Tattersalls December Sales 2026: The Buyer's Guide to Foals, Mares and Yearlings

The Tattersalls December Sales in Newmarket are listed for 23 November to 3 December 2026: yearlings on 23 November, foals from 24 to 28 November, and mares and fillies from 30 November to 3 December. You can buy from overseas through an agent, but you must register with Tattersalls at least 7 days before you bid. In 2025 the foal median was 30,500 guineas.

Every December, people fly into a small, cold English town to spend serious money on horses who cannot race yet, or will never race again. To an outsider it looks mad. To a breeder it looks like Christmas.

Uncle Rashid (invented, 63, owns four scarves and wears all of them) goes every year "just to look". He has never just looked. Last year his nephew, the Spreadsheet Nephew (also invented), built a model to stop him. The model was very good. Uncle Rashid did not open it.

This guide is for both of them. It tells you what is sold, when, what it really cost last year, and how to buy properly from Dubai, Riyadh, Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York or anywhere else with Wi-Fi.

When are the Tattersalls December Sales in 2026?

The December Sale is really three sales in a row at Park Paddocks, Newmarket. These are the 2026 dates as listed; always check tattersalls.com before you book a flight.

The same season is busy all over Europe. Goffs in Ireland lists its November Foal and Breeding Stock Sale for 15 to 21 November 2026, and Arqana in Deauville runs its own autumn and December sales. We source from all of them, and from sales worldwide, so you are never stuck with one catalogue. See the sales we buy from.

Uncle Rashid's question at this point is always the same: "Which day is the good day?" The honest answer is: the day the right horse walks in. The Spreadsheet Nephew prefers "Tuesday". He has no evidence for this.

Foal, mare or yearling: what should I actually buy?

Buy for your goal, not for the catalogue. A foal is a long wait. A mare is a breeding plan. A December yearling is the quickest of the three to a racecourse, but it is still a young horse.

A foal: the long game

A foal bought in November 2026 will not race until 2028 at the earliest, when it is two. Before that it needs a stud farm, a vet, a farrier, a lot of grass and roughly one thousand days of not getting hurt in a field. Foals are very good at getting hurt in fields. It is their main hobby.

People buy foals for three reasons: to breed and race their own horse from the start, to sell it again as a yearling (this is called pinhooking), or because the foal is related to something they love. Pinhooking is a trade with real risk, not a sure profit. Some foals sell well as yearlings. Some do not. The foal does not read the market report.

A mare: a breeding plan with legs

A mare in foal gives you two horses for one hammer: the mare, and the foal she is carrying, due next spring. You then choose a stallion for her next foal. This is how many of the world's great breeding operations started, with one good mare and a lot of patience.

It is also how many owners discover that a stud farm sends invoices with the same regularity as the sun rises. Ask for the costs in writing before you buy. See what a horse really costs.

A December yearling: the shortcut that is still not short

The December Yearling Sale is a smaller sale of yearlings who missed the autumn sales or need more time. A yearling bought now could race as a two-year-old in 2027, if it grows up well. If you want to race sooner than that, a horse in training is usually the better buy. Our guide yearling, breeze-up or horse in training compares all three.

A filly out of training: racing past, breeding future

The Mares Sale also sells fillies who have finished racing and are ready to become mothers. Good race form and a good family can make them very popular. Uncle Rashid calls them "retired athletes". The Spreadsheet Nephew calls them "the expensive ones". They are both right.

What did horses really cost at the December Sales in 2025?

At the 2025 December Foal Sale, 646 foals sold for 37,893,400 guineas, with a record median of 30,500 guineas. At the 2025 December Mares Sale, 580 of 716 horses offered sold (81%), with a median of 40,500 guineas and an average of 140,660 guineas.

The median is the number to watch. It is the price in the middle: half sold for more, half for less. The average is pulled up by a few very expensive horses. If you build your budget on the average, you will spend the whole sale watching other people buy.

Guineas, quickly: 1 guinea is £1.05. So 30,500 guineas is £32,025, before VAT and costs. Convert to your currency on the day. The guinea is the only currency in the world that exists mainly so that Newmarket can feel special about it. It works.

These are last year's figures, not a promise for this year. Prices move with the sire, the family, the horse in front of you and the mood in the ring. A budget that worked in 2025 may buy a little more or a little less in 2026.

For what the rest of the year costs, from stud fees to training, see our honest cost guide.

How should I set a budget for the December Sales?

Set one number for the horse and a second number for everything after the hammer. Then add a little for the moment when you fall in love in the ring.

Our simple method for clients:

1. The hammer limit: the most you will bid for the horse, in guineas. Written down. Before the sale.
2. The after-hammer list: VAT where it applies, transport, insurance from the fall of the hammer, vet checks, and the cost of keeping the horse until it races or breeds.
3. The "Uncle Rashid allowance": a small, agreed margin for a horse that is better than expected. Small. Agreed. Not "we'll see".

Uncle Rashid once explained his budget as "a feeling in the chest". The Spreadsheet Nephew converted the feeling into guineas. It was a big feeling.

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 does buying through an agent work at Tattersalls?

You register with Tattersalls as a buyer at least 7 days before the sale, then sign a Purchasers Authorisation so your agent can bid for you. The horse is bought in your name, and you pay Tattersalls directly.

Step by step, the way we do it:

1. Your brief. Goal, budget, timeline, and where the horse will live. Ten minutes by email, or a free 20-minute call.
2. Registration. Tattersalls' New Buyer Form, ID, and a banker's reference sent by your bank. You cannot bid until Tattersalls confirms in writing.
3. Authorisation. A Purchasers Authorisation is lodged so your agent can bid in your name. Without it, the bidder and the buyer can both be liable, which is why we lodge it first.
4. The shortlist. We read the catalogue, mark the horses that fit your brief, and send you a private shortlist. Only you see it.
5. Inspection. We see each horse walk, more than once if needed. Foals change by the hour. A foal who looks perfect at 9am can look like a deckchair at 11am, and then perfect again after lunch.
6. The vet. An independent vet, working for you, reviews the vet files and examines the horse where allowed.
7. The bid. We bid to your written limit. Not one guinea more without your clear "yes".
8. After the hammer. Payment, insurance, a Pass Out from Tattersalls, transport and the paperwork for wherever the horse is going next.

Full details of the registration rules are in our guide to buying at Tattersalls from overseas. What an agent does, line by line, is in what a bloodstock agent does. Buying from the Gulf or Asia? Our Tattersalls buyer desk shows how we work for you, from the catalogue to the plane.

Travelling to the sale yourself? The Inward Buyers' Initiative, run with Tattersalls, can refund part of the air fare for selected buyers from outside the British Isles who spend 10,000 guineas or more at a sale. It is first come, first served, so apply to Tattersalls well before you fly.

How do you vet a foal or a mare before you bid?

Have your own vet review the X-rays and reports the seller has lodged, look at the horse in person, and read the Conditions of Sale. For mares in foal, check the covering and pregnancy paperwork too.

Foals and yearlings

• The vet files: sellers can lodge X-rays and reports in the Tattersalls Repository, which only vets can view. Your vet reads them for you.
• The walk: how the foal moves, how straight its legs are, and how it copes with the crowd. A foal who is calm at a sale is a foal who may be calm at a starting gate one day.
• The family: read the catalogue page properly. Our 10-minute catalogue guide explains black type and the polite lies of capital letters.

Mares in foal

• Covering certificate: proof of which stallion she visited. Tattersalls requires it before the mare is sold.
• Pregnancy certificate: a vet's certificate that she is in foal, dated close to the sale under the Conditions of Sale.
• Her own health: age, past foals, and anything the vet wants to look at twice.
• Returns: a horse can only be returned under the specific Conditions of Sale (Conditions 10 to 12). The time limits are strict. Read them, or let us read them for you.

For the full picture of what a vet can and cannot tell you, see racehorse vetting explained.

Uncle Rashid's vetting method is to look the mare in the eye. The mare's method is to look at his scarf and consider eating it. Neither is a substitute for an X-ray.

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How do I fly a December purchase to the Gulf or Asia?

Many December horses stay in Europe for a while first. When they travel, they need the import rules of the country they are going to, an export health certificate from the UK, blood tests, and a professional shipper. For the UAE, an import permit is needed before the horse leaves.

Here is the honest truth about foals: most buyers do not fly them anywhere straight away. A foal bought in November usually spends the winter and spring on a stud farm in Britain, Ireland or France, growing up with other foals. It travels later, when it is older, stronger and better at airports than most humans.

When the horse does travel, the steps are similar for most countries:

• Import rules first. For the UAE, permission to import from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment must be granted before the horse leaves, and horses arrive by air only. Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Japan and others each have their own rules; your shipper checks them for the exact horse and date.
• Export health certificate. In the UK this is applied for through the government's online service, and the official vet needs it before export.
• Blood tests within set days of travel, as the importing country requires.
• Mares in foal: flying a pregnant mare needs extra care. Ask the vet and the shipper about the stage of pregnancy before you bid, not after.
• VAT: a horse exported from the UK can usually be zero-rated for VAT with proof of export, normally within 3 months (HMRC Notice 703). You then pay any import duty or VAT at home.

We work backwards from the date you want the horse home, so the plan fits the horse, not the other way round. See racehorse transport.

What does a good December sale week look like?

Brief and registration in October, shortlist and vet files in early November, inspections in the days before each session, bidding to a written limit, and the transport plan agreed before the hammer.

Racing in the Gulf this winter instead? Read our companion guide, buying a horse to race in Dubai in 2026/27.

A plain word before you bid

The December Sales are among the most international weeks in the horse world. Buyers come from every continent, and a careful buyer with a clear plan can do very well there, whatever the size of the budget.

We cannot promise that a foal will become a racehorse, that a mare will produce a champion, or that any horse will sell for more later. Nobody honest can. What we can promise is a clear brief, an independent vet, a written bid limit, plain terms and plain reports, by email, wherever you live.

Uncle Rashid has agreed to send his brief early this year. The Spreadsheet Nephew has agreed to stop calling it "the incident". The scarves are coming regardless.

Buy at the December Sales with a plan, from anywhere.

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. We will tell you honestly if December is the right month for you, or if another sale fits better.

Email us now Book a free 20-minute call

Email info@silkroadbloodstock.com first, from anywhere in the world. Phone +971 52 311 2385 second (Dubai, GMT+4). WhatsApp as backup.

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Related guides

• How to buy at Tattersalls from overseas (2026 guide)
• Yearling, breeze-up or horse in training: which fits your budget?
• How to read a sales catalogue page in 10 minutes
• Buying a horse to race in Dubai, 2026/27: what to buy and when

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Frequently asked questions

When are the Tattersalls December Sales in 2026?

As listed for 2026: December Yearling Sale 23 November, December Foal Sale 24 to 28 November, and December Breeding Stock (Mares) Sale 30 November to 3 December, at Park Paddocks, Newmarket. Always check tattersalls.com for final dates.

Can I buy at Tattersalls from overseas without travelling?

Yes. You register as a buyer at least 7 days before the sale and lodge a Purchasers Authorisation so your agent can bid in your name. You pay Tattersalls directly.

What did foals and mares cost at Tattersalls in December 2025?

At the 2025 December Foal Sale, 646 foals sold with a median of 30,500 guineas and an average of 58,660 guineas. At the 2025 December Mares Sale, 580 of 716 offered sold, with a median of 40,500 guineas and an average of 140,660 guineas.

Can a foal or mare bought in December fly to the Gulf or Asia?

Often, yes, but it needs planning: an import permit where required, export health papers, blood tests and a vet's view on whether the horse should fly now. Mares in foal need extra care, so ask the vet and shipper before you bid.

Does Silk Road Bloodstock train horses?

No. Licensed trainers train, and stud farms raise young stock. We help you buy, choose where the horse goes, and supervise the plan.

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

Sources

Checked 23 October 2026. Silk Road Bloodstock is not affiliated with Tattersalls, Goffs or Arqana. The Tattersalls Conditions of Sale always apply.

• Discover Newmarket, Tattersalls December Foal Sale (24 to 28 November 2026, Park Paddocks)
• Discover Newmarket, Tattersalls December Breeding Stock Sale (30 November to 3 December 2026)
• Discover Newmarket, Tattersalls December Yearling Sale (23 November 2026)
• TrueNicks / BloodHorse, 29 November 2025, "Tatts Foal Sale Finishes With Record Median" (646 sold, 37,893,400gns, average 58,660gns, median 30,500gns)
• BloodHorse, "Record Tattersalls December Mares Sale Concludes" 3 December 2025 (580 of 716 sold, 81,583,515gns, average 140,660gns, median 40,500gns, sale cut to 3 days)
• Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, Irish horse sales 2026 (Goffs November Foal and Breeding Stock Sale 15 to 21 November 2026)
• Tattersalls, Inward Buyers' Initiative (10,000 guineas or more per sale; first come, first served)
• Tattersalls sale documentation notice (covering and pregnancy certificates; returns only under Conditions 10 to 12)
• 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)