On Track - Spring 2020 Edition

16 Wheeler says that while it is cheaper to buy yearlings instead of well credentialled tried horses, it is still an expensive enough proposition. ‘’We saved a bit of money (compared to buying a well performed older horse) but it costs $30,000 for the air ticket and you have a bit of cost beforehand with GST and quarantine at both ends. ‘’He’s landed at 120,000 guineas, which sounds okay when you kick off, but by the time you land him here he costs $305,000 (with all the extras added on) as he is walking into the stable. ‘’In the normal run of things that’s not regarded as a cheap horse in Australia.’’ Wheeler has been back to Europe again, repeating the exercise, while other Australians have picked up on the idea in a bid to get good stock to race here at an earlier age and at cheaper prices. ‘’What I like about it is that the horses acclimatise when they are younger. ‘’Almost all the imported horses take at least a season if not a year to acclimatise. ‘’So if you are buying them as tried horses you are maybe sacrificing two to three years of their racing careers and most horses do most of their money earning in their two and three year old years. Not all, but most. RUSSIAN CAMELOT DESTINED TO BE KING OF THE CASTLE Camelot is one of Europe’s most in demand stallions