Keeneland will introduce a new member of its management team and a new technological innovation designed to aid buyers during its January horses of all ages sale, which begins its five-day run in Lexington Jan. 10.
It will be the first Keeneland auction for former Fasig-Tipton executive Walt Robertson in his newly-created role as vice president of sales. He began work at Keeneland Jan. 5, one day after his appointment was announced and about two months after retiring from Fasig-Tipton as that company’s senior auctioneer and chairman of the advisory board of directors.
“I worked with Walt Robertson for 14 years and I’m delighted to be back with him,” said Keeneland’s director of sales, Geoffrey Russell, who is a former Fasig-Tipton employee.
The new technological twist gears Keeneland’s online portfolio system to buyers. In addition to allowing sale clients to access and manage their account information online, the system will permit them to do the following:
• Create “short lists” of horses for each sale by selecting horses from within a catalog that fit specific criteria;
• Add a “grade” and comments for individual horses on a short list;
• Set text alerts for when the horse receives a catalog update, a vet comment, when it is about to enter the sale ring, and when it is sold;
• Export and download queries in PDF or CSV;
• Review and query historical sales information.
Video tutorials for the Keeneland Portfolio can be viewed on the “How To” playlist on Keeneland’s YouTube channel.
“We created the consignor portfolio last year and this is more aimed at buyers,” Russell said. “We want to try introduce new technology or use the technology that is available to make our customers’ lives a little easier.”