Horse racing has always attracted the public’s attention for its class and emotion. However, the huge fortunes they are worth. Surprisingly, some racehorses are worth more than some soccer stars and this has been the reality for a long time now.
Racehorses Worth Great Value
Below, we list some of the horses that are worth great value:
Fusaichi Pegasus
In 2001, Zinedine Zidane took part in what was then the most expensive transaction in soccer. The Frenchman moved from Juventus to Real Madrid for a whopping €76 million. The deal remained the most valuable in soccer for many years. However, it was not the most expensive deal in sports that year.
Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus dimmed the Frenchman’s transfer brilliance. Also, in 2000, the thoroughbred changed owners for $70 million. In five years of competition, Pegasus earned its former owner $2 million dollars.
Soon, his purchase was made in the expectation that the horse would give rise to an offspring of victorious horses in equestrianism. Therefore, it would increase its stud fee, which is the money paid by mare owners so that their horses can breed with the stallions.
However, after his successful equestrian career, the stallion lost its breeding rate value over the years. Its fee, which was $150,000 when it was traded, has dropped to just $7,500, according to the Racing Post.
Females In Equestrianism
Mares are valued less than horses in equestrianism. However, the preference given to males can be explained logically in the equestrian environment. Stallions breed about 200 times a year, while females manage only one gestation per year. Still, some horse breeders invest a lot of money in buying mares to get the best lineage of foals possible.
The most expensive mare in history was sold at auction in Europe. The multi-champion Marsha was sold for 7.5 million dollars in 2017. Another female that gained prominence was the Australian Winx, daughter of Vegas Showgirl. Her future foal was valued at around one million dollars. In 33 races, Winx won 25 and gained prominence in the sport. But the curious fact is that Winx’s foal will be the brother of her mother’s future son since they both bred the same stallion.
Why So Much Money?
The horses grew progressively with the advance of millionaire equestrian competitions such as the Saudi Cup, which pays 20 million to the winner. Another big horse race competition worth mentioning is called the Pegasus Cup, which is hosted in the US and has helped horse value grow progressively. This is so that they can return their owners’ investments through breeding fees. The average stud breeding fee is usually around $100,000.
Note: the Pegasus odds can be seen here, so you can make an informed decision on which racehorse to back.
Jimmy George, director of marketing at Tattersalls, the largest horse auction company in Ireland and the UK, justifies the size of the spending on the stallions. According to the director, “To evaluate the potential value of a stallion, the most considered factors are performance and pedigree.”
The director also talks about Frankel, a British stallion bought by an Arab prince, a case that we will provide more insight into in this content. For Jimmy George, “He was unbeatable. Probably the best racehorse any of us will ever see. Then it is worth the fortune it was sold for.”
The Most Expensive Horses
The highest price to acquire a draught horse in history was $112,500 in 2003. The horse in question was Mcllrath’s Captain Jim, a Belgian stallion purchased at an auction in Illinois. However, its new owners had no plans to work with it but to make it a breeding horse.
As mentioned, Frankel, a British stallion born in 2008, was bought by Saudi Prince Khalid Abdullah. The horse won 14 races in its career and produced winning offspring. The success of its offspring allowed his owner to charge a breeding fee of $220,000. According to the Bloomberg website, the horse is worth about 300 times its stud fee. Soon, Frankel would be worth $90 million.
Irish legend Galileo won over 300 career races. Due to its history, the price of his breeding fee is €600,000, according to Thoroughbred Racing Commentary. Therefore, it would be worth 180 million euros. To make things easier, a quick comparison with soccer can be made. Messi receives 40 million euros annually. At the same time, Juventus signed Cristiano Ronaldo for 100 million euros. This shows the greatness of the racehorse business.
Conclusion
Are you surprised? If you are, then you haven’t been a fan of horse races. These dignified sports horses are worth much more than some athletes. Now that you know that racehorses can be expensive, will you watch the upcoming Pegasus cup? Thanks for reading!
