Buying at the December Sales 2026 from the Gulf or Asia: Costs, Timings and How an Agent Helps

In 2026 the main European December sales run back to back: the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in Newmarket (30 November to 2 December, after the Foal Sale on 24 to 28 November), the Arqana December Breeding Sale in Deauville (5 to 8 December) and the Goffs December National Hunt Sale in Kildare (7 to 10 December). Each sale company has its own currency, charges and paperwork: Arqana adds a 6% buyer's commission plus VAT, Tattersalls bids in guineas, and Goffs sells in euros. You can buy at all three from the Gulf or Asia without travelling, if you register with each sale company well before you bid and agree a written limit for every horse.

Noura (invented, 41, Riyadh, owns a stopwatch she uses for everything, including tea) wants a mare. Mr Lau (invented, 58, Hong Kong, has three phones and answers none of them) wants "something for the future". Neither of them wants to spend December standing in a cold barn in a coat they had to buy specially.

They have a problem that most European buyers do not have. When the first mare walks into the ring in Newmarket at 9:30 in the morning, it is 12:30 in Riyadh and 5:30 in the afternoon in Hong Kong. When the last session in Kildare ends, it is past midnight in Tokyo. December is the one month when the whole European breeding market moves in about ten days, and it moves while half the world is having dinner.

We have already written a guide to the Tattersalls December Sales and one to the Arqana December Sale. This one puts the sales side by side, for buyers who live far away and want one plan, one budget and one person answering the emails.

Which sales are on, and when?

Four December sessions matter most to an international buyer: Tattersalls' Foal and Mares Sales in Newmarket, Arqana's Breeding Sale in Deauville, and Goffs' National Hunt Sale in Kildare. Goffs' November Foal and Breeding Stock Sale (15 to 21 November) is the warm-up.

Two notes. Tattersalls' own site lists the Mares Sale as 30 November to 2 December; one local events listing shows 3 December, so check tattersalls.com before you book anything. And the Arqana and Goffs dates overlap on 7 and 8 December, which is why one person cannot be in both rings at once, however good their shoes.

We source the best horses from sales all over the world, and December is only one stop. See the sales we buy from and the full owner's calendar for 2026-27.

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What does each sale add on top of the hammer price?

The hammer price is never the whole bill. Arqana publishes a 6% buyer's commission before tax, plus VAT of 10% or 20% on the price and commission. Tattersalls bids in guineas, where 1 guinea is £1.05, and UK VAT may apply unless the horse is exported with proof. Goffs sells in euros under Irish VAT rules. Read each Conditions of Sale, then ask for one total, in one currency, in writing.

A worked example: one budget, three sales

Noura sets a budget of US$150,000 for one mare, all in. Her accountant (invented, very honest, owns no horses on purpose) asks a good question: "All in, meaning what?" Here is what "all in" has to cover, whichever ring the mare walks into:

1. The hammer limit, in the sale's own currency, converted on the day. Currency moves. A limit of US$110,000 is a different number of guineas on 1 December than it was on 1 November.
2. The sale company's charges: at Arqana, 6% plus VAT; at Tattersalls and Goffs, whatever the Conditions of Sale say, and VAT unless the export rules apply.
3. The agent's fee. Ours is 5% of the price, minimum US$5,000. On a US$110,000 mare, that is US$5,500. On a US$60,000 foal, the minimum applies: US$5,000.
4. After the hammer: insurance from the fall of the hammer, the vet, transport, and boarding at a stud farm until the mare foals or flies.

Mr Lau asked whether the VAT comes back. Sometimes some of it can, depending on where the horse goes, who buys it and how the export is documented. It is technical, it is different in each country, and it is exactly the kind of thing to ask the sale company and a tax adviser before the sale. For the yearly costs that follow, see racehorse ownership costs in 2027 or try our cost calculator.

Owning horses is a passion, not a way to make money. Set a budget you would be happy to spend on something you love, even on the days it does not love you back.

How do the time zones work from the Gulf or Asia?

In December, Britain and Ireland are on GMT and France is one hour ahead. So a 9:30 start in Newmarket is 12:30 in Riyadh, 13:30 in Dubai and 17:30 in Hong Kong or Singapore. Arqana sessions start at 10:00 or 11:00 French time. Plan your sleep before you plan your bids.

Goffs publishes its session times with the catalogue; check goffs.com. Sessions run for hours, and a horse you want may come into the ring late in the evening your time. That is why we agree written limits in advance, so nobody needs to stay awake to say "yes" at 1am. Mr Lau finds this the single most attractive thing about hiring an agent. It ranks above the vetting. We have not told the vet.

Which December sale suits which buyer?

December is mainly for breeding: mares, fillies and foals. Gulf and Asian owners who want to breed should look hardest at Tattersalls and Arqana. Goffs December is a jumps sale, so it suits owners who want to race over fences in Ireland or Britain. If you want to race this winter, December is usually the wrong shop.

• You want to breed, and you are happy to keep the mare in Europe: Tattersalls Mares and Arqana December. The mare usually stays near the stallions for at least a season. See stud farm consultancy.
• You want your own racehorse, raised your way: a foal at Tattersalls, Arqana or Goffs November. It will race at two at the earliest, so from 2028. Patience is the main cost, then the stud farm's invoices.
• You want to race over jumps in Ireland or Britain: Goffs December. Jumps horses take years to mature, so this is a long, happy road, not a shortcut.
• You want to race in the Gulf or Hong Kong this season: this is not the right month for a sale purchase. Read buying a horse to race in Dubai in 2026/27, Hong Kong owners: buying a PP or PPG this winter or our page on horses in training for sale.
• You breed in Japan: European mares can travel, with planning. Read buying a European racehorse from Japan first; import notice periods are long.

Noura wants a mare, so she is a Tattersalls-and-Arqana buyer. Mr Lau said "something for the future" and, after twenty minutes on a call, meant a foal. Most good briefs start vague. That is what the first call is for.

How does an agent help across three sales in ten days?

One brief, one budget and one shortlist across all three catalogues; registration packs for each sale company; inspections and independent vets on the ground; written limits; bids in your name; and a plan for the horse after the hammer. You pay the sale company directly.

1. The brief. Goal, budget, timeline and where the horse will live. Ten minutes by email, or a free 20-minute call.
2. Registration, three times. Each sale company has its own forms. We tell you exactly what each one needs and chase the bank letters, so you do not discover the rules in the car park.
3. One shortlist. We read every catalogue and send one private list in US dollars, with the extra charges of each sale already added. Like with like, not guineas against euros.
4. Eyes and vets. We inspect each horse on the shortlist, and an independent vet working for you checks it. For a mare in foal, that includes the covering and pregnancy papers.
5. Written limits. One number per horse, in the sale's currency, signed off by you. Not one guinea or euro more without your clear "yes".
6. The bid. We bid in your name. You get a short message after each horse: bought, under-bid, or passed and why.
7. After the hammer. Payment instructions, insurance, the stud farm or the shipper, and the paperwork for the horse's next country.

Two honest points. On British and Irish sales we act for one side only, under the Bloodstock Industry Code of Practice. And Arqana publishes that it pays 5% of the price to the agent or trainer who bought for the buyer; if we ever receive that on your horse, you are told in writing before the sale. For the full picture of what an agent does, see what a bloodstock agent does and do you need a bloodstock agent? Buying at Tattersalls specifically? Our Tattersalls buyer desk explains how we work there.

How do I register with three sale companies?

Separately, and early. Tattersalls asks new buyers for a New Buyer Form, ID and a banker's reference, and an authorisation if someone bids for you. Arqana asks first-time buyers for a Payment Reference form, plus a Purchasers Authorisation for your agent. Goffs has its own new-buyer process; check goffs.com.

• Tattersalls: New Buyer Form, ID and a banker's reference sent by your bank. You cannot bid until Tattersalls confirms in writing. A Purchasers Authorisation lets your agent bid in your name. Details in our guide to buying at Tattersalls from overseas.
• Arqana: the Payment Reference form, returned before the sale, and a Purchasers Authorisation if someone bids for you. Purchases are cash sales, paid in full straight after the sale.
• Goffs: its own new-buyer registration. Ask Goffs what it needs and how long it takes.
• Your bank: large euro or sterling transfers from the Gulf or Asia can be slow the first time. A letter from your bank before the sale saves a tense call after it.

Our client cut-offs, so there is time for everything: 20 November for the Tattersalls Mares Sale, and 25 November for Arqana and Goffs December. Earlier is better. Noura registered in October with her stopwatch running. It took her eleven minutes. The bank took nine days.

After the hammer: stay in Europe or fly home?

Most December purchases stay in Europe for a while: mares near the stallions, foals on a stud farm until they are older. When a horse does fly, the importing country's rules come first. For the UAE, an import permit is needed before the horse leaves, and horses arrive by air only.

• Insurance from the fall of the hammer. Ask each sale company when the risk passes to you.
• Stud farm or shipper booked before the sale. December is busy and good boxes go early.
• Export papers: from the UK, an export health certificate through the government's online service; from France, Arqana says it handles the export formalities once you have paid; from Ireland, ask Goffs and the shipper.
• Mares in foal: flying a pregnant mare needs extra care. Ask the vet and the shipper about the stage of pregnancy before you bid.
• Later, racing: when a foal is ready, it goes into training with a licensed trainer. Our partner trainers train; we place the horse and supervise the plan.

More in racehorse transport and how to buy a racehorse in Europe from the UAE.

Your timeline: from today to 10 December

A plain word before December

The December sales are among the most international weeks in the horse world, and buyers from the Gulf and Asia are a big part of them. A careful buyer with a clear plan, a written limit and an independent vet can buy well there at many budgets, from far away.

We cannot promise that a mare will produce a champion, that a foal will make a racehorse, or that any horse will be worth more later. Nobody honest can. What we can promise is one clear plan across three sales, plain terms, independent vets and short, honest reports by email.

Noura bought nothing on the first day and one mare on the third. Mr Lau bought a foal and, for the first time anyone can remember, answered his phone to say thank you.

One plan for Newmarket, Deauville and Kildare, from wherever you are.

Email us your goal, your budget and where the horse will live. We source the best horses from sales all over the world, with independent vets and plain written terms, and we will tell you honestly if December is the right month for you or if another sale fits better. Budgets from US$50,000.

Email us now Book a free 20-minute call Get the winter shortlist

Email info@silkroadbloodstock.com first, from anywhere in the world. Phone +971 52 311 2385 second. WhatsApp as backup.

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Related guides

• December sales 2026: the buyer's checklist (free, printable)
• Tattersalls December Sales 2026: the buyer's guide to foals, mares and yearlings
• Buying at the Arqana December Sale 2026: a guide for Gulf owners
• Buying after the Breeders' Cup: the November-December sales 2026
• How to buy at Tattersalls from overseas (2026 guide)
• How to read a sales catalogue page in 10 minutes
• Racehorse vetting explained
• Your private winter sales shortlist, by email

The Silk Road Letter

Twice a month: the sales worth watching, one buying tip and one real market number (plus the odd catalogue joke). Free with it: our 2026-27 sale calendar (PDF) and a one-page guide to what a racehorse really costs. We email a link to confirm first. Unsubscribe in one click.

Email me the free guides

Frequently asked questions

When are the December sales in Europe in 2026?

As listed: Tattersalls December Foal Sale 24 to 28 November and December Mares Sale 30 November to 2 December (Newmarket; one listing shows 3 December, so check tattersalls.com); Arqana December Breeding Sale 5 to 8 December (Deauville); Goffs December National Hunt Sale 7 to 10 December (Kildare). All dates are subject to change.

What does each sale add on top of the hammer price?

Arqana publishes a 6% buyer's commission before tax, plus VAT on the price and commission: 10% for covered mares and fillies due to be covered, 20% for other horses. Tattersalls bids in guineas (1 guinea is 1.05 pounds) and UK VAT may apply, though a horse exported from the UK can usually be zero-rated with proof of export. Goffs sells in euros under Irish VAT rules. Always read each Conditions of Sale and ask for the final figure in writing.

Can I buy at all three sales from the Gulf or Asia without travelling?

Yes. You register with each sale company well before you bid and lodge the authorisation that lets your agent bid in your name. The horse is bought in your name and you pay the sale company directly.

Which December sale suits a buyer who wants to race on the flat in the Gulf or Asia?

The December sales are mainly breeding sales: mares, fillies and foals. Goffs December is a National Hunt (jumps) sale. If you want a horse to race this winter, a horse in training bought privately or at a horses-in-training sale is usually the better route.

How much does Silk Road Bloodstock charge?

5% of the purchase price, with a minimum fee of US$5,000, agreed in writing before we start. Budgets start at US$50,000. You pay the sale company or seller directly; your money never goes through us. Licensed partner trainers train; we do not.

Spotted an error? Email info@silkroadbloodstock.com and we will fix it within 48 hours.

Sources

Checked 24 October 2026. Silk Road Bloodstock is not affiliated with Tattersalls, Arqana or Goffs. Each sale company's Conditions of Sale always apply; dates, charges and tax rules can change.

• Tattersalls, official site (December Foal Sale 24 to 28 November 2026; December Mares Sale 30 November to 2 December 2026; checked 24 October 2026)
• Discover Newmarket, Tattersalls December Breeding Stock Sale (listed 30 November to 3 December 2026, 9.30am each day)
• Normandy Tourism, Arqana Breeding Sale (listed 5 to 8 December 2026; check arqana.com)
• Arqana, buyer information (6% buyer's commission before tax; VAT 10% or 20% on price plus commission; cash sale; Payment Reference form; 5% paid to the buyer's agent or trainer; export formalities after payment)
• Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, Irish horse sales 2026 (Goffs November Foal and Breeding Stock Sale 15 to 21 November; Goffs December NH Sale 7 to 10 December; all dates subject to change)
• Goffs, official site (Conditions of Sale, new buyer registration and session times)
• HMRC Notice 703, VAT on goods exported from the UK
• GOV.UK, Get an export health certificate
• Australian Government, MICoR, UAE live horses (import permit before export; air only)