Records tumble at Cape sale
Foreign buyers — no doubt lured by favourable exchange rates —opened their wallets at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale to send the aggregate for the twosession sale to an astonishing record of R154.625m.
The average for the 237-lot sale — held at the Cape Town Convention Centre — rose to a record R699,661 with the median — the mid-point of all sales — at R375,000.
Kuda Holdings, David Redvers Bloodstock and MV Magnier were the dominant buyers over the two days with the firstnamed purchasing 11 yearlings for R9.95m.
Redvers Bloodstock signed for three yearlings for R8.1m while Magnier secured two choice lots for R7.9m.
“At last foreign buyers have come to the party to make this sale the best in CTS’ history,” said Cape Thoroughbred Sales chairman Chris van Niekerk.
Van Niekerk, whose colours have been carried to success in two Durban Julys, was active himself with his trainer Sean Tarry pinpointing a total of 11 yearlings at a cost of R7.3m.
Bass Racing was also active in the market with the wellknown Cape stable securing 10 yearlings for R7.4m.
Drakenstein stud sold the record-equalling lot in the first session and ended the sale with the outstanding aggregate of R26.52m with 13 lots sold at an average of R2m.
“We came here with an open mind but knew we had sent some beautifully bred yearlings — even so the sale far exceeded our expectations,” said Drakenstein racing manager Kevin Sommerville.
Klawervlei stud had the biggest draft of 53 yearlings and they returned an aggregate of R47m — not far off a third of the whole sale — and returned an average of R888,207.
Lammerskraal can also claim that their return for their five yearlings made it a sale to remember with an aggregate of R11.62m to give them the excellent average of R2.32m a yearling.
In the sires department, Captain Al’s 18 lots realised R28.47m for an average of R1.58m, Dynasty’s 11 lots made R18.1m for an average of R1.64m while Trippi’s progeny were popular with his 13 yearlings totalling R16.47m for an average of R1.26m.
The record price for a yearling sold in SA looked set to be beaten when a battle ensued to take home Lammerskraal’s Dynasty colt, Sovereign Sway. The bidding reached R5.75m and the hammer came down in favour of Kuda Holdings with the company’s MD Wehann Smith signing the sales slip.
This yearling was always going to prove popular as he is out of the mare Viva Maria whose five career wins included the Woolavington 2,000.
David Redvers Bloodstock purchased two expensive lots in succession on the second evening — first bidding R4.5m for a Captain Al colt consigned by Klawervlei and then a colt by the same stallion from Drakenstein bought for R3.25m.
The four yearlings by superstar racehorse Frankel made a total of R8.4m with his daughter out of the Irish mare Supposing being purchased late in the sale by Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock for R2.5m.
All the yearlings purchased over the two-day sale are eligible for the two CTS races — one over 1,200m and one over 1,600m — to be run at Kenilworth in January 2019. Each race carries a gross stake of R5m, the identical prize money on offer for Saturday’s inaugural running of the Sun Met.
KLAWERVLEI STUD HAD THE BIGGEST DRAFT OF 53 YEARLINGS AND THEY RETURNED AN AGGREGATE OF R47M — NOT FAR OFF A THIRD OF THE SALE