The sales we buy from · Data
Thoroughbred Sale Prices 2026: Averages and Medians by Sale
Every major 2026 yearling sale in one table, from Kentucky to Newmarket to the Gold Coast. Lots sold, gross, average, median and top price, with a source for every number.
Figures are copied from the sale companies and trade press, as published. If we could not verify a figure, the cell says "n/p" (not published in our sources). We never estimate. Nothing here is financial advice, and no horse on this page is for sale.
In 2026 the typical (median) yearling cost US$85,000 at Keeneland September, 80,000 guineas across the Tattersalls October Sale, €100,000 at Goffs Orby Book 1, €160,000 at Arqana August, US$525,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale and A$350,000 at Inglis Easter. Most sales set records.
Sale results come out one press release at a time, in four currencies, with one sale counting private deals and the next one not. So we put them in one place. Bookmark it, quote it, argue with it in the pub. Just link to it.
2026 thoroughbred sale results: the full table
Yearling sales, 2026, in the currency each sale trades in. Figures are ring sales unless the note says otherwise. Tap a number in the last column to see its source.
| Sale (2026 dates) | Sold | Gross | Average | Median | Top price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States (US$) | ||||||
| Keeneland September Yearling Sale14–26 Sep · ring sales | 2,856 | $536,737,900 | $187,933 | $85,000 | $3,700,000Into Mischief colt | 1, 2 |
| Keeneland September, incl. post-salessame sale, totals reported 26 Sep | 3,034 | $558,313,400 | $184,019 | $85,000 | $3,700,000 | 2 |
| Fasig-Tipton The Saratoga Sale10–11 Aug | 152 | $118,215,000 | $777,730 | $525,000 | $4,200,000Into Mischief colt | 3 |
| Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Yearlings16–17 Aug | 203 | $24,628,000 | $121,320 | $100,000 | $550,000Life Is Good colt | 4 |
| Britain: Tattersalls, Newmarket (guineas; 1 gn = £1.05) | ||||||
| October Yearling Sale Book 16–8 Oct | 360incl. private sales | 126,516,000 gns | 359,420 gns | 230,000 gns | 4,600,000 gnsNight of Thunder colt (European record for a yearling colt) | 5, 6 |
| October Yearling Sale Book 212–14 Oct | 655of 740 offered | 75,166,000 gns | 114,755 gns | 85,000 gns | 650,000 gnsLope de Vega colt | 7, 8 |
| October Yearling Sale Book 315–16 Oct | 375 | 9,198,800 gns | n/p | n/p | 150,000 gnsHavana Grey filly | 9 |
| October Yearling Sale Book 416 Oct · 54% clearance | n/p | n/p | 5,942 gns | n/p | 36,000 gnsCaturra filly | 9 |
| October Yearling Sale, Books 1–4all records | 1,408of 1,644 offered | 211,035,300 gns | 149,883 gns | 80,000 gns | 4,600,000 gns | 9, 10 |
| Ireland and France (€) | ||||||
| Goffs Orby Sale Book 1late Sep · 88% clearance | n/p | €54,173,000 | €138,906 | €100,000 | €1,400,000Justify filly | 11 |
| Goffs Orby Sale Book 230 Sep–1 Oct · 87% clearance | 343 | €9,784,000 | €28,525 | €22,000 | €210,000Cotai Glory filly | 12 |
| Arqana August Yearling Sale, Deauville15–17 Aug · 79% clearance | 233of 294 offered | €65.868m | €279,283 | €160,000 | €4,600,000Wootton Bassett colt | 13, 14 |
| Australia (A$) | ||||||
| Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Book 1January | 754 | A$203,814,500 | A$270,311 | A$200,000 | A$2,000,000 | 15 |
| Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, whole saleJanuary · Books 1–2 | 934 | A$213,187,000 | A$228,252 | A$150,000 | A$2,000,000 | 16 |
| Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale30–31 Mar · 76% clearance | 315 | A$145,730,000 | A$464,108 | A$350,000 | A$3,000,000Extreme Choice colt | 17, 18 |
Not in the table yet: the Arqana October Yearling Sale (20–23 October 2026) and the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale (26–29 October 2026). Final figures were not out when we last updated this page. We will add them when they are.
Read the small print: sale companies and the trade press sometimes count private and post-sale deals differently, so a total divided by "sold" will not always equal the published average to the dollar. We show each figure exactly as its source published it. Top prices are public auction results, not horses for sale.
Median price by sale: three charts
Each chart uses one currency, so no bar is distorted by an exchange rate. Hover or tap a bar for the exact figure. The table above has the same numbers.
United States: median yearling price, 2026 (US$)
Source: Fasig-Tipton, TDN, WKYT (see table).
Europe: median yearling price, 2026 (guineas and euro)
Two panels, two scales: guineas are not converted into euro. Source: Tattersalls, BloodHorse, Racing Post, TDN.
Australia: median yearling price, 2026 (A$)
Source: Magic Millions, TTR AusNZ (see table).
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Five things the 2026 numbers tell a buyer
Records almost everywhere, a fierce top end, and a middle market that is firm but still open to a buyer with a plan.
- The top end went shopping with a forklift. Keeneland had a record 70 yearlings at US$1 million or more. Tattersalls Book 1 equalled its record of 17 million-guinea yearlings. If your plan was "wait for the rich people to go home", they did not.
- The median is your friend, the average is your rich cousin. At Tattersalls Book 1 the average was 359,420 guineas and the median 230,000. The gap is a handful of very expensive colts sitting on the average like a horse on a hay bale.
- The book matters more than the postcode. At Tattersalls, the median fell from 230,000 guineas in Book 1 to 85,000 in Book 2. At Goffs, from €100,000 in Book 1 to €22,000 in Book 2. Same week, same town, very different bill.
- Saratoga is a boutique; Keeneland is a city. 152 yearlings sold at Saratoga at a US$525,000 median. 2,856 sold through the ring at Keeneland at US$85,000. Both are "Kentucky money". Only one has twelve sessions.
- Records are not a forecast. These are last season's hammer prices. They do not tell you what a horse will win, earn or sell for later. Owning a racehorse is a passion with bills, not a way to make money.
What US$50,000, US$150,000 and US$500,000 typically buys
General guidance only, based on the 2026 medians above. Every horse is priced on its own family, looks and vet report, and every sale is different.
US$50,000
Below the middle of the market at Keeneland September (median US$85,000), but comfortably above the Goffs Orby Book 2 median (€22,000). Think later sessions, a sound horse with a modest pedigree, and a sharp vet. Possible. Not glamorous. Many good racehorses started here.
US$150,000
Above the Keeneland median and around the Tattersalls Book 2 average (114,755 guineas, reported by BloodHorse as about US$159,509). You can compete for a nice horse in the busy middle of most big European and US sales, if you are patient and do not fall in love with lot one.
US$500,000
Just under the Saratoga median (US$525,000) and well above the Arqana August median (€160,000). This is the Book 1 and select-sale bracket, where you meet the big operations. You will need a clear brief, a vet you trust, and a bidder who stops at your number.
After the hammer come VAT or sales tax where it applies, insurance, transport and the training bills. See what a racehorse really costs and our cost calculator.
How to cite this page
Free to quote under CC BY 4.0. Credit Silk Road Bloodstock and link to this page. For a single figure, please also cite the original source linked below.
Suggested citation
Silk Road Bloodstock, "Thoroughbred Sale Prices 2026: Averages and Medians by Sale", updated 23 October 2026, https://silkroadbloodstock.com/bloodstock-sale-prices-2026
Link for your article or forum post
<a href="https://silkroadbloodstock.com/bloodstock-sale-prices-2026">Thoroughbred sale prices 2026 (Silk Road Bloodstock)</a>
Spotted an error or a newer figure? Email info@silkroadbloodstock.com and we will check and fix it within 48 hours.
How we built this table
- Sources: official sale-company reports and statistics pages first (Tattersalls, Fasig-Tipton, Magic Millions), then the trade press (BloodHorse, Thoroughbred Daily News, Racing Post, TTR AusNZ) and, for Keeneland, the local report of the closing figures.
- No estimates: if a figure was not published in a source we could check, the cell says n/p. We do not work out missing numbers ourselves or convert currencies.
- Yearlings only: breeding-stock, foal and horses-in-training sales have different price levels, so they are not mixed in.
- Updates: we add each sale when its final figures are out, and change the date at the top.
Buy at the right sale, at the right price, from anywhere.
Email us your budget, your aim 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 tell you honestly which sale fits your budget.
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Related guides
- What does a racehorse really cost? An honest guide
- Tattersalls December Sales 2026: the buyer's guide
- Yearling, breeze-up or horse in training: which fits your budget?
- Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale 2026: a guide for Gulf and Asian buyers
- The sales we buy from, worldwide
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Frequently asked questions
What was the median price at the 2026 Keeneland September Yearling Sale?
US$85,000, a record for the third year running. 2,856 yearlings sold through the ring for US$536,737,900, an average of US$187,933.
What was the median at the 2026 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale?
A record 80,000 guineas across Books 1 to 4, with a record average of 149,883 guineas and turnover of 211,035,300 guineas. The Book 1 median was 230,000 guineas.
What was the highest-priced yearling sold in Europe in 2026?
A Night of Thunder colt sold for 4,600,000 guineas to Godolphin at Tattersalls October Book 1, a European record for a yearling colt. At Arqana August, a Wootton Bassett colt sold for €4.6 million to Coolmore.
Why use the median rather than the average?
The median is the middle price: half the horses sold for more and half for less. A few very expensive horses pull the average up, so the median is a better guide to what a typical horse cost.
Can I quote or cite this table?
Yes. It is free to use under CC BY 4.0. Please credit Silk Road Bloodstock and link to this page. Each figure also links to its original source.
Does Silk Road Bloodstock train horses?
No. Licensed trainers train. We help clients buy and sell, choose the trainer, and supervise the plan.
Sources
All checked 23 October 2026. Silk Road Bloodstock is not affiliated with any sale company listed.
- WKYT, 26 Sep 2026: Keeneland September sale (2,856 sold through the ring, $536,737,900, average $187,933, median $85,000, top $3.7m)
- BloodHorse, 26 Sep 2026: "Keeneland September Sale Concludes With Historic Gross" (3,034 sold incl. post-ring, $558,313,400, average $184,019, median $85,000)
- Fasig-Tipton, 11 Aug 2026: "Records Fall at Dazzling 105th Saratoga Sale"
- Thoroughbred Daily News, 17 Aug 2026: Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearling Sale
- Racing Post, 8 Oct 2026: Tattersalls Book 1 (turnover 126,516,000gns, average 359,420gns, median 230,000gns, 85% clearance)
- Thoroughbred Daily News, 9 Oct 2026: "Seven Things We Learned at Tattersalls October Book 1" (360 sold; 128,531,000gns incl. private sales)
- BloodHorse, 14 Oct 2026: Tattersalls Book 2 totals
- Tattersalls, 13 Oct 2026: Book 2 day two (650,000gns Lope de Vega colt); also day one (600,000gns) and day three (460,000gns)
- Thoroughbred Daily News, 16 Oct 2026: "Exceptional Set of Results as Curtain Falls on Tattersalls October" (Books 3 and 4; 1,408 sold of 1,644 offered)
- Tattersalls, 16 Oct 2026: whole-sale turnover 211,035,300gns, average 149,883gns, median 80,000gns
- Thoroughbred Daily News, 30 Sep 2026: "Seven Things We Learned From Goffs Orby Book 1"
- BloodHorse, 1 Oct 2026: Goffs Orby Book 2 totals
- Thoroughbred Daily News, 17 Aug 2026: "What We Learned at Arqana: Eight Key Points"
- Racing Post, 17 Aug 2026: Arqana August day three (€4.6m Wootton Bassett colt)
- Magic Millions, 2026 Gold Coast Yearling Sale statistics, Book 1
- Magic Millions, 2026 Gold Coast Yearling Sale statistics, all books
- TTR AusNZ, 1 Apr 2026: 2026 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale results
- TTR AusNZ, 30 Mar 2026: Inglis Easter day one (A$3m Extreme Choice colt)