The Bloodstock Agents’ Federation of New Zealand (BAFNZ) is the leading professional body representing accredited bloodstock agents across the country.
This series takes an in-depth look at the varying backgrounds of BAFNZ members and their work within the thoroughbred industry.
A social trip to New Zealand proved to be memorable on the personal front for Irishman Ed Stapleton and the forerunner for his career in the bloodstock world.
He ventured Down Under for the 2011 Rugby World Cup and during an extended stay met future wife Katherine and was subsequently drawn back to the thoroughbred business.
“A six-week trip turned into three years, I met my now wife and she then moved to Cambridge in the UK where she did her PhD,” Stapleton said.
“Obviously, Cambridge is next door to Newmarket and that’s when I got back into the racing industry full-time.”
While Stapleton didn’t have family ties to racing, his formative years were spent in a rich thoroughbred environment.
“I was brought up on a farm in County Carlow in Ireland, very much horse country and Willie Mullins country. I was surrounded by racing but nothing personally in my own family,” he said.
“I rode out as a teenager at one of the local yards, but that said I didn’t pursue a career until later.”
Stapleton was involved in business development in software before he made the transition to thoroughbreds in 2014, and three years later launched his bloodstock agency.
“I started in the Northern Hemisphere under my own name in 2017 and concentrated primarily on horses in training and it’s continued that way,” he said.
“For example, the main Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale offers 1600 horses over five days and the last four years in a row I’ve been the main purchaser numerically, I’ll buy 25 or 30 out of that sale.
“They will go to all corners of the globe, all around Europe, the Middle East, the US and hopefully a couple back down here.
“That’s essentially the main business there, high volume and middle of the road value.”
Now based in Auckland, Stapleton remains a frequent traveller to the other side of the world where his agency has retained representation in England and Ireland.
“We spend the majority of the year here, but I do a considerable amount of travelling to the European sales,” he said.
“My wife is a New Zealander and lectures in art history at the University of Auckland, and I lined up with the Bloodstock Agents’ Federation in the year gone past as I’ve now become a permanent resident of New Zealand.
“Down here, my business model is slightly different, we do a lot of pinhooking of weanlings into yearlings and yearlings into two-year-olds and Ready to Run types.
“I would be involved in some that we take through to trials and that’s because we don’t have so many exits points from here for horses that are in training.
“In Europe, there’s about 20 or 25 different jurisdictions that you can sell on to or downgrade to, so the business model here has to be different.”
Stapleton enjoys the close-knit thoroughbred industry in New Zealand and marketing it abroad.
“I think everyone realises that you have to connect and get along to get ahead, my angle down here is promoting New Zealand to international markets and endeavouring to bring in international stock for racing and breeding,” he said.
“There’s a lot of good quality shuttle stallions coming down here and that opens up a bigger market for fillies and future broodmares that can be imported here for people to then utilise with those stallions.”
Q & A
Do you remember the first horse you bought?
“The first in New Zealand was from Gordon Calder at the weanling sale in 2020 and Gordon and I became good friends. It was a horse by Niagara who unfortunately broke down in the paddock, but it did spawn a very good relationship with a man I have a lot of respect for.”
Do you have any sale day superstitions?
“No, I’m not superstitious, but I do love trying to buy the first and last lot in every sale. It hasn’t been that successful down here, but at many of the horse sales in Europe it’s worked well.”
Best horse you’ve ever bought or being associated with?
“The best I horse I hope I’ve bought down here is Precambrian (A$60,000) from the Great Southern Weanling Sale. He’s by So You Think and is still coming through the ranks with Mark Walker in Australia. Te Akau were taken by one of his trials at Avondale and purchased him from us. I did bring in a stallion which I’m quite excited about as well, Ancient Spirit for White Robe.”
Best value for money purchase?
“We bought a $16,000 Portland Sky colt that was subsequently bought by Bryce Tankard at the yearling sales for $100,000. In Australia, we had a Toronado colt that was purchased as a weanling for $60,000 that made $400,000 as a yearling.”
Do you have a favourite nick/cross when sourcing yearlings?
“While I do use stats on nicks and buy into that to a certain extent, I’m more a buyer on type.”
Favourite current sire and of yesteryear?
“I have huge respect for So You Think, he was phenomenal and will be massively missed. Here, I think Almanzor is exceptionally good value, and I’ve always been a big fan of the late O’Reilly.”
Most memorable day at the races?
“When I was 14 my parents allowed me to travel from Ireland to Cheltenham and stayed with family in Birmingham. I backed a horse in the first race called Sausalito Bay, I had 100 pounds for the four days and put 20 pounds on him and he won at 20 to 1.”
