Best ever year at DBS...again

2007 has proved be the best in Doncaster Bloodstock Sales (DBS) 45 year history with new highs for turnover and average. The DBS NH Breeze-Up Sales ended the DBS year on a high with the fortieth six figure lot to pass under the DBS hammer in 2007. These excellent results prompted the following statement from DBS Managing Director, Henry Beeby:-

"2007 has been a momentous year for DBS in so many ways.

"The year started with a bang when PIRES topped the January Sales with a record price of 300,000 guineas.

"19 March 2007 was an historic day in DBS' life when work finally started on the long awaited Sales Complex. This has been a seven year and very personal project for me and, although I am sad it will not be ready for our January Sales, I am delighted with the way it looks which has made all the trials and tribulations, endless meetings, negotiations etc well worth it. I really can't wait to show everyone the result of our endeavours. DBS has come a long way since Willie Stephenson and Ken Oliver threw £150 in to the kitty and launched DBS in 1962!

"Our Breeze-Up Sales continued their upward trend in what proved a tricky year elsewhere for this category with best ever figures for the eighth successive year and a new record price of 245,000 guineas and 2008 will break new ground (no pun intended) as we are installing a four furlong MACtrac surface to work the DBS Breezers prior to sale.

"The Spring Sales confirmed its position as the World's Premier National Hunt Sales by returning the world's highest priced National Hunt horse for the sixth straight year when DE SOTO was sold for 360,000 guineas whilst we also celebrated the twelfth DBS Grand National winner with SIVER BIRCH.

"6 July 2007 will be another date forever etched on the DBS memory as we signed a deal to merge with Goffs. This marriage offers the best of both worlds as it allows the unique DBS service to tie in with a very similar ethos that exists at Goffs. Whilst both teams will continue to operate independently, which the industry made clear they wanted, we have both learned a lot from the other and confirmed we have so much in common. The names Goffs and DBS have been synonymous with customer service and horsemanship for many, many years and it is our promise to continue with that ad infinitum. We have the teams in place and will strive to adapt, grow and develop our sale programmes to the benefit of the Bloodstock Industry over the coming years.

"The August Sales proved to be another triumph when FEATHARD LADY shattered the world record for a NH broodmare when she realised 270,000 guineas, which converted to a massive €426,600 on the day, and remains comfortably the record despite some fireworks elsewhere last month.

"The St Leger Yearling Sales is one of the most amazing success stories of recent years. Not only was the sale responsible for the 1-2-3 in the 2000 Guineas it has enjoyed an incredible five individual Group 1 winners this year alone. The sale itself was able to build on these recent racetrack successes and recorded a set of best ever figures for the tenth year on the trot and was acclaimed 'A Premier League Sale' in one notable report. Whilst the St Leger Festival Sales couldn't quite match these heights we were perfectly content with its debut and think we can build on this first year

"The October Sales really bucked the trend of the autumn by ending up the only 'commercial' yearling Sale to return a really buoyant trade and improved figures.

"Our final Doncaster Sale of the year was also a vibrant sale that returned record figures and illustrated our ability to achieve the very best prices when we have the horses to sell whilst our market leading NH Breeze-Up Sales at Cheltenham set new standards on 14 December although our joy has been considerably soured by the extraordinarily shoddy behaviour of the Cheltenham executive who has conspired to kick us out without warning - however, we will take the concept with us to a track with proper Breeze-Up ground as our vendors have constantly been concerned about the state of the Cheltenham surface.

"All of these results have produced the best year in our history but, like others, we are not blind to some of the issues that have come to the fore in recent months. With more and more horses being born each year the sales calendar is saturated and it is proving increasingly difficult to find days to sell, hence DBS cataloguing 307 horses in one day for our December Horses In Training Sales where we had two days heretofore. It will be imperative that all Sales Companies sit round a table to find solutions to the traffic jams of Autumn 2007 and I look forward to participating with my peers in a most positive way.

"The rate of selling has been a bone of contention for many a year but it is even more relevant in these extended sales days. I am proud that DBS has regularly hit the 30 plus per hour target, not just at Horses in Training Sales (where the high number of withdrawals make it easier) but also at our later Yearling Sales. We will commit to keeping to that rate next year but our plea to the buyers, who are calling for a speedier service, is to assist by, quite simply, bidding quicker. We can, and will, quicken but everyone has to join up and get on with it. That includes putting down the mobile and making one's mind up!

"The main talking point of the autumn has been the chasm that appears to have opened between the various sectors of the market. In a nutshell: quality is on fire; the middle market is just about surviving and the rest are in trouble. Just where the answer lies is not really for us to offer and some say the market will self adjust. Our entire raison d'etre is to sell the horses we are offered and that is what we shall endeavour to do but the warning signs for the industry were plain for all to see. Our answer is to double our efforts to attract new buyers in to the market and it is a shame that the BHB/BHA has seen fit to slash its marketing budget at a time when the industry most needs it. Thank goodness the Bloodstock Industry has reacted with a classic example of self help with the TBA, Tattersalls and DBS (aided by the FBA and Weatherbys) funding British Bloodstock Marketing whose express aim is to promote British horses and British Sales. Since our amalgamation with Goffs I have witnessed first hand the wonderful work of ITM and our hope is that BBM can do a similar job in the UK albeit with a limited budget.

"Another perennial issue we face is the constant whispers about the supposed lack of integrity at all sales and I confess that this is something that we find irritating and frustrating as we feel we are constantly improving the transparency of all our sales in so many areas. Our challenge is simple - let anyone who feels we conduct ourselves in anything less than a totally straightforward way come and ask any question on a sale day (or any other day for that matter) and they will get what we always provide - a very straight answer. I would contend that the Bloodstock Auction business is as transparent and straightforward as any in the world. DBS and Goffs have clearly illustrated that in recent weeks with our announcement of testing for anabolic steroids - yet another ground breaking initiative that hopes to enhance buyer confidence in our sales.

"2007 has, indeed, been a momentous year for DBS but none of it would be possible without such wonderful support from the many vendors and buyers who travel to Doncaster sale after sale. We are truly indebted to them and realise that without their loyalty we are nothing. We will strive to continue to deliver an improved service throughout 2008 and beyond"