The Gracemere sale has the dubious reputation of being known as a “dogger sale” with little to no promotion of the unfortunate horses who find themselves there. If the meat traders/dealers who frequent that sale think that they can make more money by keeping the horses alive and reselling them, often at the following Laidley sale they will do so. If they are worth more as “meat” then that will be their fate. The thoroughbreds purchased usually fall into the meat category.
The last horse sale of 2022 was held at Gracemere on the 17th December 2022. We are very pleased that there were finally people there posting the brands of, and identifying, the thoroughbreds and standardbreds at Gracemere in the hope that it helped them find a private home and if nothing else at least the horses didn’t go unnoticed and unnamed. People cared enough to put their faces in the public domain. We would like to thank those people for their efforts.
There were seven thoroughbreds and one standardbred who had the misfortune of being at that sale. They were:
Robert’s Gift (pictured) – won $10,450, last raced on 23/10/2012 yet still listed on Racing Australia as “Active” at the time of the sale. We have no idea where he has been for the last 10 years but was in very poor condition at the sale. His fate at the sale is unknown.
Unnamed (AUS) 2015 – bay gelding by I Am Invincible from Western Passage, one of the many thoroughbreds not to make it to the track. Also appeared to be in very poor condition. His fate at the sale is unknown.
Boncoeur – 19yo gelding who last raced in 2010 and won $133,765 which was still not enough to guarantee him a safe future. He also appeared to be in very poor condition. His fate at the sale is unknown.
Danah’s World – an unraced mare who, at the time of the sale was listed on Racing Australia as “Breeder”. She had one named foal in 2017 and was dropped from official records in the studbook in 2021. A beautiful mare in good condition but still discarded at a “dogger sale” with her fate at the sale unknown.
Miss Van Wisse (NZ) – last raced in 2016, her whereabouts since unknown. Her fate at the sale is also unknown.
Oh He Will Go – raced 17 times for 2 wins, 2 places and $16,700 in prize money. Last raced 2013, appeared to be in good condition yet still discarded at Gracemere and it was stated he sold to a “dogger”.
Gelding “Pen 203” – The stud brand for this horse was the “Nolan” brand but the top drop numbers were hard to read so he remained unidentified. Whoever he was, the sale was not kind to him and it was stated that “he did not find a good home” so presumably went to a “dogger”.
The only standardbred was “Unnamed S4050229”, she also bore the brand 31 on her near shoulder, she was in good condition, and it is believed she had been used as an embryo recipient mare. Her fate is again unknown.
These horses deserved so much better. Every horse at that sale did.
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