Upbeat mood ahead of yearling sale
In these worrying pandemic days, there is a belief that this week’s National Yearling Sale in Germiston could signal “exciting times ahead” for the SA bloodstock industry.
“We are hopeful that the recent Inglis [Australia] results will lead the way for the same sort of confidence among buyers this week [April 15 and 16] for there is no question we have an exceptionally strong catalogue,” said Michael Holmes, CEO of Bloodstock SA.
“Since last Thursday there has been plenty of interest at the sales ground and trainers from the Cape and KZN [KwaZuluNatal] have arrived in force. These are exciting times,” Holmes added.
The Inglis sale — solely a virtual event 12 months ago — returned figures which understandably had the firm’s top brass doing handstands. In the first two days, 356 yearlings were sold for an average of A$371,236 (R4.1m) with an excellent clearance rate of 88%.
Top price was A$2.5m for a son of Snitzel and a colt by Exceed and Excel (sire of Queen Supreme) made the secondhighest price of A$2.1m.
Perhaps no SA sale in recent years has offered full and halfsiblings to such an array of wellperformed graded race winners.
The list includes siblings to Anything Goes, Brave Mary, Do It Again, Edict Of Nantes, Forest Indigo, French Navy, Heavy Metal, Jet Dark, Just Sensual, Juxtapose, Kilindi, Legal Eagle, Master Plan, Mississippi Burning, Querari Falcon, Pacific Trader, Princess Calla, Redberry Lane, Rio Querari, Russet Air, Snowdance, Solo Traveller, Tempting Fate and Thunder Dance.
Let’s look at a few — in no particular order — of those on offer over the two days:
Lot 432 from Varsfontein Stud is a half-brother (by Master Of My Fate) to the 2019/2020 Equus Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. The grade 1 winner has excelled in the care of trainer Stuart Pettigrew who is sure to run his expert eye over the colt.
Lot 259 from Cheveley Stud is a half-brother (by Dynasty) to dual grade 1 winner Snowdance.
Lot 178 from Bosworth Farm Stud is a half-sister (by Skitt Skizzle) to 2013 Durban July winner Heavy Metal. The stallion has been firing this year and is the sire of Sean Tarry’s talented three-year-old Tropic Sun.
Lot 280 from Lammerskraal Stud is a half-sister (by William Longsword) to dual Durban July winner Do It Again.
Lot 151 from Cornerstone Stud is a half-brother to this season’s Queen’s Plate victor Jet Dark. The colt’s sire has made a bright start to his career and is the sire of grade 2 winner Nourbese.
Lot 56 from Lammerskraal Stud is a half-brother (by Visionaire) to 2019/2020 Equus Champion Sprinter Russet Air. The sprinter’s trainer Candice Bass-Robinson will be checking out the colt.
Lot 328 from Klawervlei Stud (as agent) is a half-brother (by William Longsword) to 15time winner Legal Eagle, a huge favourite with SA racing fans.
Lot 145 from Rous BrosHenham Stud is a half-sister (by Canford Cliffs) to eight-time winner Running Brave.
Lot 165 from Klawervlei Stud is a half-brother (by Gimmethegreenlight) to 2016/2017 Equus Champion Three-Year-Old colt Edict Of Nantes.
Lot 191 from Maine Chance Farms is a half-brother (by Silvano) to the talented three-yearold filly Princess Calla, second in the Cape Guineas and winner of the recent grade 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes in KZN. Adam Marcus is sure to check him out.
Lot 258 from Millstream Farm is a half-brother (by Querari) to Cape Fillies Guineas winner Missisippi Burning.