Horse-trading makes Teddy a happy shopper

Europe's largest yearling sale is capped by Newmarket's Champions' Day which - along with Sunday's Arc and the October's European programme - will shape the season's final roll of honour.

Then there's the Breeders' Cup on 4 November in America, which coincides with Keeneland's fortnight-long sale of breeding stock.

It's the prelude to a near circumnavigation of the globe to attend the Japan Cup at the end of the month.

Then it's back to Newmarket for two weeks of December breeding stock auctions, with foals often as well-bred as Houghton yearlings and mares of a similar calibre.

Who said that the Grand National is the ultimate test of stamina in racing? Don't forget also that bloodstock agents must switch between disciplines more rapidly than National Hunt stalwarts are ever expected to flit between fences and hurdles.

Agents must constantly monitor mature thoroughbreds the world over, whose exploits on the track make them potential purchases, especially with breeding in mind. At the same time, there are all those oneyear-olds, and younger, up for auction to evaluate, and blood lines must be checked to assess if there's talent in their genes.

Luckily for British-based bloodstock agents, the international language of racing is English. This is one constant in a world of changing time zones - with Australia's Melbourne Cup still to come in November - and currencies, including the ageold guinea.

For Montjeu and Sinndar on Sunday, it's simple by comparison. Run for your life at Longchamp, then retire to stud.

Beckett, 45, now manages a string consisting of "99 per cent" homebreds, and he seems almost thankful to be much more an observer than a competitor in the scramble which begins tomorrow at Newmarket. Nevertheless, as his patron has worldwide racing interests, Beckett is obliged to join the jetset.

"It is a very busy time up to the December sales," said Beckett, who joined the BBA from school after gleaning some working knowledge at various studs.

Beckett might find his head turning more than normal at Newmarket this week. A colt was sold last year at the Houghton for 1.7 million guineas and subsequently named Beckett.

The four-legged Beckett repaid some of that investment by winning last weekend's National Stakes, and his two-legged namesake will have to learn to ignore cries of: "There must be a Beckett somewhere at this sale."

Sore heads, however, seem certain if prices reflect the $94.59m (£63m) spent on 225 yearlings in one day earlier this month in America.

Agents will then have cause to take a celebratory glass or two. After all, they do pocket five per cent of the sale price.

Despite this hectic schedule, Beckett declines to categorise himself as hardworking.

His logic is this: there is a trade off.

For those who will clock up many hours and air miles between now and December, being a part of racing's shop window means sharing in more drama and passion than most offices generate in a lifetime.

That's the first good deal of the next three months.