The Silk Road Journal · Selling · How to sell your racehorse series
How long does it take to sell a racehorse? Honest timelines by route
Every month a horse waits costs a training bill. Here is how long each way of selling really takes, from the day you decide to the day the money arrives.
A plain guide for sellers. Faris is invented. Timelines marked "our estimate" are our view, not a rule; facts are sourced at the end. Nothing here is financial or legal advice, and no horse in this article is for sale.
It depends on the route. An online auction is the quickest public sale: for the Tattersalls Online June Sale 2026, entries closed on 22 May and bidding opened on 3 June. A live auction takes longer because entries close before the catalogue goes online (about four weeks before the 2026 Horses in Training Sale), and some sale companies pay vendors weeks later (Goffs: 35 days). A private sale can take weeks or months, and nobody can honestly promise a date. A claiming or selling race is the fastest sale of all, but anyone eligible can claim the horse at the price you set.
Faris (invented) wants his horse sold "by Friday". Faris also wants the best price. His trainer, who has heard this before, pours two coffees.
The timeline by route
| Route | Decision to sale (our estimate) | When the money arrives | Public result? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online auction | About 2-4 weeks | Under the platform's terms | Yes |
| Live auction | About 5-10 weeks, tied to sale dates | Under the sale's conditions (Goffs: 35 days after the sale) | Yes, including "not sold" |
| Private sale | Weeks to months | Before the horse and passport leave | No |
| Claiming or selling race | The day of the race | Under the racing authority's rules | Yes |
Live auction: why the clock starts weeks before the sale
Entries close before the catalogue goes online, so a live sale is planned a month or two ahead.
- Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale 2026: catalogue online 30 September, sale from 26 October.
- Tattersalls December Yearling Sale 2026: catalogue online 28 October, sale on 23 November.
Miss the deadline and the next suitable sale may be months away. After the hammer, payment follows the sale's conditions: Goffs says vendors are paid 35 days after each sale. Our step-by-step guide to entering a sale has the fees.
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Online auctions: the quick public route
Online sales close entries days before bidding, and bidding runs about a day.
At the Tattersalls Online June Sale 2026, entries closed on 22 May and bidding opened on 3 June. The entry was £160 + VAT. GoffsGo lists a £49 entry and 1.5% commission if sold. The result is still public, and the buyer collects within days (4 days at Tattersalls Online).
Private sale: weeks to months
A private sale is as fast as the slowest of three things: the right buyer, the vet and the paperwork.
When you list with us, we reply by email within 24 hours and introduce the horse only after you agree the terms in writing. Some horses find a buyer in weeks; others take longer. If an auction or waiting looks better for your horse, we tell you so. We cannot promise a date, and anyone who does is guessing.
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.
Claiming and selling races: the fastest sale there is
"Selling stakes" are selling races: races where the horses can be bought at a price set before the race.
- Britain: in a selling race the winner is auctioned on the racecourse, and the other runners can be claimed at a value the trainer set at entry. In a claiming race every runner can be claimed.
- Ireland: claims are made by phone to Horse Racing Ireland from one hour before the race until 10 minutes after the result is confirmed. Ownership passes at once, whatever happens in the race, and the original owner pays 5% of the claiming price.
- North America: claiming races are very common, at every level of price.
The catch: you choose the price, but not the buyer, and you cannot change your mind after the claim. In our view it suits only a horse whose value already matches that level. It is never the way to sell a horse you think is worth more.
What makes a racehorse sell faster
- Decide early, while the form is fresh and before the next training bill.
- Papers ready: passport, proof of who owns the horse and who signs, recent vet records. See vet, X-rays and passport.
- Good video: walk and trot on level ground, plus recent race replays.
- An honest description, weak points included, so buyers who would walk away after the vet walk away now.
- A realistic price from recent results for similar horses.
- A written agreement ready for the day a buyer says yes. See what to put in writing.
The horse was not sold by Friday. It was sold, properly, a few weeks later. The trainer has stopped pouring two coffees.
In a hurry to sell? Email us first.
Send "SELL", the horse's name and where it is trained. We reply within 24 hours and never promise a date we cannot keep. Listing is free, and nobody sees your horse without your written OK.
Email info@silkroadbloodstock.com first, from anywhere in the world. Phone +971 52 311 2385 second. WhatsApp as backup.
Our selling terms: listing is free. We charge 5% of the final price (minimum US$5,000) only if the horse sells to a buyer we introduce, including through our website, within 6 months of that introduction. Nothing to pay if it doesn't sell. If we are ever paid by both sides, both are told in writing first. Our fee is paid by bank transfer or Western Union only. Full details: fees and process.
Are you the trainer?
You stay the owner's contact. If the horse sells to a buyer we introduce, you receive 20% of our fee, paid out of our fee and never added to the price, and the owner is told in writing. Terms for trainers.
Buying instead?
We buy for clients wherever they live and race, from the best sales and private sellers all over the world. 5% (min US$5,000), agreed in writing, and you pay the seller directly.
The "How to sell your racehorse" series
- How to enter a horse in a bloodstock sale
- Racehorse sale agreement: what to put in writing
- How to sell a share in a racehorse
- How to sell a racehorse in training: auction, private or agent (the main guide)
- How much is my racehorse worth? (2026 guide)
- Selling a racehorse privately vs at auction
- Selling a horse out of training: costs, timing, paperwork
- Selling a racehorse to Gulf and Asian buyers
- Vet, X-rays and passport: what a buyer will ask the seller
- What does a bloodstock agent do? (And what 5% pays for)
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.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to sell a racehorse?
An online auction can take about 2-4 weeks from decision to sale, a live auction about 5-10 weeks because entries close well before the sale, and a private sale weeks to months. These are our estimates; nobody can honestly promise a date.
What is the fastest way to sell a racehorse?
A claiming or selling race sells on the day, but anyone eligible can claim the horse at the price you set. The quickest public sale without that risk is usually an online auction, where bidding runs about a day.
What does "selling stakes" mean in horse racing?
A selling race. In Britain the winner is auctioned on the racecourse after the race, and the other runners can be claimed at a value the trainer set at entry.
When do I get paid after selling a horse at auction?
Under the sale company's conditions. Goffs, for example, says vendors are paid 35 days after each sale. Read your sale's own terms.
Can you promise a sale date for my horse?
No. We reply within 24 hours and introduce the horse only after you agree terms in writing. Some horses sell in weeks, others take longer, and if an auction suits your horse better we say so.
Spotted an error? Email info@silkroadbloodstock.com and we will fix it within 48 hours.
Sources
Checked 25 October 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the source before you decide. Nothing here is financial or legal advice, and no horse in this article is for sale.
- Tattersalls Online June Sale 2026, Sale Information Notice (entry £160 + VAT, 5% vendor commission, bought-in rules, £200 late withdrawal, vet certificate within 14 days, collection within 4 days)
- Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale 2026, key information (26-29 October; catalogue online 30 September)
- Tattersalls December Yearling Sale 2026, key information (sale 23 November; catalogue online 28 October)
- GoffsGo help page (£49 entry, 1.5% vendor commission)
- Thoroughbred Daily News, 6 January 2023 (Goffs pays vendors 35 days after each sale)
- British Horseracing Authority, claiming races (selling races: winner auctioned, the rest can be claimed at a value set at entry)
- Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, claiming races (claim window, ownership passes at once, 5% paid by the original owner)
- Wikipedia, "Claiming race" (how claiming works, common in North America)