Racehorse makes history as first to sell over internet

A two-year-old thoroughbred filly, who finished last in her only race, has made auction-ring history by becoming the first horse in Europe to sell via a computer link. Her buyer was sitting at home in Sweden.

Offered at Tattersalls’ horses-in-training sale in Newmarket on Wednesday, 29 October, Rebetica went into the ring late in the evening when only a handful of buyers were present.

A computer screen next to the auctioneer’s rostrum flashed up an offer of 800guineas and, when no other bids were taken, the hammer came down.

The buyer proved to be Karin Gajda Lindberger, an amateur trainer based in Stockholm.

Online bidding — which enables buyers to make offers from anywhere in the world via a computer and broadband internet feed — was introduced at Tattersalls in early October.

Tattersalls marketing manager Jason Singh said: “There has been a consistent stream of bids using the system and it was only a matter of time before one was successful.”

Rebetica was owned and bred by Earl Cadogan and trained by Henry Candy. She trailed a field of nine runners on her only racecourse appearance at Goodwood in September, but her name will now be synonymous with trailblazing — in bloodstock cyberspace, at least.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (13 November, ’08)

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