The birth of an industry and it's major players
Whether you're looking for your next major business investment, or more likely, a punting angle into a race, bloodstock has an allure that escapes neither magnates nor punters alike.
Worth a reported £3.5bn to the UK's economy alone, the term bloodstock refers to the breeding of thoroughbred horses and is a huge industry around the globe.
And where the form isn't necessarily in the book, it can also prove a valuable asset in assessing a horse's chances in a race.
But first, we'll be diving into the history of the thoroughbred racehorse and some of the key industry players.
The Sport of Kings
As the term thoroughbred would suggest, all racehorses have a traceable bloodline right back to the 17th century.
Just three stallions are said to be the founding fathers of all modern-day thoroughbred bloodlines. The first was Byerley Turk, followed by the Darley Arabian and Godolphin Arabian. All three were imported to Britain with the job of mating primarily English-bred foundation mares, in order to create fast, agile and strong horses capable of use in racing.
Flat racing in England is thought to have begun in the 12th Century, but it would be another 500 years until King James I would revolutionise the sport of kings. He was the man who would transform the sport and it was around this time that the first rules of racing were developed.
Upon visiting Newmarket in the early 1600s, King James established the small village as the headquarters of British horse racing, a moniker that has been relentlessly upheld to the present day.
There is now around 70 training centres based in the town, along with a range of world class stud farms. At least a third of all jobs in Newmarket are related in some way to horse racing and there are over 3,500 horses in training there.
It would be some time before the three founding stallions would reach English shores. However, by the late 1700s the first English Classic races were being established on the back of the their resulting offspring's success. The oldest Classic, the St Leger, was first run in 1776 with the inaugural winner a descendant of the Darley Arabian.
As time went on, breeders became more focused on producing high-quality horses with a clear emphasis on speed. The trend to manifested itself by producing bloodstock that could operate at its peak at an early age.
From the fitness and nutrition, to the training and business management methods, it became vital for thoroughbred racehorses to be able to peak at the ages of two and three.
In the modern era, there are a few huge breeding operations that form the hub of all quality thoroughbreds. The biggest of which, Coolmore Stud, is based in County Tipperary in the south west of Ireland.
The Boss
From humble beginnings, Coolmore began life as a small farm dedicated to agriculture but was inherited by ex-Battle of Britain pilot Tim Vigors who would go about transforming it into the operation it is today.
Vigors went into partnership with Robert Sangster and leading horse trainer of the time, the uniquely gifted handler Vincent O'Brien. O'Brien's son-in-law, John Magnier, would later purchase the operation. Today, the stallions and subsequent racehorses they produce are regarded with global acclaim. Their record on the track speaks for itself, not to mention the extraordinary success they enjoy in the sales ring.
Wings of the Coolmore empire stretch to Kentucky in America, New South Wales in Australia and indeed their headquarters in Fethard, in the south of County Tipperary. Coolmore has around 50 top flat stallions standing across the three farms, along with a quality barn of sires they use for breeding National Hunt racehorses. Their offspring are in high demand and fetch large sums of money in auction rings around the world.
John Magnier and his current partners Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor are at the helm of an estimated €4.5bn operation. Magnier, known also as "The Boss" is considered to be the leading figure in world bloodstock.
The Boys in Blue
Flat racing fans will be no stranger to the famous blue silks of Godolphin.
Sheikh Mohamed deserves the utmost respect for his contribution to horse racing. His Godolphin operation has hundreds of horses in training at any one time and now that Charlie Appleby is on board, their long-standing integrity can be restored without much in the way of grudges or dampened repute.
Godolphin have been leading racehorse owner on seven occasions in Britain and have won over 2,500 races worldwide across 15 countries since 1992. The ruler of Dubai also handles Darley Stud, with bases in Newmarket, Ireland and Australia. You'll notice both companies are named in honour of two of the three initial thoroughbred sires we mentioned earlier.
The influence of Godolphin and Darley has been called into question in recent years with the apparent decline of Group 1 success in Europe and further afield. Nonetheless, Sheikh Mohamed remains a key cog in the wheel that keeps world racing ticking over.
His Highness the Aga Khan
In the Picardie region of France, his Highness the Aga Khan controls some of horse racing’s most regal and significant bloodlines and owns the largest breeding establishment in the country. He also owns the Gilltown Stud in Ireland, where Champion racehorse Sea The Stars is now standing.
The Aga Khan has invested a considerable chunk of his wealth into both the Irish and French breeding industries. He is a passionate student of bloodlines and a highly regarded figure among world breeders.
Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and indeed the owner & breeder of Frankel; Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and his Juddmonte operation are also deserve the highest regard, whilst Highclere Thoroughbreds and Cheveley Park Stud are also big names in the breeding world.
These are the chief figures, who have pushed the boundaries of bloodstock and have demonstrated can be achieved through good breeding. They represent the seeds from which an enormous worldwide industry has grown.
Keep an eye out...
Look out for further parts to this bloodstock series, where we will elaborate on the breeding process, development of the thoroughbred, famous sires and broodmares and the remarkable achievements of some of their notable offspring.
We'll also be looking at how keeping an eye on breeding can benefit your betting and the statistics & information available to us. We'll discuss some of the challenges facing the industry as we enter a brave and ever evolving new world.
