Wealth Blog | China’s bloodstock industry set for the off in Year of the Horse

After a grim few years of economic gloom, Ireland’s thoroughbred horse breeders are looking forward to bright Year of the Horse. My friends back home tell me forget France and red wine - lots of rich Chinese are coming to visit studs and other bloodstock breeding grounds in Ireland.
 

Coolmore partnership

Indeed, Ireland’s famous Coolmore Stud has joined forces with the China Horse Club and last year spent almost US$4 million (HK$31 million) on two blue-blooded colts, sired by Fastnet Rock, at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. The horses are being trained by Coolmore in Australia. It was the start of their joint venture, destined to set the tone for China’s new racehorse and breeding industry. This partnership between the globally renowned Coolmore and the Chinese government backed Tianjin State Farms Agribusiness Group and Desert Star Holdings, affiliated to the China Horse Club, sees the establishment of a huge breeding operation. This is part of China’s new world class Tianjin Equine Culture City project.
 

China’s first bloodstock venture

This is the first of its kind on the mainland and is the first international joint venture into horse racing and breeding and is designed to help China to get started at the highest level. Tianjin, population 12 million and close to Beijing, is opening the equine centre in phases.

Tianjin has already hosted China’s richest-ever race day last autumn, which included the inaugural RMB1 million Tianjin National Cup. Tianjin has a 150 year tradition of horse racing.
 

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