I'm afraid that that is absolute bollocks. Maybe you should try breeding one yourself before suggesting taxing a generally loss-making activity. Our 18 month filly has so far cost about 12k with costs kept to an absolute minimum. We don't intend to sell, incidentally picking up an entry fee plus up to 5% auction fee, but we're under no illusions about recouping even a decent percentage of the cost of getting her this far.
I'm not looking for sympathy as we went into this eyes wide open but sometimes the selfishness of punters just tips me over the edge. Bookies are very good at taking from punters and returning the minimum to racing.
Breakdown of Core Breeding Costs
| Phase / Expense | Estimated UK Cost Range | Key Details |
|---|
| 1. Nomination / Stud Fee | £1,000 to £200,000+ | Ranges from low-tier or National Hunt stallions (~£1,000–£5,000) to elite flat stallions like Frankel (~£175,000+). |
| 2. Pre-Breeding & Reproductive Vet Fees | £500 to £1,500+ | Covers mandatory health swabs (CEM/EIA), scans, and cycle management packages (~£300–£600 per cycle). |
| 3. Broodmare Keep (During Pregnancy) | £3,000 to £8,000+ | Costs around £250–£300/month at grass, or significantly higher for full-service commercial stud livery. |
| 4. Foaling Fee & Neonatal Care | £500 to £1,500 | Professional foaling down supervision at a stud (~£400+), plus initial vet checks and emergency plasma if required. |
| 5. Registrations & Legalities | £300 to £600 | Weatherbys registration, microchipping, DNA testing, and passport application. |
| 6. Keep Costs (Birth to 2 Years Old) | £15,000 to £25,000 | Includes routine farrier, vaccinations, feed, and grass livery until the young horse is ready to be broken in. |
Compared with
Average prices for two-year-old
Thoroughbreds (breeze-up sales) in the UK vary significantly depending on the specific auction house, pedigree, and the individual horse's performance on the track during the preview ("breeze"):
- Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale (Doncaster): Recent sales have averaged roughly £75,000 to £90,000+ (with overall averages around $77,500–$111,000 USD equivalent depending on the year), though top-tier lots can fetch anywhere from £250,000 to over £880,000–£1,000,000.
- Tattersalls Breeze-Up Sales (Craven & Guineas at Newmarket):
- The Craven Breeze-Up Sale represents the premier, high-end bracket where averages and top lots run considerably higher (with elite individuals selling for hundreds of thousands up to over 1.4 million guineas).
- The Guineas Breeze-Up Sale generally trades at a more accessible level, with recent sale averages hovering around 32,000 to 33,000 guineas and a median price around 20,000 guineas.
- Smaller/Online Bloodstock Sales (e.g., ThoroughBid): Lower-profile or online catalog sales for younger or lower-tier stock can average around £4,800 to £6,000 with lower medians.
