Tattersalls

What Tattersalls does

Tattersalls is Europe's leading bloodstock auctioneer and the world's oldest, having been founded by Richard Tattersall in 1766 and operating for 259 years. From its Park Paddocks complex in Newmarket, Suffolk, the company conducts a year-round calendar of live thoroughbred sales including the flagship October Yearling Sale (Book 1 through Book 4), the Craven Breeze Up Sale, July Sale, December Mares Sale, December Foal Sale, February Sale, Guineas Breeze Up Sale, Somerville Yearling Sale, and the newer Sceptre Sessions. The company serves commercial and private buyers and sellers of thoroughbred racehorses worldwide — breeders, trainers, racing syndicates, and high-net-worth individual owners — including named participants such as Godolphin, Coolmore, Wathnan Racing, Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy, and Old Mill Stud (Ibrahim Araci). Annual auction turnover exceeded 413 million guineas in 2024, with the December Mares Sale setting a single-day European auction record of 55,168,500 guineas.

Revenue is generated predominantly through buyer/seller commissions on auction transactions, supplemented by ancillary fee-based services: a £250-per-horse-per-year racehorse sponsorship programme (2026-2028), Tattersalls Online monthly remote sales, Exeter Stables transit accommodation (105 stables at £35+VAT per horse per night), race sponsorship rights, and branded merchandise. The company operates internationally through a network of overseas representatives across 14+ regions (including Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Scandinavia, South Africa, India, and the Americas) and uses the BHB/TBA Inward Buyers' Initiative to subsidise international buyer travel.

The technology layer is purposefully narrow. Live and remote auction participation is enabled through Bidpath-supplied live bidding video/audio streaming infrastructure and the proprietary Tattersalls Online platform (launched 2020). Supporting technology stack includes Shopify for the online shop, PayPal and Lloyds Bank Cardnet for payment processing, and Google Analytics for site analytics. Regulatory compliance covers UK GDPR data-controller registration, EU GPSR authorised-representative status, the Bloodstock Industry Code of Practice, and the BHA Code of Conduct. Wholly owned subsidiaries include Tattersalls Ireland (Ratoath, Co. Meath), Tattersalls Cheltenham (originating from the 2014 Brightwells acquisition), and Tattersalls Online.

Name

Tattersalls

Legal name

Tattersalls Limited

Website

https://tattersalls.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1766

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Tattersalls is Europe's leading bloodstock auctioneer, founded in 1766, operating live and online auctions for thoroughbred horses at Park Paddocks in Newmarket. It serves global breeders, trainers, racing syndicates, and wealthy owners via a year-round sales calendar and a 14-region overseas representative network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bloodstock Auctioneering

NAICS

Horses and Other Equine Production (112920)

akta.pro primary industry

Equine Sales, Auctions & Bloodstock Agencies (AFAEAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Breeding & Bloodstock (Stud Farms, Sales/Auctions) (MPAEADAH)

Keywords

• Thoroughbred horse auctions
• Bloodstock auctioneering
• Yearling sales
• Equine auction services
• Horse racing sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Newmarket

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Auction Commissions: Tattersalls earns commission on all horse sales conducted at their auctions, with the recent horse sale generating £134 million indicating substantial transaction volumes
2. Racehorse Sponsorship: Racehorse sponsorship program at £250 per horse per year for eligible horses purchased at Tattersalls sales
3. Exeter Stables Accommodation: Transit accommodation services for horses at £35 + VAT per horse per night with 105 stables available

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tattersalls is Europe's leading bloodstock auctioneer, conducting live and online auctions of thoroughbred racehorses including yearlings, foals, broodmares, and horses in training at Park Paddocks in Newmarket, UK. The company complements its core auction platform with Tattersalls Online (online-only sales), the Bidpath-powered Live Bidding system for remote participation, racehorse sponsorship, transit stabling at Exeter Stables, and bonus incentive schemes such as the £25,000 Book 1 Bonus and £250,000 Craven Group 1 Bonus.

Product overview

Tattersalls operates as Europe's leading bloodstock auctioneers and the world's oldest auction house, dating back to 1766. The company functions as a unified auction platform comprising multiple sale types: the flagship October Yearling Sale Book 1 (with its £25,000 Book 1 Bonus incentive), Craven Breeze Up Sale (with £250,000 Royal Ascot/Group 1 Bonus), Guineas Breeze Up & Horses in Training Sale, July Sale, December Foal Sale, December Mares Sale, February Sale, Somerville Yearling Sale, and the Sceptre Sessions. The core platform is enhanced by Live Bidding (powered by Bidpath) for remote auction participation and Tattersalls Online for dedicated online-only sales. Supporting services include Racehorse Sponsorship, the BHB/TBA Inward Buyers' Initiative for international purchasers, and Exeter Stables for transit accommodation. Tattersalls operates through sub-brands including Tattersalls Ireland, Tattersalls Cheltenham (from Brightwells acquisition), and Tattersalls Shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonus: £25,000 bonus offered to owners of yearlings purchased at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1
• Tattersalls Millions Race Series
• Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale
• Somerville Yearling Sale
• Tattersalls Online

Products and services

• October Yearling Sale Book 1 The premier thoroughbred yearling sale featuring the highest-quality offerings, with annual turnover exceeding 100 million guineas and a £25,000 Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonus for graduates winning specified races.
• Craven Breeze Up Sale Two-year-old horse sale where horses are presented after undergoing speed work (breeze-up), with a £250,000 Craven Royal Ascot/Group 1 Bonus for graduates winning specified Group 1 races.
• July Sale Major mid-year auction featuring more than 800 lots including thoroughbred foals, broodmares, and racehorses, held annually in July.
• December Foal Sale

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 winners at Royal Ascot 2026, more than all other sales companies combined
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• InglisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with leading Australian bloodstock auctioneer Inglis. Tattersalls website references Inglis as a partner organization in the bloodstock industry.
• Federation of Bloodstock AgentsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTattersalls maintains a relationship with the Federation of Bloodstock Agents, an industry body representing bloodstock agents.
• Retraining of Racehorses (RoR)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with RoR charity supporting retired racehorses. Tattersalls sponsors RoR Showcase and Tattersalls RoR Showing Series.
• Tattersalls ShopminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTattersalls branded merchandise available through the Tattersalls Shop (tattersalls-shop.com)
• BidpathcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership for live bidding platform. Bidpath is described as 'a world leader in auction technology' supplying Tattersalls Live Bidding system.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Magic Millions: Major Australian bloodstock auctioneer with yearling, weanling, and horses-in-training sales on the Gold Coast. Comparable in serving Southern Hemisphere thoroughbred trade and competing for international buyers at the top of the market.
• Fasig-Tipton: Historic North American bloodstock auction house hosting selected yearling, two-year-old, and mixed sales. Directly comparable in offering breadth, target customer base, and live/online hybrid bidding model.
• Keeneland: One of the world's largest thoroughbred auction houses based in Lexington, Kentucky, hosting yearling, breeding-stock, and horses-in-training sales. Highly comparable auction platform serving North American buyers and competing for global elite consignors.
• Ocala Breeders' Sales Company (OBS): Major US two-year-old and breeding-stock auction house in Florida, focused heavily on the breeze-up and horses-in-training segments. Directly comparable to Tattersalls' Craven and Guineas Breeze Up sales in product type and target buyer.
• Goffs: Ireland's leading bloodstock auction house and Tattersalls' principal direct competitor in the European thoroughbred yearling market. Operates comparable yearling, foal, and breeding-stock sales and competes head-to-head for Irish and international consignor/buyer mind share.
• Arqana: France's premier bloodstock auctioneer, hosting yearling, breeze-up, and breeding-stock sales in Deauville. Directly comparable to Tattersalls in product, target customer (French and international buyers), and business model (commission-based auction fees).
• Inglis (William Inglis & Son): Australia's leading bloodstock auctioneer (since 1867) and existing partner of Tattersalls (Tattersalls holds an interest in the firm). Operates Sydney and Melbourne yearling and breeding sales; comparable in heritage, scale, and auction-led business model.

Broad incumbents

• Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA): Industry body that conducts Japan's premier thoroughbred auctions, sourcing top-quality horses for Japanese buyers who are increasingly active at Tattersalls. Functions as both a major bloodstock venue and an indirect buyer in the European market, making it a comparable incumbent at the intersection of auction operations and national racing.

Regional players

• BBAG (Baden-Baden Auktionsgesellschaft): Germany's primary thoroughbred auctioneer, operating from Iffezheim/Baden-Baden. Comparable auction platform and commission-based model but focused on the German/Continental European bloodstock market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Tattersalls1766
• Facebookfacebook.com/Tattersalls
• Instagraminstagram.com/tattersalls1766
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tattersalls-ltd

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tattersalls