Where to source your Thoroughbred

Sounds obvious, but in order to buy into a racehorse, you need…a horse, of course! There are many ways to get involved, and you can talk to any of these people to get involved.

Expert advice

Your trainer or syndicate promoter can help you find your perfect racehorse. Alternatively, you can use a bloodstock agent. An agent can provide advice and assistance in purchasing at a yearling sale, but you will need to establish in advance what the charges are. Your adviser can also arrange for a veterinary inspection of the yearling.

  • The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) have strict requirement regarding the public syndication of racehorses.

    Prior to offering individual shares in racehorse syndicates/partnerships, promoters of such must be approved by RWWA and recorded on the Register of Approved Promoters.

    The following Syndicate Promoters are registered with RWWA as ‘Approved Promoters’:

  • John Chalmers Bloodstock Services Pty Ltd
    • Contact: John Chalmers
    • Email: chalmers@iinet.net.au

    Commercial Bloodstock Services Pty Ltd
    • Contact: Noel Carter
    • Email: ncarter@reliancepartners.com.au

    Premium Bloodstock Services Pty Ltd
    • Contact: Grant Burns
    • Email: grant@premiumbloodstock.com.au

Use our find a trainer tool

Click below to filter through a range of West Australian trainers by name, location, and/or code.

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Buying a thoroughbred

When you are ready to take that next step into racehorse ownership, the Magic Millions Yearling Sales can be a great avenue to acquire a potential equine superstar. Magic Millions has offices in Perth, Gold Coast, Adelaide and Melbourne, plus representation in New Zealand. More than 5,000 yearlings are sold at Magic Millions sales each year.

There are a number of feature races during the year that are exclusive to Magic Millions graduates. In Western Australia, these include the $250,000 Magic Millions 2yo Classic and the $200,000 Magic Millions 3yo Trophy. These annual races are run each February at Pinjarra Park Racecourse and provide owners who purchased a yearling at the sale with an opportunity to be rewarded with big prize money races.

  • The simple answer is … anyone! You can attend a Magic Millions Sale and bid for yearlings provided you have the appropriate finance and have completed a buyer registration.

  • The local Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale takes place in February each year. Magic Millions’ inaugural and showpiece event happens each January on the Gold Coast.

  • The Westspeed Incentive Scheme was established by Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) to support and promote WA Thoroughbred breeding and racing activities.

    Providing these additional earning opportunities to qualified Thoroughbreds ensures that breeding, owning and racing a Westspeed horse in WA is one of the best value for money horse ownership opportunities in Australia.

    The Scheme began in the 1999/2000 racing season and has grown to now distribute bonuses of approximately $8 million each year.

    With the enhancements announced in late 2019, it is expected to distribute more than $12 million to Owners and Breeders annually in 2022/23.

Magic Millions Sales

Click below to find out more about Magic Millions and their sales series!

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What to look for in a racehorse

The qualities and characteristics to be aware of:

  1. Hindquarter

    The powerhouse of the horse. Strong, deep and well angled.

  2. Neck

    Strong and in proportion to the body, set evenly on the shoulders.

  3. Head

    Expressive, intelligent eye with an alert outlook. Big, broad nostrils.

  4. Hoof

    Neat, medium sized. Two front and two hind should be matching pairs.

  5. Girth

    The more depth the better. A deep, rounded girth allows more room for the cavity containing the lungs and heart.

  6. Forearm

    Straight, good bone and strong muscle tone. The forearm will be larger in sprinters than stayers.

  7. Knee

    Symmetrical, ideally flat, smooth and tight to touch, forward facing.

  8. Shoulder

    A strong powerful shoulder sloping at a 45-degree angle. A sprinter will tend to have straighter and more heavily muscled shoulders than stayers.

  9. Fetlock

    Strong, tight, round, symmetrical.

  10. Back

    Short and strong. Back should be strongly muscled with the loins short and firm.

  11. Cannons

    Short, strong cannon bones. Firm, clean tendons.

The age of the Thoroughbred

At what age should you purchase a Thoroughbred?

Foal

Foal
A foal is a horse up to six months old. It becomes a ‘weanling’ at six months old when it is weaned off its mother.

There are approximately 30 Thoroughbred breeding farms in Western Australia which are responsible for nurturing and raising these future champions of the turf.

Yearling: A horse that is 12 months of age is known as a yearling.

2 year old yearling

2 YO Thoroughbred
A two-year-old Thoroughbred will commence its racing career by competing in barrier trials between August and September of the season. Two-year-old races commence in Western Australia from October onwards. The first race of the season is known as the Initial Plate which is run over 1000m at Ascot Racecourse.

The majority of yearlings sold at the Sale will be broken-in and educated for two-year-old races. Some horses literally do hit the ground running, whereas others may require a little more time to get to the racetrack. The richest two-year-old race in WA is the $500,000 Group 2 Karrakatta Plate which is run each season in the autumn.

3 YO Thoroughbred
A three-year-old Thoroughbred is likely to have trialled or raced as a two-year-old, but if they require a little extra time to mature, it will be as a three-year-old they will make a race debut.

A three-year-old has built great muscle and developed mental and physical strength, and as such there are big races and prize money on offer for this age group. These include the ‘Classics’ such as the Derby, Oaks and Guineas.

4 YO+ Thoroughbred
Thoroughbreds aged four years or above are often considered to be in their prime, particularly longer distance horses which have matured and developed good bone and strength.

A four-year-old Thoroughbred has the option to contest all of the major races on offer but not those restricted to two or three-year-old horses.

Naming your Thoroughbred

Naming your racehorse can be an exciting process and one that will be shown on television screens nationally and internationally, as well as race books, newspapers, and other media outlets.

That said, there are several common-sense rules by which you have to abide.

    • It can’t be the same (or sound the same) as an existing racehorse
    • It can’t be any more than 18 characters long, including spaces
    • It can’t include any offensive material, so no expletives or those that sound like it
    • It can’t be stolen from someone else, such as a famous brand or celebrity name
    • Finally, it may be rejected if it is too difficult to pronounce

To be safe, visit Racing Australia and type in your name in the availability search. The Horse Name Search should be used as a guide only. Even if a name shows as available, this is not a guarantee the name will be approved when submitted.

The Registrar under the Australian Rules of Racing (AR18): May refuse to register any name which for any reason he/she may deem undesirable; and may cancel any horse’s registered name for whatever reason he/she deem necessary.