Sales races - balloting out and entry fees

no that isnt what should happen.  If you pay right thru and get balloted out its more or less a full refund as I recall.

Cheers, yer ma. That approach makes logical sense.

However, the new Tatts Bumper at Fairyhouse is essentially E1000 to get in, with only E100 of that coming back if you do get balloted out. Given unraced horses will be first to go, and the entries close next week (stupid early, given the sales were only eight weeks ago), it all looks like dodgy value to me.

|Cell 1|the mole     31 Aug 10 14:30 
In answer to the original question, presumably if this wasn't the case then nearly every horse would be left in regardless of how useless they were, and all bar the runners would get their money back.. How would the races' big prize funds then be funded??

Seems perfectely fair to me btw - your original stake is effectively a wager, and part of that wager is that your horse is considered good enough to get in the race.|Cell 2||


Fair point, the mole, but I was under the impression that buying an unraced store horse was a gamble in itself, and these sales races were meant to be an added encouragement to buy at a specific sale. The entry conditions here mean owners are essentially paying to advertise the sale house and a big pot.

With the fees here, you're essentially getting even money that your unraced, untried horse will finish sixth in a £100k race. Good value?

In big sales races, it is usual for owners of balloted out horses to only get their final forfeit fee returned, and lose out on all earlier entry fees?

Frequently taht is the case, abd.

Cheers, The Headmaster. First time I've ever examined the conditions, and this element of risk took me by surprise. The reasons put forward by the mole obviously explain why it is in place, but the 90% forfeit seems a bit harsh.

I have to admit I assumed some of the funding for these races might have come from the auction houses themselves, which is clearly a naive idea!

We've entered three horses in the Land Rover and only run one. It's a bit of a racket. The entry fee for the Land Rover is €350 and €400 for the Tatts race. At least the Land Rover is restricted to the couple of days of that sale, 600 lots. There are over 1,000 horses allowed to enter for the Tatts race. So say 200 enter, that's €80k + €3k fees, then say 100 enter at the 1 Dec deadline @ €300, that's another €30k + €4k fees. So already the prizemoney is paid for, and those numbers are not unrealistic based on the typical entries for the Land Rover, which has reduced numbers. Then say 60 stay in at the 23 Feb satge @ €200, that's another €12k + €3k fees, and the 25 declare @ €100, or another €3k + €1k fees. Total entry receipts of €125k + total fees of €11k for a race that has prizemoney of €100k.

I remember working it out one year for the Land Rover and the total prizefund was covered in entry fees. I'd much prefer a €50k bumper in 2011 and a €50k novice hurdle in 2012. But the problem with that is the entries for the novice hurdle would be so much lower and they wouldn't be able to cover the prizemoney. This is also the reason why the entry stage is so early.....all the horses are still alive (we hope) and not done too much work!!

Exactly right, BI. Of the two we bought only one would be a bumper type - he's not disgraced himself yet and initially I was keen.

However, €1000 to enter and another €1000 to get there and book a jockey (he'd be travelling from GB) means we're 29/1 to win it, which given he's barely galloped is hardly top value! I'll think I'll pass this year - good luck if you give it another spin-up.