Mark van Deventer
Staging the Cape Premier Yearling Sale at the International Convention Centre in Cape Town is a massive logistical undertaking. Credit is due to the Cape Thoroughbred Sales team that it proceeded so smoothly, and vendors would be pleased at the final aggregate realised of R155,225,000. Sharp buyers from abroad competed with discerning locals to snaffle the most attractive lots, with the average settling a fraction below 700K whilst a median price of R387,500 was attained.
The top end of the market was strong. Record –equalling, R6 million sale, Lot 32 Charles came with a stallions pedigree being by Trippi out of a successful race-mare who is a daughter of Dynasty. Lot 220 Sovereign Sway fetched R5.75 million, understandable given the excellent female line to complement upper- echelon sire, Dynasty.
Captain Al’s really stamps his offspring and they remain highly prized. Lot 142, a colt and Lot 226, a filly realised R4,5 million and R3 million respectively. On the Friday evening session, Bernard Marais went to R4,5 million to get one of Captain Al’s sons, Captain Of Tortuga who is out of the champion, Ebony Flyer.
Ace sprinter What a Winter is making an impact in the breeding barn and his juveniles are already winning races. The market seems to be giving the thumbs up to his progeny at this early stage with nine being sold at an average of 875K.
Coolmore Australia bid up to R4,5 million to secure Lot 194 – the Dynasty colt comes with a proven female line that has done breeder’s Lammerskraal Stud proud across generations. Sally Jourdaan’s five yearlings averaged an impressive R2,3 million to conclude a tremendous sale for the farm.
Gaynor Rupert’s Drakenstein Stud also excelled as their 13 babies averaged over R2 million with resident sire Trippi’s yearlings again proving desirable. Klawervlei also had a strong sale, pushing 53 horses through the ring and averaging a healthy return close to 900K per lot. Other vendors that featured with notable stats were Highlands Farm Stud, Maine Chance and Avontuur.
Each year since inception, the sale is building a more global feel – not only were powerful international buying delegations present, but progeny of one of the all time greatest thoroughbreds to campaign in the Northern Hemisphere, Frankel generated a frisson of excitement. His four yearlings grossed R8,4 million as the market showed confidence in his productive capacity. Scat Daddy also has a neat reputation and the American sire’s solitary representative, an unnamed filly consigned by Klawervlei Stud, fell to Charles Laird for R2,3 million.
Kuda Holdings, Bass Racing, Rainbow Beach Trading, Mayfair Speculators and John Freeman were particularly active amongst deep-pocketed, domestic buyers. David Redvers Bloodstock, MV Magnier, Peter Doyle and the China Horse Club are overseas equine investors who see the opportunity to source premium quality bloodstock at relatively reasonable sums given the prevailing weakness of the South African currency, so they swooped on some big ticket items.
The two night auction was a lively and hospitable gathering of racing folk. Behind the bonhomie, there is a lot of pressure with big money and reputations at stake, so frazzled breeders and buyers will appreciate some relaxation after the intensity of the sale.
Cape Town is an ideal place to do just that and unwind, though fans are eagerly looking forward to Africa’s Richest Race-day, this coming weekend. The SunMet, three other Grade 1 races and huge incentive events sponsored by CTS stand out on a captivating program at Kenilworth. It’s a perfect time of the year for racing enthusiasts to be in the “Mother City.”