Breeders' Digest

Unity required ahead of a challenging sales season

Any kind of normalcy seems a world away right now with our lives having narrowed beyond imagination in the past six weeks. In turn, our own bubble, racing, has rarely been so threatened.

Perhaps racing will return in some format later this month. It is to be fervently hoped but the analogy used by BHA Chief Executive Nick Rust on Luck On Sunday of balancing on a knife-edge when it comes to the sport’s return is not hyperbole. On the other hand, as pointed out by David Redvers in the later pages of this magazine, this industry will be “in terrible peril” if the sport doesn’t make a swift return, as everyone involved is undoubtedly painfully aware.

For the breeding fraternity, it is worth reiterating that comprehensive guidance can be found in this month’s TBA Forum and on the TBA’s website (thetba.co.uk) within its dedicated Covid-19 pages that are updated most days.

There is also the question of the sales calendar. Auction houses are doing what they can to accommodate the breeze-up community, with every European twoyear-old auction already rescheduled to the best availability. Various members of the sector are resigned to taking a hit but overall breeze-up vendors are a resilient group and it is to be hoped that enough positives come out of the season for them to reinvest in the autumn.

Beyond the breeze-up season, the sales companies seem hopeful that the autumnal yearling sales calendar won’t require significant restructuring. Maybe that will turn out to be the case but there has to also be a fear that some of those early yearling sales won’t escape revision. And even if they do come to be staged in their original slots, the extent of the potential ramifications of the lockdown, such as potential quarantine issues for participants and restrictions on travel and accommodation, won’t be clear until much closer to the time.

Which makes the need for unity all the more urgent. There might be an element of stating the obvious in this, but as we know there are occasions

SARAH FARNSWORTH/GOFFS UK The 2020 sales calendar has been disrupted

when not everyone sees eye to eye and competition runs high.

However, right now it is vital that everyone works together, and that includes sales companies. An early example has already emerged in the decision by Arqana and Goffs UK to join forces and merge their breeze-up sales into one event staged in late June at the Goffs sales complex in Ireland. By all accounts, news of the amalgamation has been well received by buyers, particularly as a move indicative of the will to make everything work.

The pandemic has also turned the spotlight on to the greater role that online bidding will come to play in future auctions. Areas of the sales process have been exposed as archaic, although in recent weeks Tattersalls and Goffs have accelerated the development of their respective online bidding facilities.

Results from last month’s virtual edition of the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in Australia provided encouragement in that department and now it has been announced that the newly combined Goffs UK and Arqana breeze-up sale will also offer an online bidding platform. It will be interesting to watch it evolve but hopefully it can ultimately become a support to a sales season that is going to face many challenges.

SMALL RELIEF

News filtered through last month of some light relief for smaller breeders in North America with the announcement that prominent owner Charles Fipke is to waive the 2020 stud fees on his stallions in the US and Canada.

Fipke stands seven stallions including Grade 1 sire Tale Of Ekati and young Grade 1 winner Bee Jersey. Both stand for $5,000 at Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky.

Fipke revealed the news by publishing a statement on Twitter via his consultant Sid Fernando on April 13, and by the end of that week, about 50 mares had joined their books.

“What can I say? Small breeders will especially be affected by the economic conditions, and they are the backbone of this industry,” said Fipke, a Canadian geologist who has horses in training with Joseph O’Brien and Sir Mark Prescott.

“None of my stallions stand for more than $5,000, and they are primarily supported by small breeders. Because I own my stallions outright and don’t have shareholder responsibilities, I am able to do this, with the support of the farms where they stand. I’m passionate about this game and will continue to support my stallions, and I’d like to show my appreciation for outside breeders who do so as well in these trying times.”

With regard to Europe, much of the fallout within the breeding industry will be felt much later on, particularly for 2021 as breeders reevaluate their plans without any signed contracts to adhere to. Many of this season’s nominations would have been sold prior to the outbreak; the stallions likely to suffer in 2020 are those picking up late foaling mares.

It will be interesting to see if any European-based studs come to follow a similar route to Fipke down the line. Indeed, representatives from one big Kentucky farm with no attachment to Fipke have admitted privately that such a move has already become more commonplace within the lower North American market as the industry seeks to regain momentum.

It’s unlikely to happen on a major scale in Europe. However, stallion masters over here might just have to get even more creative with their terms to sustain books in 2021.

Highclere Castle Oats have been fed to the winners of well over £13m in prize money and 750 races over the last 5 years who have won over distances from 5f to cup distance and ages from 2yo to 4yo +.

Oat digestibility can be particularly critical for racehorses in training. In these cases, daily grain ration may approach 50% (by weight) of their total diet. Oats have the highest fibre content (13%) and lowest energy of all the grains, making them the safest to feed. This means oats have more bulk per nutrient content, and horses have to eat more to satisfy their nutrient requirements. Bulk makes it more difficult for the horse to overeat and get colic and crucially to avoid ulcers which are a serious issue with horses in training. They have been considered the “safest” grain to feed horses because their starch is more easily digested in the horse’s small intestine than the starches in maize or barley. This minimizes the potential for undigested starches to reach the horse’s hind gut, where they can cause colic.

Oats are also less susceptible to contamination by moulds producing mycotoxins than other whole grains. This means horse owners can buy, feed, and store them with greater confidence. Compared to processed grains or processed mixed feeds, whole, unprocessed oats can maintain their nutritional value almost indefinitely when stored under proper conditions.

HIGHCLERE CASTLE “SUPERIOR OATS”

They are clipped, polished and graded. Only the largest oats are used and we guarantee a minimum 60KG/hl bushel weight (human milling oats standard is only 50). Because all the oat grains are sorted, they are mostly of one size and bright in colour. All our oats are dust-free and have been through our cyclone power cleaners to remove unwanted dirt and dust particles.

Please contact office@highclereestate.co.uk or call 01635 250600 for more details.

PEPTIZOLE®

Maximising peak performance is vital to ensure success in thoroughbred racing and the horse’s health is fundamental to optimal physical fitness.

One study has shown that 93% of recently raced thoroughbred horses, and those in training have equine gastric ulcers (EGUS) 1 . EGUS is recognised as a complex and multifactorial condition, with factors influencing its occurrence ranging from the horse’s individual temperament and predisposition through to feeding and turnout. As this condition is so prevalent, it is fortunate that oral omeprazole paste is permitted by the BHA to help treat this very common condition.

Peptizole® Oral Paste for Horses, containing omeprazole, is licensed for the treatment and prevention of recurrence of equine gastric ulcers in horses, including mares, foals and breeding stallions. Recognised for being bioequivalent to the pioneer, treatment by inhibition of stomach acid production is achieved with just once daily dosing at 4mg/kg and prevention of recurrence is achieved with a 1mg/kg daily dose.

Peptizole, with its easy-to-use dial-a-dose syringe treats up to 700kg bodyweight, which is 22% more than competitor products. In addition, the paste incorporates cinnamon leaf oil to improve acceptance and ultimately provide a reliable, accurate and cost-effective aid to maximising your horses’ performance when it counts the most.

1 Murray MJ, Schusser GRF, Pipers FS, Gross SJ. Factors associated with gastric lesions in thoroughbred racehorses. Equine Vet J 1996;28:368–374

DIAZORB is a powerful supplement, presented in an easy to use paste, for use in digestive upsets in foals and horses. It contains Probiotic, Prebiotics, Bentonite, Pectin, Sodium Chloride & Dextrose. Anyone who breeds foals will be well aware of the setbacks and potential loss of life that can be triggered by any digestive upsets that may trigger diarrhoea. They are generally aware that prompt treatment is a must. Treating digestive upsets in foals and horses with DIAZORB is based around the following principles: • Protect the gut lining • Remove or neutralise toxins • Restore the balance of gut microorganisms • Reduce fluid loss • Help replace electrolytes • Provide an easily digested energy source • Be easy to administer DIAZORB should be added to the normal feed ration or fed direct for 3-5 days until normal gut motility resumes. Visit: www.trm-ireland.com or Email: info@trm-ireland.com for more information

STABLE SHIELD DISINFECTANT

Stable Shield Disinfectant is alcohol-free but is an advanced hard surface/multi surface cleaner and sanitiser that is manufactured to contain one of the fastest acting and most powerful germ killing products available today. It is effective within 30 seconds and kills up to 99.999% of bacteria but contains no irritants within its formula. Common equine infections such as ringworm, strangles and aspergillus can be prevented with regular use. Infectious diseases can spread easily, so to minimise the risk, adopt a regular cleaning regime using the new STABLE SHIELD DISINFECTANT alongside Stable Shield’s anti-bacterial paint for better protected yards and stables. STABLE SHIELD DISINFECTANT is available in 5L at £65 + VAT and delivery. For further information on the Stable Shield range visit the website: www.stableshield.co.uk

Superior Oats & Haylage IS BEDDING REALLY IMPORTANT?

Hygiene in the stable is critical to prevent infection and disease and to maintain the highest levels of biosecurity; so, quality and hygienic bedding, along with proper stable management is vital. Global equine veterinary research confirms that the bedding you choose for your horses can make a huge difference to their overall health, wellbeing, and performance. BEDMAX was the very first bedding purpose-made specifically to help horse owners address the health risks that threaten horses spending long periods in their stables. These pine shavings are designed to combat the health threats this research identified: • AIRBORNE DUST AND SPORES - from bedding are the major cause of respiratory problems amongst stabled horse. BEDMAX has the lowest levels of potentially harmful airborne dust. • ANTIBA CTERIAL - BEDMAX is made predominantly from naturally antibacterial Scots and Corsican pine timber, which helps to reduce mycotoxin levels in the stable. • AMMONIA – poor bedding and bedding management exposes horses to greater contact with ammonia which can damage the respiratory system and attack the structure of the hoof bed. • HOOVES - horses moving from a wet environment outside onto a dry highly absorbent bedding run a high risk of hoof damage lack of secure, resilient support, particularly under the frog can lead to musculoskeletal problems. BEDMAX is dried at sterilising temperatures to an optimum moisture content to prevent hooves from drying/cracking. • HOCKS AND JOINTS – poor bedding can increase the risk of injury to hocks and joints when horses lie down or roll in the stable. BEDMAX protects horses from injury. • REST - horses need approximately 60 minutes of REM sleep every 24 hours. They need to lie down to achieve this and without a satisfactory bed horses are less likely to lie down and rest properly. BEDMAX is designed to encourage REM. Wherever BEDMAX is being used, customers know they are guaranteed a healthy, hygienic, long lasting and 100% reliable world-class bedding to enable horses to perform at their very best. Please do contact me personally if you would like to receive further information or to arrange a visit. Brent Adamson, BEDMAX International Racing & Stud Specialist E: brent.adamson@bedmax.co.uk M: +44 (0)7774 178925