SALES CRISIS
Bloodstock guru facing an uncertain future
IT might seem like the end of the road is never going to come into sight when you have horses to sell and there is no racing taking place.
But Malcolm Bastard putting on a brave face.
The ex-jump jockey and now one of the leading producers of breeze-ups – two-year-olds primed to go into training – has 16 horses booked in for next month’s sales.
“Basically, we’ve got to sit it out and see what happens,” said Bastard.
“The health aspect is the most important thing. It’s tough for everyone, in every walk of life.”
Bastard, who operates from his yard at Baydon, Wilts, added: “Hopefully, we will be out of it in seven or eight weeks.
“But from a sales point of view, the date of Doncaster’s Goffs Sale, at the end of next month, has not been moved yet.
“I cannot really see that going ahead. The Tattersalls Sales at Newmarket, also at the end of next month, has been put back two weeks.
“Hopefully, we will get over this as soon as possible with the least losses possible.”
Bastard was well-versed with taking risks when riding and is is aware of the high stakes in buying and selling horses and he is now pinning his hopes on the foreign markets.
“If you got something that might be suitable, it can go to Hong Kong,” he said.
“If the demand is not going to be there, it basically leaves you with these horses and they will have to race.
“Thankfully, they are not all mine, but the ones I own will race, hopefully they will get some form and be sold at a later date.
“We have other horses in the yard that we pre-train and also break in, so that is a huge help.
“At the moment, the people
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IN ASSOCIATION WITH involved with Flat racing are not panicking as the season has not really got going, but I think with the jumpers, owners will probably finish earlier than what they would normally have done.”
Bastard added: “It’s not just a crisis in racing we’re having at the moment, it also makes everything look trivial when lives are at stake.”