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DECEMBER SALES REVIEWED Remarkable Success of English Auctions Was Great Surprise. Rcsnlts of Election "Were Expected to HaTC Adverse Effect on Trices, but Total "Was Second Highest in History of Sales. BY E. F. COUSSELL. LONDON, England, Jan. 1. The December sales at Newmarket were postponed from December 3 to December 10 because of the general election on December G. It was assumed that many people would have been too busy with politics to spare time to attend the sales. As a result of the election the last government lost about 100 scats, most of which were captured by labor candidates, whose party now constitutes one-third of the House of Commons. This party has talked a great deal about a levy on capital, by means of which they hope to reduce our national debt by 5,000,000,000. The other parties are sure to combine to defeat any such proposal. If and when a capital levy is imposed the chief supporters of the turf and horse breeding will not escape. As a result of the election many breeders were inclined to be extremely pessimistic as to the outcome of the bloodstock sales at Newmarket. The results surpassed the most sanguine anticipations and staggered the pessimists. The aggregate is the second highest ever recorded. On the third day an amazing new record for one days sale was created by 195 lots being sold for ,S30. The following are the figures for the week: - Lots sold. Yield. Average. 1st day 103 $ 137,793 ,037.50 ""2nd day 150 356,450 2,31 ."..00 3rd day : 195 871.S30 4.470.00 4th day , 140 315.S30 2.162.50 Bth day 03 83,255 1,400.00 Totals 001 ,770,1S0 52,077.50 In the following table this years figures arc compared with those of previous years, going back to 1903: PREVIOUS TEARS. Lots sold. Yield. Average. 1903 580 $ 025,745 ,070.00 3009 552 599.490 1,085.00 1910 ..529 798,335 1,505.00 19U ..5S3 902.500 1.545.00 1912 059 1,202.735 1.S25.00 1913 ; 713 1,543,290 2,160.00 1914 359 343,975 955.00 1915 497 421,040 S45.00 1916 523 452,645 S6.i.00 1917 051 561,120 S60.00 1913 551 1.0S6.295 1,970.00 1919 645 1,724,410 2,672.30 1920 711 1.S51.310 2.602.50 1921 032 1,279,535 2,022.30 1922 649 1,180,445 1,817.50 1923 661 1.770.1S0 2,677.50 Sales held during the war. It will be seen that this years average is above any other, beating even that of 1019 ; also that this years total was exceeded only by that of 1920. "We looked upon the results of 1919 and 1920 as freakish and due to the temporary shortage of bloodstock as a result of war conditions. It is difficult to explain the wonderful results despite adverse political factors. During the sales week everyone was puzzled as tc the reason. The probable explanation is the remarkable increase in racing stakes in this country and the United States of America. In the last three years our stakes total has gone up by more than 00,000, and 1 imagine in the United States it- must be much greater. Of course, this years December sales catalog was one of the best ever offered and was crammed with splendidly bred mares and fillies. Breeders in the United States and other countries wanted many of these animals. They obtained few. The British breeders rose to the occasion and again and again beat foreign would-be buyers. Limits which seemed certain to obtain the animals named, when it came to the actual sale, were found to be of little use. As a general rule it has been found that an offer of 0,000 to 5,000 has been sufficient to buy a brood mare. This limit was of no use on the present occasion. One friend who was visiting Newmarket for the first time asked me to select a mare which I would like to own myself. I told him that I would like to own Tetrabazzia. He replied: "Very well; go ahead, buy her for me, if you can, up to 5,000." Even this generous bid was of no use ; the mare made 5,000. It may interest American breeders to see the classification of the different lots sold at Newmarket: Lots sold. Yield. Average. Mares 281 92,880 ,532.50 Fillies 2 and 3 years 82 220,825 2,092.50 Yearlings- G 1,825 303.00 Foals 122 192,280 1,575.00 Horses in training 15G 321,220 2,007.50 Stallions 14 41,150 2,940.00 Excluding fillies.
