Strong catalogue from top sires at CTS sale
SIRES: PROGENY OF DYNASTY AND SILVANO AS WELL AS SOME NEWCOMERS UP FOR GRABS
Chance for buyers to buy in on offspring of Captain Al.
This year’s catalogue for the 2018 Cape Thoroughbred Yearling Sale is “almost the strongest we have ever held in terms of quality”, believes Cape Thoroughbred Sales (CTS) CEO Wehann Smith.
The sale will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Saturday evening and will continue on Sunday.
Among the top-class horses previously purchased off this sale are Pocket Power, Hammie’s Hooker and Mother Russia, as well Gold Standard, a leading hope for this year’s R5-million Sun Met, a R725,000 buy from the 2015 Val De Vie Yearling Sale.
The other more recent stakes winners sold off the Cape Yearling Sale include Doosra, Final Judgement, Green Pepper, Hack Green, Princess Peach and Surcharge. The latter looks a leading Classic hope this season having won four of six outings including the Listed Secretariat Stakes.
Many of the country’s top farms offer high class drafts at the Cape Yearling Sale, with such top stallions as Elusive Fort, Gimmethegreenlight, Judpot, Querari, Twice Over and What A Winter all represented at the sale.
Well performed sires with first South African crop yearlings on offer include Captain Of All, Flower Alley, Soft Falling Rain, Time Thief, Vercingetorix and Wylie Hall.
However, the old stalwarts like Dynasty and Silvano, will also be represented but time is running out for those still hoping to pick up progeny of Captain Al. “The Captain” died last year but his runners continue to dominate the racing scene. Both the Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and the Grade 1 Cape Guineas were by Captain Al, Snowdance in the fillies’ race and Tap O’ Noth in the Guineas. Running on for third place in the Guineas was Like A Panther, another son of Captain Al.
Good news for fans of that sire is that a full sister to Like A Panther will be offered by Klawervlei Stud (acting as agents). She is out of a Galileo mare, Della Scala.
Avontuur Estate have lot 1999, a Captain Al colt from the female line of Nother Russia who they describe as “a big, strong robust workmanlike colt”
Drakenstein Stud will be sending 11 youngsters to the sale. Stud manager Ross Fuller is up-beat about prospects. "Drakenstein is presenting a strong draft of good sized yearlings from a wide spread of stallions, so we’re looking forward to things and hope the international buyers will be out in force."
Lot 201 is sure to provoke great interest. Wild Coast is a bay colt and the first foal of 17-time winner Beach Beauty, by resident champion sire of 2015-16, Trippi.
Drakenstein is also offering progeny by Irish-bred stallion Duke Of Marmalade, who was the Champion Older Male in Europe in 2008. He has sired 656 runners so far, including five European Group 1 winners and 35 stakes winners. Golden Duke (Lot 145) and Duke Of Cards (Lot 162) are his representatives at the sale.
Barbara Sanne, who bred international Graded stakes winner and Dubai World Cup runner Sanshaawes, will be sending five yearlings to the Sale from her Oldlands Stud. Early up will be a What A Winter colt (Lot 15), the first foal of the speedy Kabool mare Geolina, who had excellent gate speed but went wrong and was retired. Bred to fly, he’s described as a “very correct” yearling that will offer value to buyers.
Duncan Barry of Riverton Stud has sent five of his mares to freshman stallion Pomodoro, who looks like he’s doing the job.
He brings a Pomodoro colt from Senorita (Lot 134) and commented: “He’s nice and correct, an athletic half-brother to stakes winner Al Mariachi.”
At Rosedene Stud, Graeme Koster is fond of Lot 80, a Grey’s Inn filly from a Giant’s Causeway mare who has already produced a stakes-placed colt. “She’s very nice,” he said.
Lot 81 is Flycatcher, by Jackson, who comes from the family of Gold Medallion winner Carnadore and is a good walker who seems to lean towards the speed in his Trippi dam, Tudor Vino.
Beaumont Stud’s Anton Shepherd, known for breeding world star Variety Club, has five lots on offer.
Lot 54 is a filly by Elusive Fort and is a half-sister to stakes performer Big Pleasure. The Elusive Fort-Captain Al cross has 100% winners to runners and 16% Black Type winners.
Lammerskraal send six “smart” colts to the sale. Lot 36 is a colt named Spanish Boy and is a son of South Africa’s reigning champion sire Silvano, whose yearlings have fetched up to R6 million.
Spanish Boy is out of the Grade 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes runner up Izora –a full-sister to Grade 2 SA Fillies Nursery third Icy Winter Air and half-sister to Go Deputy’s Dubai-based Grade 2 Premier Trophy winner Icy Trail.
His second dam is Oaks winner and Equus Champion Icy Air.