep the momentum going in between sales. I did the Leger Legends auction at Doncaster which raises money for the Injured Jockeys Fund. They're actually great fun to do because it's a completely different kettle of fish. You need to be sharp as you are selling different items and you're not trying to be funny but, on the other hand, it shouldn't be boring. They're definitely good to do.

Does it ever become daunting? For a lot of sellers, how their horse gets on in the ring can make or break their year and, if it doesn't go right, you could be an easy person to blame.

Exactly. You're in control of the room and, no matter what the vendor has done or what the purchaser is planning on doing, you're the bridge, you're the broker. It is high pressure stuff and I try not to think about it like that. When I tend to think about a high valued lot or a lot where I know the vendor is expecting to get well paid, that can sometimes hold you back in a way, so I try to treat every lot the same, no matter the status. Obviously I do take it all into account but, in general, I try to treat them all the same in a bid to alleviate the pressure and it's something that works well for me. My hope is to always come off the rostrum after giving it everything I can and hopefully there's a happy vendor at the end of it all.

In terms of satisfaction, I'd say selling I'm A Gambler for 850,000gns at the horses-in-training sale last year and taking bids from some of the biggest players in the game from the rostrum outside would rank pretty highly?

Selling I'm A Gambler was brilliant because he exceeded both mine and Charlie Johnston's expectations. It was a great experience and one I am sure I will not forget! During Book 1, I was out on the podium. You've got some big players outside and some of them can be discreet bidders so it's all about knowing when they're bidding and being careful not to miss a bid. Thinking about it, it's actually brilliant practice for what I will hopefully in time encounter up on the rostrum at Book 1 and in the Sceptre Sessions. That is the main aim; to sell at Book 1 and the Sceptre Sessions in time.

Along with I'm A Gambler, are there any other moments that stick out in the memory bank?

Well the I'm A Gambler one is funny because, when you watch the video back, it looks as though I've pulled my hamstring atop of the rostrum. When the Najd Stud team bid again, I dropped down as though I'd pulled my hamstring, as I wasn't expecting it. It got circulated on social media and, while it was funny, I'm not sure it was the most professional moment! That sticks out but there have been a few slips of the tongue at times as well.

Of course, auctioneering is not the only string to your bow here at Tattersalls. You've climbed the ladder pretty fast and have become a recognisable and friendly face of the company.

Working hard and gaining as much experience as possible is the priority. There are so many different facets to the business and I have a lot to learn. I do the stabling for the yearling sales and other sales bar December, where I do a lot of organising and help run the Sceptre Sessions, for example. That is great. We target the high-quality fillies and mares and try to give people an incentive to sell at the Sceptre Sessions. I have enjoyed that and it is very rewarding when you see the Sceptre Sessions producing such strong results for the vendors who support Tattersalls. There's lots to the role and I try to get over to other sales to represent the company. Yearling and breeze-up inspections are another big part of it. That's a process I'm looking forward to doing more of next year.

You touched on the fact you've spent time with Simon Crisford, did the Irish National Stud Course and have worked in Australia as well. You've crammed a lot in for a 25-year-old.

I just wanted to get as much experience in different areas of the industry as possible. I spent a year with Simon as a pupil assistant and learned all things hands on. There were a few great guys there, including Les Reynolds, the travelling head lad. He basically showed me the ropes and took me under his wing. I don't come from a hands-on background in horses–my Dad is in equine insurance and my grandfather is Tim Richards, who was a racing journalist–but the passion was always there. The hands-on experience is what I was keen to get and Simon was brilliant for giving me advice. It made sense to me to kick on and bypass university, plus the Irish National Stud course was a great experience and I met some great mates there. After that, I went to work for Arrowfield Stud in Australia, so it was all packed into a short space of time.

You're obviously very ambitious.

I like to think that I am the type of person that when I put my mind to something I put all my focus and energy into it and try to be the best I can be at whatever it is. I was not the best at school but always loved sport and rugby was my passion. I ended up being captain for the first team and thankfully I didn't disgrace myself in my final exams either. I have always been very driven and I definitely have a competitive side. It certainly shows when I play golf with my dad and brother!

With that in mind, where would you see yourself in five years' time?

Hopefully selling at Book 1 and the Sceptre Sessions and being a senior inspector for Tattersalls. I don't know what will come after that but I will continue to work on honing my craft as an auctioneer and working within the company at Tattersalls.

Did you ever think of race commentating?

It's funny you say that because Richard Pugh, a Director of Tattersalls Ireland and a race commentator said the same to me and Matt Hall. He said that the two of us should think about giving it a go. Look, I wouldn't say no to it. I can remember being put on the spot to commentate on the Hennessy, or races like that in front of friends, and it's mind-blowingly difficult. It's not something I'd rule out!

In terms of theatre and drama, I'd imagine there are few better places to work than at Tattersalls.

It's an amazing place. Everybody goes back to Marsha or Alcohol Free selling here but even some of the smaller lots are fascinating. I'll never forget Alastair [Pim, fellow auctioneer] selling the Kingman half-sister to Chaldean for a million. The way he got to a million was seriously impressive. Sometimes that theatre is seriously engrossing.

Being an auctioneer yourself, you can probably appreciate the craft better than anyone on the big days.

Definitely. It is a skill being able to get up there and remember everything you need to know about each horse, their physicality, their pedigree, the instructions from the vendor and spotting bids all whilst keeping your patter and potentially having one of the rostrum spotters giving you instructions at the same time. And then you have the added pressure of the big days when you know you have a lot who is the highlight. At the end of the day Tattersalls works on behalf of the vendor and for most it is their livelihood, so you want to do the best you can for them and get the result they want. I remember coming up to Tattersalls when I was younger and being so impressed by the auctioneers. Not only were they good at their job, but they were also entertaining whilst keeping their nerve and staying calm under pressure on the big lots. It is something I have tried to take into account with my own style and I try to let my energy and enthusiasm show from the rostrum. I am lucky that I have learnt from some of the best auctioneers in the game!

The post Freddie McKibbin Q&A: ‘My Auctioneering Style Is Lots Of Energy’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Horseracing Integrity And Welfare Q&A: Denali Stud’s Craig Bandoroff

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) provided this Q&A with questions submitted by Craig Bandoroff of Denali Stud.

Although I've read explanations and have had people try to explain it to me I still don't understand why we test to such a small level. As I understand it a picogram is one-trillionth of a gram. How can that have any affect on a 1200-lb horse? Why do we test to such a small level? Are we using the ARCI recommended guidelines?

It is important to remember that a picogram is a measure of weight, not potency. While some legal drugs are more potent and are administered in low doses, others are less potent and require larger doses to achieve their intended effects. This is why the Screening Limits used by HISA are different depending on the substance.

It is also important to note that substance concentrations are reported “per milliliter.” Thus, the picogram amounts you read in a lab report must be multiplied by approximately 50,000 to reflect the total milliliters of blood that can be found in a horse.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act requires HISA to adopt the standards used by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), which are followed in nations around the world and independent of the ARCI's guidance, as a starting point. The IFHA's Screening Limits and Thresholds are vetted by the European Horseracing Scientific Liaison Committee, which is composed of veterinary pharmacologists, regulatory veterinarians, chemists, and other racing regulators, before being approved by the IFHA. There are certain substances, e.g., phenylbutazone, for which the ADMC Standing Committee decided to deviate from the IFHA's published recommendations based on additional science and industry-specific insight.

Everyone agrees the ultimate goal is to keep honest people honest and dishonest people afraid to break the rules. And that the objective is not to penalize trainers and owners that make honest inconsequential mistakes but rather catch the cheaters. Are we doing enough to catch the cheaters and those taking advantage of the system? The objective isn't to penalize honest trainers and subsequently their owners for honest mistakes that result in an insignificant overage and that don't affect a horse's performance, is it?

The Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program is designed to detect and deter those who intentionally try to break the rules, thus compromising the integrity of the sport and the welfare of equine and human athletes. The Program includes a test distribution plan that will focus on utilizing testing resources in a manner that will both detect and deter violations, including thorough intelligence-based target testing.

In addition, sanctions associated with Anti-Doping Rule Violations, which include the use or administration of substances that are prohibited from being present in a horse at any time (Banned Substances), are intended to be harsh.

However, there are significantly less severe penalties for offenses related to legal Controlled Medication Substances. For example, the penalty for a first offense related to a Class C medication such as phenylbutazone or methocarbamol is the disqualification of race-day results and a fine of up to $500. There is no suspension.

For many types of cases, direct penalties for the Covered Person(s) involved can be reduced or eliminated depending on the degree of fault determined by the adjudicator(s) hearing the case.

Promoting integrity of the competition and welfare of the horse are two key pillars of the ADMC Program. In support of these two principles, the regulations require that disqualifications are upheld for positive tests regardless of fault in acknowledgment of the fact that the integrity of the race and/or the welfare of the horse may have been compromised by the presence of a Prohibited Substance in the horse's system.

On a national scale, HIWU's team includes an investigations unit that will utilize data science, intelligence from local investigators and racing officials, e.g., stewards and regulatory veterinarians, and information received from HIWU's anonymous whistle blower platforms. This group's objectives are to identify and catch those who commit violations of the Program, especially the most egregious offenses. HIWU Director of Intelligence & Strategy Shaun Richards brings 23 years of experience with the FBI and initiated and directed the criminal investigation that ultimately resulted in the indictments of more than 30 individuals, including trainers Jorge Navarro and Jason Servis.

What are we doing about positives that are possibly the result of contamination or human error? I was involved in a case that it seemed that the positive was a result of contamination at some point. A Hall of Fame trainer with a pristine record had a horse test positive for a sedative drug he said he doesn't use and the horse was never given. The horse ran his eyeballs out that day. My owner lost the $40,000 purse. We think the sample was contaminated or perhaps nefarious behavior took place, or someone along the chain of testing made a mistake. I guess a positive is a positive and if you break the rules you are going to be penalized. Even so, that's not what we should be trying to do in regulating horse racing, is it? Do we have anything in place to address these types of situations?

The ADMC Program includes an Atypical Findings Policy that is intended to address cases of environmental contamination. Under this Policy, if a laboratory detects the presence of the following types of substances, it will report the result as “Atypical,” NOT “positive”:

Specified Substances that pose a higher risk of being present due to environmental contamination, e.g., caffeine, cannabinoids, ractopamine, scopolamine, zilpaterol;

Endogenous substances, e.g., testosterone; or

Substances that pose a high risk of contamination but have yet to be identified.

When an Atypical Finding is issued, an investigation will be launched by HIWU, and the horse's trainer and/or owner will have the opportunity to provide information that can explain the presence of the substance. Examples of evidence could include proof that the horse consumed feed or bedding that was shown to have been contaminated with the substance in question. The trainer could also provide veterinary evidence indicative of the levels of the substance present in the horse naturally.

If HIWU determines that the Atypical Finding was due to environmental contamination and/or that the substance was not exogenously administered based on information gathered, the laboratory result will be considered negative, and no further action will be taken in connection with the result. Consequently, there will be no loss of purse money or imposition of any other sanctions.

The Atypical Findings Policy is intended to protect trainers from being punished for substance exposures beyond their control.

The post Horseracing Integrity And Welfare Q&A: Denali Stud’s Craig Bandoroff appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post