The Silk Road Journal · Selling · How to sell your racehorse series
Selling a racehorse to Gulf and Asian buyers
Your best buyer may not be in Newmarket this week. They may be in Dubai, Manama, Riyadh or Hong Kong, looking for exactly your horse, on a deadline. Here is what they want.
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.
Gulf and Asian buyers mostly want sound horses already in training, with a rating and form that fit their races, and enough time to get them there. Bahrain's Turf Series takes horses rated 80 to 100 (stabling nominations by 5 November 2026). The UAE season runs to the Dubai World Cup on 27 March 2027. A Hong Kong PP import needs a Hong Kong Jockey Club rating of 63 or more and an age of 2 to 4. Sellers who have video, vet records and clean papers ready, and who answer quickly, sell first.
Faris (invented) assumed his buyer would be in Newmarket. Auntie Mariam pointed out that the man who rang him at 7 in the morning, asking for "the rating and a video, please", was in Dubai. It was 11 there. He had already been to the office.
Who is buying, and for which season?
Each market has its own calendar and its own rules. A horse that fits one may not fit another.
| Market | 2026-27 season | What buyers look for |
|---|---|---|
| UAE | 22 Oct 2026 to the Dubai World Cup, 27 Mar 2027; the Carnival at Meydan from 6 Nov | Horses in training with a rating and a clear surface plan, turf or dirt |
| Bahrain | 30 Oct 2026 to 16 Apr 2027; Turf Series from 18 Dec | Turf handicappers rated 80 to 100 (84 to 100 for the first round) |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh, 16 Oct 2026 to 17 Apr 2027; Saudi Cup meeting 5-6 Feb | Horses with form at the trip and surface they will race on |
| Hong Kong | Import permits by annual ballot (120 PP permits in 2026) | Speed: sprinters and milers, aged 2 to 4, rated 63+ by the HKJC |
For the Carnival, Dubai Racing Club pays the return flight for invited horses rated 105 or more. Other horses travel at the owner's cost. That is why a rating matters so much: it is a ticket, and sometimes a free flight.
Why do these buyers move fast?
Because every Gulf or Asian buyer is counting backwards from a race.
- Bahrain: stabling nominations for the Turf Series close on Thursday 5 November 2026. A buyer has days, not weeks.
- UAE: the horse needs an import permit before it leaves, then the flight and time to settle. Most new arrivals aim at the second half of the season.
- Hong Kong: owners promoted from the reserve list often need a horse quickly. The horse needs a Hong Kong rating, the Club's pre-import vet exam, 21 days of pre-export quarantine and at least 14 days of quarantine in Hong Kong.
- Saudi Arabia: the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture sets import conditions, including tests before travel.
A seller who answers in 3 days loses to a seller who answers in 3 hours. The Man Who Knew the Sire is still composing his reply from last Tuesday.
What should I prepare before a Gulf or Asian buyer asks?
- The rating and the last 3 runs, with links to the replays.
- A recent walk and trot video on firm, level ground, plus clear photos of both sides.
- Vet records: recent X-rays and a scope if you have them. Buyers far away rely on paper more, not less. See our vet, X-rays and passport guide.
- The passport, with vaccinations up to date. Import rules often ask for vaccination and test records.
- A price in one currency, and an idea of it in US dollars. Gulf buyers usually think in dollars.
- A plain profile in English, and ideally in Arabic. We write ours in both.
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.
Who handles export and shipping?
Usually the buyer pays for transport, unless you agree otherwise in writing. But the horse cannot leave without official health certificates, blood tests and the destination's import permit, so the seller's vet and papers matter.
Specialist shippers fly horses in stalls on cargo aircraft, with flying grooms. Each country sets its own isolation and quarantine rules, so the shipper confirms them for every move. Our racehorse transport page explains the steps.
Two seller rules we always follow: take payment in full, cleared, before the horse or the passport leaves, and put who pays for isolation, tests and flights in the written agreement.
Why do these buyers often buy privately?
- Timing: they buy when their deadline says so, not when a catalogue is printed.
- Distance: a buyer in Hong Kong would rather see a video at breakfast than fly to a sale.
- Privacy: many prefer not to bid in public.
- Language and time zones: a reply in Arabic, at a sensible hour, helps.
This is where we earn our fee. We work with clients worldwide, in English and Arabic. We show your horse only with your written OK, and only to buyers whose plans fit it. We cannot promise a buyer, a price or a date. We can promise a quick, honest answer.
What makes a horse a poor fit for these markets?
- The wrong rating: a horse rated 78 is not yet in the Bahrain series band, and one rated 101 is too high.
- The wrong age or too many runs for a Hong Kong PP permit (it must arrive aged 2 to 4, with no more than 17 career starts).
- A horse that travels badly, or one with a vet question nobody can answer from far away.
If your horse does not fit, we will say so, and suggest a better market for it. Faris's horse fitted Bahrain. The buyer asked for the video at 7 in the morning. Faris sent it at 7.05. Auntie Mariam was impressed for the first time this year.
Selling to the Gulf or Asia? Email us first.
Send "SELL", the horse's name, its rating and where it is trained. We work in English and Arabic, with buyers worldwide, and introduce horses privately to buyers whose plans fit. 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)
- How much is my racehorse worth? (2026 guide)
- Selling a racehorse privately vs at auction
- Selling a horse out of training: costs, timing, paperwork
- 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
What rating does a horse need for the Bahrain Turf Series?
The 2026-27 series is for horses rated 80 to 100 (84 to 100 for the first round in December). Stabling nominations close on 5 November 2026.
What rating does a horse need to be imported to Hong Kong?
Under the HKJC's 2026/27 criteria, a normal PP import needs a Hong Kong rating of 63 or more, given by the Club itself. The horse must arrive aged 2 to 4 with no more than 17 career starts.
Who pays to ship a racehorse to the Gulf?
Usually the buyer, unless the written agreement says otherwise. For the Dubai Racing Carnival, Dubai Racing Club pays the return flight for invited horses rated 105 or more.
When does the 2026-27 UAE racing season end?
With the Dubai World Cup at Meydan on Saturday 27 March 2027. The Dubai Racing Carnival opens on 6 November 2026.
Do I need to speak Arabic to sell to Gulf buyers?
No, but it helps. We prepare horse profiles in English and Arabic and reply in either language.
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.
- WAM, Emirates Racing Authority 2026-27 UAE season (Dubai World Cup 27 March 2027)
- Khaleej Times, 8 September 2026 (Dubai Racing Carnival opens 6 November)
- Dubai Racing Club, Carnival terms and conditions 2026-27 (return flight paid for invited horses rated 105+)
- Australian Government MICoR, UAE live horses (import permit before export)
- Bahrain Turf Club, Bahrain Turf Series 2026-27 (14 races, rated 80+, nominations by 5 November 2026)
- Bahrain Turf Club, REHC racing season 2026-27 (30 October to 16 April)
- Thoroughbred Daily News, 2026-27 Riyadh season (16 October to 17 April; Saudi Cup meeting 5-6 February 2027)
- Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, import conditions for Saudi Cup horses (written for an earlier edition)
- HKJC, Previously Raced Horses (PP) import criteria 2026/27
- HKJC, horse import permit ballot
- AFCD Hong Kong, import of horses
- TrueNicks, "Tattersalls HIT sale concludes with steady trade", 31 October 2025 (aggregate, average, median, buyers from 30+ countries, chairman's comments)