Sales companies take a watching brief as Inglis Easter auction heads online

European auction houses will be watching how a digital-only version of a major event unfolds with a great deal of interest following the news that Inglis intends to host the marquee Easter Yearling Sale between April 5 and 6 via its online platform.

As with virtually every date in the diary in the wider world that involves the movement or congregation of people during the coronavirus pandemic, scheduled thoroughbred sales are subject to ever-changing guidelines by respective governments and no concrete plans are in place.

Tattersalls bought a stake in Inglis back in 2008 and while the companies operate independently, they are in regular contact. The venerable Newmarket institution has amalgamated the forthcoming breeze-up sales into a new combined fixture set to take place from Wednesday April 29 to Friday May 1.

"We’ve already been looking at the Inglis online model very closely and we’ll continue to monitor that as a matter of priority," said Tattersalls marketing director Jimmy George.

"We have a very close working relationship with them, for obvious reasons, so there’s always a good free-flow and exchange of ideas, we’re always in close touch and have been keeping an eye on developments over there ever since we’ve been involved in the company."

There will be inevitable concerns about the practicalities from all corners – at Inglis the horses will stay on farms for pre-sale inspections rather than move to the Riverside Stables complex in Sydney to go under the hammer and organisers are expected to release further details as to how the bidding process will work on Thursday.

Henry Beeby of Goffs is open to new ideasCredit: Patrick McCann

Whether as many buyers are as willing to spend serious six or seven-figure sums on horses without being at an auction in the flesh remains to be seen.

George confirmed that Tattersalls had been carrying out work on a potential web-based bidding service as a matter of course.

"It’s something we’re exploring in detail and, prior to the current situation, we were looking at various options already," he said. "Things that might have been ongoing projects are now being accelerated and we’re looking at all and every option.

"The technology is all there, it’s just a matter of how you best use it. So we’re exploring as many options at possible and looking at how best to deploy those once they’re ready, and looking at where they might be best applicable."

Goffs also has about a month to finalise any plans before a possible return to action, having lost its Aintree event when the Grand National meeting was cancelled.

Group chief executive Henry Beeby said: "The next sale we have on our calendar is our Doncaster Breeze-Up Sale on April 22 and 23. We’re making a decision on that on Monday as to whether we think there’s any prospect of going ahead.

"We have been developing an online platform and it may be that we choose to utilise it in some form going forward but we haven’t made any definite decisions on that either way."

Beeby expanded: "We were working quietly away at it thinking we may have to utilise it some time in the future. This has obviously become more relevant in the last two or three weeks and we’ve been doing a lot more work on it. There’s definitely potential there.

"For the platform we envisaged perhaps for using for horses with form and it will be more difficult with the yearlings and the breezers who haven’t been tested on the racecourse but that’s not to say it can’t work.

"We are always looking to learn from what everybody else does and it will be fascinating to see how Inglis get on. It must be very difficult for them and I wish them all the luck in the world with it."

More on the Coronavirus crisis:

John Cullinan on what the future may hold for the breeze-up season

ITBF general meeting falls victim to Coronavirus outbreak

Vendors left to make new plans after cancellation of Ascot March Sale

Italian industry adapting to the strictest measures during national lockdown

Haras de Bouquetot to temporarily suspend stallion activity from Monday