Weanling Sales 22/05/09

Inglis Weanling Sale Success
May 21, 2009
THE global financial crisis was put to the test at Melbourne's weanling racehorse sales this week, writes MATILDA ABEY
No one wants to buy a racehorse in the middle of a recession; however, plenty did at the annual Inglis weanling sales near Melbourne this week.
By the time the six-month-old weanlings sold over the past two days are old enough to race, many hope the global financial crisis will be a distant memory.
Horse transporter Barry Carmody trucked about 100 horses in to the sale and said his business hadn't been affected by the downturn - yet.
"It will be interesting to see how many mares are sent up to Scone this year (for the breeding season), as that is a real test for the market," he said.
"Stallions are dropping (service fee) prices because of the recession."
The big-gun sires such as Lonhro and Bel Esprit were firm favourites with buyers, however the recession has seen many studs to drop their stallion service fees.
Superstar sire Bel Esprit's service fee has been halved this year, down from $33,000 in the 2008 breeding season to $16,500.