The Silk Road Journal · Selling · How to sell your racehorse series
How much is my racehorse worth? (2026 guide)
Every owner knows exactly what their horse is worth. Every buyer knows a different number. Here is how the market actually sets the price, with real 2025 figures and no flattery.
A light-hearted look at the horse world. Faris, Auntie Mariam and the Man Who Knew the Sire are invented. Facts are sourced at the end. Nothing here is financial, legal or veterinary advice, and no horse in this article is for sale.
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A racehorse is worth what a willing buyer will pay for it this month. Buyers mostly pay for 5 things: the official rating and recent form, age and sex, soundness on the vet's report, pedigree (which matters most for fillies), and how well the horse fits races that buyers want to win. At the 2025 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale, the median was 15,000 guineas and the average 33,565 guineas: half the horses sold for 15,000 guineas or less. Start from recent sale results for similar horses, then subtract your costs of selling.
Faris (invented) would like to sell his horse. He has a number in mind. It is the price he paid, plus the training bills, plus a small bonus for "the emotional journey". Auntie Mariam has a different number. It is lower, and she wrote it in pencil.
The Man Who Knew the Sire says the horse is "worth a fortune to the right person". This is true of every horse ever foaled. The difficulty is finding the right person, on the right day, with the right fortune.
What decides a racehorse's price?
In our experience, buyers pay for the horse's next 12 months, not its last 12. These are the 7 questions every serious buyer asks, roughly in order of weight:
- What is it rated, and is the form recent? An official rating (in Britain set by the BHA's handicappers) tells a buyer which races the horse can contest. A rating from a run 3 weeks ago is worth more than the same rating from last year.
- How old is it, and is it a colt, gelding or filly? A 3-year-old has more racing ahead. A filly or mare with a good family also has a breeding value.
- Is it sound? Clean X-rays and a clear wind test protect the price. A question mark on either can take a large slice off it. See our vet, X-rays and passport guide.
- Which races does it fit? Trip, ground and surface. A horse proven on turf at a mile is a different product from one that wants 2 miles in heavy ground.
- Does it fit a buyer's target? Some buyers shop for a rating band: Bahrain's Turf Series takes horses rated 80 to 100, and a Hong Kong PP import needs a Hong Kong Jockey Club rating of at least 63 under the 2026/27 criteria. More in our Gulf and Asian buyers guide.
- What is the pedigree? Black type (winners or placed horses in Group and Listed races) close up in the family adds value, especially for fillies.
- Are the papers clean? A passport that matches the horse, clear ownership and a seller who can sign. Missing papers rarely kill a sale. They slow it, and slow sales tend to get cheaper.
Notice what is not on the list: the price you paid, the training bills, and how much the family loves the horse. Buyers are polite about these. They do not pay for them.
What did horses in training really sell for in 2025?
At the 2025 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale in Newmarket, 1,009 of the 1,157 horses offered were sold. They made 33,867,500 guineas in total: an average of 33,565 guineas and a median of 15,000 guineas.
| 2025 figure | Guineas | About £ (1 guinea = £1.05) |
|---|---|---|
| Median (the middle horse) | 15,000 | £15,750 |
| Average | 33,565 | £35,243 |
| Sold / offered | 1,009 of 1,157 (about 87%) | |
Why is the average more than twice the median? Because a few expensive horses pull the average up. If you want to know what a typical horse made, look at the median. If your horse is not typical, look at horses like it, not at the headline.
The sale's chairman, Edmond Mahony, said trade was challenging in many sectors, with "the market not always meeting vendor expectations". That is the most polite sentence ever written about sellers, and every one of them read it.
Buyers came from more than 30 countries. That matters to you: a horse that was not the right price for one buyer in Newmarket may be exactly right for another in Riyadh, Manama or Hong Kong, a few weeks later.
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.
How do I find comparable prices for my horse?
Sale companies publish results lot by lot. Look for 5 to 10 horses that match yours on rating, age, sex and trip, sold in the last 12 months, and ignore the top lot.
- Match the rating band to within about 5 pounds. Then match the age and sex.
- Check the date. Autumn and spring markets differ. So do flat and jumps.
- Read what did not sell. A horse "bought back" at a price tells you where the bidding stopped.
- Mind the currency. Tattersalls sells in guineas, Goffs in euros (in Ireland) and Arqana in euros. Gulf buyers usually think in US dollars.
Faris found 7 comparable horses. He then removed the 3 that made less than his number. Auntie Mariam put them back.
What do I actually keep after the sale?
Your price minus your selling costs. These are the published costs for the main routes, worked through for a horse that sells at the 2025 median of 15,000 guineas (£15,750).
| Route | Published seller cost | At £15,750 |
|---|---|---|
| Tattersalls live sale | Entry about £640-£800 + 5% vendor commission, plus VAT | About £1,428-£1,588 + VAT |
| GoffsGo (online) | £49 entry + 1.5%, only if sold | About £285 |
| Private listing with us | Nothing unless it sells; then 5%, minimum US$5,000 | US$5,000 (about £3,790): the minimum applies |
Yes, we put our own minimum in the table. At the median price, an auction or an online sale costs you less than we do. Our fee makes most sense for horses above about US$100,000 (where 5% passes the minimum), for owners abroad, and for anyone who wants no public result. If your horse is better suited to an auction, we will tell you so. That is cheaper for you and better for our reputation.
Two more lines to check: your training agreement may give your trainer a percentage of the sale price (clause 22 of the British ROA/NTF agreement, if a rate is written in), and the entry fee is paid even if the horse does not sell.
What lowers a racehorse's value fastest?
- A long gap since the last run, without a clear reason.
- A vet finding the seller did not mention. It costs more than the finding itself, because the buyer then wonders what else is missing.
- A rating that is falling run after run.
- Unclear ownership: four partners, three signatures.
- Waiting. Every month costs training fees, and form can go down as well as up.
Why can't anyone promise me a price?
Because a price is two people agreeing on the same day. Anyone who promises you a figure before a buyer has seen the vet report is either very lucky or selling you something. We give an honest view of the horse's market, with the comparables we used, so you can check our thinking. We never promise a price, a buyer or a date.
Faris sent one email with his horse's name. The reply came back with 6 comparable sales and a range. It was closer to Auntie Mariam's pencil than to his number. He has not told her yet.
Want to know what your horse could fetch? Email us first.
Send "SELL", the horse's name and the country where it is trained. We check it against official racing records and reply within 24 hours with an honest view of its market. 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. If we are ever paid by both sides, both are told in writing first. 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.
Horse not sold at the Horses in Training sale? Our After-the-Sale Desk replies within 24 hours.
The "How to sell your racehorse" series
- How to sell a racehorse in training: auction, private or agent (the main 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 much is my racehorse worth?
What a willing buyer will pay this month. Buyers mainly pay for the official rating and recent form, age and sex, soundness, pedigree and how well the horse fits races they want to win. Start from recent sale results for similar horses.
What was the median price at the 2025 Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale?
15,000 guineas (about £15,750). The average was 33,565 guineas, and 1,009 of the 1,157 horses offered were sold.
Does the official rating decide the price?
It is the biggest single factor for a horse in training, because it decides which races the horse can run in. But soundness, age, sex, pedigree and recent form all move the price too.
Can you value my horse for free?
We give a free, honest view of the horse's market by email within 24 hours, with the comparable sales we used. It is an opinion, not a formal valuation and not a promise of a price.
What does it cost to sell a racehorse?
At a Tattersalls live sale, an entry fee of about £640-£800 plus 5% commission and VAT. GoffsGo charges £49 plus 1.5% if sold. A private listing with Silk Road Bloodstock is free, with 5% (minimum US$5,000) only if the horse sells to a buyer we introduce.
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.
- Tattersalls, Autumn Horses in Training Sale statistics (2025: 1,157 offered, 1,009 sold)
- TrueNicks, "Tattersalls HIT sale concludes with steady trade", 31 October 2025 (aggregate, average, median, buyers from 30+ countries, chairman's comments)
- Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale 2026, key information (26-29 October 2026)
- Tattersalls Cheltenham April 2026 sale notice (entry fee £800)
- Tattersalls Newmarket July 2024 sale notice (entry fee £640, withdrawal fee)
- GoffsGo help page (£49 entry, 1.5% vendor commission)
- ROA/NTF training agreement and notes, clause 22 (trainer's commission on sale)
- Bahrain Turf Club, Bahrain Turf Series 2026-27 (14 races, rated 80+, nominations by 5 November 2026)
- HKJC, Previously Raced Horses (PP) import criteria 2026/27