Van Niekerk to the fore at Yearling Sale
CHIS van Niekerk’s Rainbow Beach Trading electrified the Durbanville sales arena on Saturday when going to R1.3 million for the only Trippi horse in the CTS March Yearling Sale.
The bay colt, named Torre Del Oro and sold by Ian Heyns, is the second foal of the Fort Wood mare Fort Sylvia who comes from a strong American family with a host of Gr1 winners close up - notably Dayjur.
The price was more than twice the next highest and the Cape Thoroughbred Sales chairman also bought the third top lot, Daytona’s Dynasty colt out of a full sister to the 2001 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Sport’s Chestnut. John O’Kelly, who also sold the sale-topper, brought the hammer down at R500 000.
Sean Tarry, Van Niekerk’s principal trainer, said: “I thought him a very nice horse and we bought him at a nice price. Certainly, I am happy to have him.”
This bay colt was sold on Friday evening as was the Noordhoek Flyer colt from Graeme Koster’s Rosedene Stud out of four-time winning Western Winter mare Tin Legs. This one made R600 000 and was one of seven yearlings bought by Markus Jooste’s Mayfair Speculators.
Dominic Zaki, who will train him, said: :He is a very nice horse and, while I haven’t trained any of his relations, I do have a good two-yearold in my yard by Noordhoek Flyer.”
Blingle Bells
There was only one Captain Al filly in the catalogue – from Klawervlei out of four time winner Blingle Bells whose third dam is the 1986 Horse of the Year Enchanted Garden – and Hassen Adams went to R400 000 to get her.
He said: “I’ve been very lucky with Captain Al fillies and Darryl Hodgson kept putting his hand up for this one.”
Despite a smaller catalogue, the R118 945 average was 18% down on last year but sales boss Adrian Todd explained: “A number of horses which could have been on this sale have been sent to our Johannesburg yearling sale. We still had a million rand horse which shows that you can get top prices for good horses at it. This sale is a vital part of the cog and has produced some very good value horses.”
Louis Goosen bought the most yearlings (13) closely followed by Nicola Coppez’s Balmoral Stud with 11. David Hepburn-Brown’s Hemel ’N Aarde Stud sold the most (32) and Dynasty was the sire with the best average (R358 333) for those that sold three or more.