Noel Russell Stud & Stable Handbook: Thoroughbred Owner Breeder Manual

By Noel Russell

This is a historical gift from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on how to become a successful Thoroughbred owner and breeder. It is likely the UK's only bloodstock breeding and racing manual bequeathed by Her Majesty the Queen for all people in the Thoroughbred world. With 42 years of tried and tested stud

• Language: English
• Publisher: Noel Russell
• Release date: Apr 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9781802279238

Book preview

SECTION 1

THE THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY

THE THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY

The 3 main branches of the industry are: -

a) Stud

b) Training

c) Ancillary

On the Stud side, there are approximately 10,000 registered Broodmares. There are approximately 2,000 Stallions registered (approx. 200 only of commercial value).

The main body affiliated is the T.B.A. – Stanstead House, The Avenue, Newmarket and the Secretary is Sam SHEPPARD.

Two types

of stud

– Public

and Private

The Public Stud

gets its income from providing livery services to mare owners and stallion owners.

The Private Stud

gets its income from sale of stock.

The main outlet for stock – Public Auction.

a) TATTERSALLS who sell:

   i) Yearlings - October to December

  ii) Foals - December

iii) Horses in Training.

iv) Breeding Stock.

b) Doncaster Bloodstock Sales:

As before but not with the same prestige.

c) Ascot, Botterills:

Their main trade – Horses in training

However – also sell foals, yearlings & breeding stock.

The U.K foal production = 5¹/² thousand per year.

Salaries on Stud farm are in line with Agriculture.

TRAINING

The National Trainers Federation

42 Portman Sq.

London.

The Trainer’s Federation is paid for by 1/2 % levy of all total prize money; deducted from trainers by Weatherbys.

Trainers vary in size from a string of 200 horses down.

The fees charged - £120 per week down.

Realistic fee £70 + VAT per week. Trainers also draw 10% of the winnings and another 2¹/²% goes to the yard.

The wages paid by trainers should be agreed by S.L.A. & T.G.W. & N.T.F.

THE ANCILLARIES

: Who provide a service for previous mention.

a) TRANSPORT.

b) RACE-COURSES: - sometimes doubling as sports pitches, etc. Touring caravan parks.

SADDLES.

INSURANCE.

GRAIN MERCHANTS.

HAY & BEDDING MERCHANTS.

MINERAL & VITAMINS MERCHANTS.

PATENT MEDICINES.

EQUIPMENT SELLERS.

VETERINARY.

FARRIERS.

JOCKEYS.

FINANCE

Finance by owners and the Horserace Betting Levy Board; who draw a % of each winning bet – approx. 9% less tax is paid on the course, around 4¹/²%.

Approximately £8,000,000 pounds are wagered daily.

a) A grant is given to each racecourse for providing a day’s racing.

e.g. £18,000 pounds a day at Newbury

£4,000 pounds a day at Bangor.

b) Money collected and redistributed – used to

   i) Subsidise Prize Money Fund (Particularly the Classics)

  ii) Help racecourses maintain & improve standards.

iii) Help welfare of horses.

The controller of the whole set-up is the Jockey Club and Weatherbys are the secretary of the Jockey Club and the Keepers of the General Stud Book (G.S.B.)

BREEDING

BREEDING SITES

The main breeding areas all with soil with PH near neutral.

Around 10,000 registered mares in the British Isles. 75% single ownership

Robert Sangster – 135

Noel Souter – 50 (Concorde Bloodstock)

The T.B.A. has only 1,000 members …. There are somewhere in the region of 2,500 stallions standing in the U.K. Only 200 worth considering.

STUDS:- a) Public.

b) Private.

a) Public Stud: Income from standing Stallion – almost £8,000 per year.

  ii) Keep for mares & foals (£10-50 per day); Barren Mares (£8.50 per day); Maiden Mares (£9.00)

The average stay for mare is around 12 wks.

GESTATION PERIOD

: - Average 340 days

Under 300 days slipped

300-315 – premature & normally not viable. (Lungs not normally developed far enough)

315-340 – premature but viable

Common to go past 12 months

Fillies born slightly early. Colts slightly later – no evidence.

Courting Season: begins Feb. 15th ends July 15th (approved by G.S.B.)

HOW TO GET MARE IN FOAL FINANCIALLY

NOMINATION

: - Right to use a stallion on a mare for one season between Feb 15th – July 15th.

Buy nominations from a shareholder of stallion. Stallions normally syndicated into 40 shares. (Normally agreed mature stallion capable of covering 40 mares a season, hence 40 shareholders.)

e.g. Stallion valued at = £1,000,000

each share = £1,000,000/40 = £25,000 each x 40 = £1,000,000.

∴ Nomination price aim is £25,000/4 = £6,250.

Aim at a ¼ to get money back before progeny get on track, so contract signed before proved whether useful or not. Can only have one mare per shareholder so be at least 4 years before you break even.

Shares and nominations can be sold in PRIVATE NEGOTIATIONS

or at PUBLIC AUCTION

(By Tattersalls or Doncaster)

PAYMENT:

If you buy a share, you have to pay immediately.

Nominations have to pay at agreed time 15th July or 1st October.

TYPES OF NOMINATIONS

:

a) STRAIGHT – Horse is available through period stated above – No warranty – cheapest form. Can insure yourself throughout.

b) NO FOAL NO FEE OCT 1ST – Pay fee if mare is tested in foal by Oct 1st. Fee still payable if doesn’t produce live foal. Can insure yourself.

c) NO LIVE FOAL NO FEE: - (e.g. To stand and such 24 hours) fee payable on birth of foal.

d) SPLIT FEE: e.g. ½ on signing contract, ½ on 1st Oct.

Or ½ on July 15th ½ on producing love foal etc.

e) BOOKING FEE: Stay 10% on contract, rest on producing live foal

f) NO FOAL FREE RETURN: Return mare to stallion next season free of charge.

COSTS: Straight nominations £1000… N.F.N.F (Oct 1st) £1500 (£1250 - if stallion highly fertile can drop fee)

No Live Foal No Fee… £2000 (£1750)

TERMS OF CONTRACTS

NORMAL NOMINATION CONTRACTS

a) Mare must be available for service in three heats (oestrus)

b) If not presented for that length of time, stud fee is liable to be paid. e.g. If mare dies – either find mare to replace her, sell nomination or pay.

c) Stud retains the right to refuse to allow stallion to serve mare.

THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

1. OVARIES:

a) Rest in the abdominal cavity on either side of back bone.

b) They vary in size from 1 to 4 (inch) in diameter… Ovaries located just outside the end of the uterine tube… Small finger-like projections (FIMBRIA) lining uterine tube are creating mucous. Mucous & projections move ovum into tube.

2. FOLLICULAR development in the ovary: - (a) THE FOLLICLE:

Fluid-filled cavity containing the tiny ovum. When follicle ruptures, ovum passes into uterine tube (usually); cells lining the follicle then begin to grow and change in nature forming a large yellow body – CORPUS LUTEUM. The fluid of the follicle produces OESTROGEN.

CORPUS LUTEUM produces PROGESTERONE

Interior of ovary contains thousands of ova awaiting development within.

PRIMARY FOLLICLES

– Normally, one follicle develops during each heat period. Twin follicles develop up to 20% towards end of covering season.

Ovum enters into the uterine tube, uterine tube empties into horns of uterus, uterine horn