Astute Bloodstock

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Focused on Future Stakes Winners:&nbsp;
Each year, we attend all major Australian yearling sales, individually inspecting around 3,000 horses with one clear goal:&nbsp;to buy future stakes winners.
Over the past 20 years, Louis has assessed hundreds of thousands of yearlings across Australia and Europe. With a highly trained eye, he quickly evaluates a horse&rsquo;s potential by analysing pedigree, athleticism, movement, temperament, constitution, and conformation.&nbsp; These skills are refined through years of hands-on experience and attention to detail.
Mindset and Discipline With no stables to fill or pre-raised money to spend, we only buy horses we&rsquo;d love to own ourselves. This independent, disciplined approach underpins our strong strike rate and ensures we stay focused on sourcing elite performers at fair value.
Data and Pedigree Insight We maintain a proprietary database, built over 10 years and updated annually, tracking each Australasian vendor&rsquo;s strike rate of stakes winners to yearlings offered. We also engage a pedigree specialist to review each catalogue back seven generations, identifying patterns others miss.
Why We Buy Fillies
Our main focus is fillies. With intense competition for colts from Hong Kong buyers and six major stallion investors, prices are inflated. In contrast, well-bred fillies offer better value and long-term upside.
We typically buy in the $70,000 to $400,000 range. While we rarely exceed this, one exception was Tiz Invincible, purchased for $550,000 and later sold for $2.8 million at the Chairman&rsquo;s Sale.
&nbsp;

Yearling purchases

Being French, Louis spends several weeks in Europe each year from June onwards, leveraging his deep connections within the European breeding and racing industry. During this time, he dedicates himself to inspecting horses in private training yards across the continent, with a sharp focus on identifying not only talent but individuals with the physical attributes required to succeed under Australian racing conditions. In truth, very few horses meet our strict selection criteria. The elite are often unavailable or priced beyond value, while many horses in training show signs of wear and tear. Our focus is on progressive types with consistent form and the right physique to adapt to Australia&rsquo;s racing conditions. This highly selective approach has delivered consistent results. With just one or two purchases each year, we have sourced elite performers such as dual Group 1 winner Harlem, emerging staying prospect Eliyass, million-dollar earner Ventura Storm, and dual stakes winner Pilote d&rsquo;Essai, among others. 
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Horses in training in Europe & NZ

Active Management Beyond the Sale
Every horse purchased by Astute Bloodstock is managed by us.
Races can be won or lost by the smallest margins, hence why every 1% counts.
We work closely with Australia&rsquo;s top trainers and regularly inspect our horses at stables and farms to ensure they receive tailored attention. As your Racing Manager, we are committed to placing each horse in the best environment all year-round.
We prioritise transparency, so you will always understand the reasoning behind every key decision. We treat every horse as an elite athlete, not a commodity, and smart management is just as important as smart buying. Our comprehensive racing management includes:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Horse Inspections: In-person inspections at least every two months to ensure year-round care, with detailed reports shared with owners.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Facility Selection:&nbsp;Choosing the best spelling farms, dressage/pre-training facilities, and trainers tailored to each horse&rsquo;s needs.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Race Programming:&nbsp;Collaborating with trainers to create the ideal race schedule.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Placement Strategy:&nbsp;Strategically entering horses in races where they can be competitive, avoiding races where they have little chance of success. As a rule, we rarely run horses with odds above 15/1.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Jockey Selection:&nbsp;Booking the best jockeys available, particularly for stakes races.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Trial and Race Attendance:&nbsp;Attending most trials and races (for NSW-based horses).</li>
<li aria-level="1">Progress Updates:&nbsp;Providing regular updates on the horse&rsquo;s condition, training, and performance.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Form Analysis:&nbsp;Offering race insights when relevant.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Veterinary Care:&nbsp;Seeking second opinions on veterinary matters when necessary.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Owner Hospitality:&nbsp;Coordinating race-day hospitality where appropriate.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Transport Logistics:&nbsp;Organising smooth and reliable horse transport between facilities when horses are moving from A to B.&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Online sales:&nbsp;Listing and marketing horses online should at the end of their racing career</li>
</ul>
Management Fee‬
‭We charge a‬‭ one-time management fee of $1,500 + GST‬‭ per shareholder‬‭ for‬&nbsp;the duration of your horse&rsquo;s entire racing career. This fee, payable upon‬&nbsp;purchase, eliminates monthly billing and streamlines the process for owners.‬
‭By charging a single fee, we focus entirely on your horse&rsquo;s‬‭ success and‬&nbsp;well-being‬‭ , rather than administrative tasks.‬
‭

Racing Management

Our consignment is designed to offer a full service to our client from the purchase of top horses, the management of their racing career, and maximising the exit strategy.&nbsp; Astute Bloodstock has recorded a stellar result at the 2025 Inglis Chairman&rsquo;s Sale, with its first draft and previously purchased mares grossing a combined $8.8 million, representing 16% of the total sale turnover. Led by the sale of two of the top three lots &mdash; Amelia&rsquo;s Jewel ($3.8M) and Tiz Invincible ($2.8M) &mdash; the boutique agency once again demonstrated its ability to source elite horses at reasonable prices. The group of mares averaged $1.7 million, exceeding the overall sale average by more than $1 million. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve always operated with a boutique, quality-over-quantity philosophy, and these results reinforce the value of a highly selective approach,&rdquo; said Louis Le Metayer, founder of Astute Bloodstock. &ldquo;In bloodstock, as in any investment, you do well when you buy well.&rdquo; Sale Highlights: Amelia&rsquo;s Jewel &ndash; $3.8M Out of Bumbasina, a mare sourced off the track in the UK for 75,000gns. Her son, Bosustow, also won the Gold Coast Guineas today. Tiz Invincible &ndash; $2.8M Purchased as a yearling for $550,000 in partnership with Ciaron Maher and Justin Bahen A Little Deep &ndash; $800,000 Purchased as a yearling for $250,000 Yes Baby Yes &ndash; $875,000 Bought at the 2022 Chairman&rsquo;s Sale for $520,000 Last Girl Love &ndash; $550,000 Bred by Katelanis Bloodstock and sold through the Astute consignment Astute Bloodstock extends its sincere thanks to all clients and industry partners for their continued support. Special congratulations go to Peter Walsh, Astute&rsquo;s first-ever client and the breeder of Amelia&rsquo;s Jewel. <img src="https://www.prism.horse/api/public/image/32c60de0b7f2498481b3bab916c6fd08.png" alt="" />

Consignment

We are fortunate to collaborate with two outstanding large-scale breeders&mdash;one based in the Hunter Valley and the other in Victoria. Our consultancy services are tailored to provide a fresh perspective on farm operations while offering expert bloodstock management advice. Our services include: 
<ul>
<li>Strategic mating advice, selecting the most suitable stallions for each mare</li>
<li>Quarterly assessments of all stock</li>
<li>Recommendations on which horses to sell, when, and where</li>
<li>Marketing insight ahead of major auctions</li>
<li>Ongoing guidance on all bloodstock-related matters throughout the year</li>
</ul>
These services help breeders make informed decisions and optimise their return on investment across all sales cycles. This long-term collaboration has stood the test of time, consistently adding value for our clients, one of whom has been with us since 2013.

Consulting to large breeders and owners

This service is better explained with the video below 
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Stallion nominations

To find out more about our terms and conditions, fees and commitment, feel free to contact Louis Le Metayer <a href="mailto:louis@astutebloodstock.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">louis@astutebloodstock.com</a>

Terms and Conditions

Astute Bloodstock will be active at the following upcoming auctions OCTOBER 
<ul>
<li>4th Arqana Arc Sale -horses in training</li>
<li>27 - 31 Tattersalls horses in training sale</li>
</ul>
DECEMBER 
<ul>
<li>1 - 4th Tatts December mare sale</li>
<li>6 - 9th Arqana December mare sale</li>
</ul>
JANUARY 2026 
<ul>
<li>13 - 19 Gold Coast Yearling Sale&nbsp;</li>
<li>25 - 26 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale</li>
</ul>
FEBRUARY&nbsp; 
<ul>
<li>8 - 10 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale </li>
</ul>
MARCH&nbsp; 
<ul>
<li>1 - 3 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale&nbsp;</li>
<li>29 - 30 Inglis Easter</li>
</ul>
MAY&nbsp; 
<ul>
<li>7th Inglis Chairman's Sale&nbsp;</li>
<li>8th Inglis Broodmare Sale&nbsp;</li>
<li>26 - 27 Gold Coast Magic Millions Broodmare Sale</li>
</ul>
JUNE 
<ul>
<li>12th Great Southern Sale&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

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