Champ sets his return date

HONOUR ROLL: JACKSON, RIVER JETEZ AND J J THE JET PLANE SOLD HERE

Progeny of Rock Of Gibraltar and Nathaniel are up for auction.

Knowledgeable horse buyers, who know a stifle from a wither and a gaskin from a pastern, will tell you that the National Two Year Old Sale is where you get value for money. The sale – which takes place at the Thoroughbred Breeders Association complex in Germiston today and tomorrow, with trading due to commence at 11am on both days – traditionally offers the best of the late-maturing young horses from top studs throughout South Africa.

The National Two Year Old Sale has a long and proud honour roll, with some resounding names on it.

Among the stellar horses auctioned off under its banner are multiple Grade 1-winning young sires Jackson and The Apache, outstanding sprinter J J The Jet Plane, Singapore champion Lizarre, Grade 1 QE II Cup winner Irridescence, New Zealand Grade 1 heroine Dane Julia, and local champions such as Arabian Beat, Asylum Seeker, Fez, Rock Opera and tough-as-teak J&B Met winner River Jetez.

Recent Grade 1 graduates of the Two Year Old Sale include the exported Cape Guineas winner Noah From Goa and Equus Champion Bela-Bela.

Most of the country’s top breeders are represented at the 2018 sale and the lots include the progeny of outstanding stallions Captain Al, Dynasty, Gimmethegreenlight, Querari, Trippi, Twice Over and Var – not to mention newly crowned Equus 2018 Champion Sire Silvano.

Galileo’s outstanding son Nathaniel, sire of UK Horse Of The Year and fivetime Grade 1 winner Enable, is represented by a colt (Lot 304) by the name of Rain In England (whose dam is a half-sister to Durban July winner Dancer's Daughter). Another outstanding international sire with his name in the catalogue is seven-time Grade 1 winner and Horse Of The Year Rock Of Gibraltar. A stallion with more than 100 stakes winners to his name, Rock Of Gibraltar will be represented by both a colt (Lot 386) and filly (Lot 53).

His filly is from the same family as Breeders’ Cup Mile hero Tourist, while the Rock Of Gibraltar colt on offer is from the same family as champions El Gran Senor and Try My Best – and their full brother Northern Guest, a multiple champion sire and broodmare sire in South Africa.

Sires represented by their first local crop of two-year-olds include Capetown Noir, Captain Of All, Divine Jet, Flower Alley, Kingsbarns, Linngari, Soft Falling Rain, Time Thief, Vercingetorix and Wylie Hall.

The catalogue for the 2018 National Two Year Old Sale can be viewed online at www.bsa. co.za.

BEST OF THE BEST: Oh Susannah, winner of the Sun Met, was named Equus Horse of the Year and a proud Gaynor Rupert, nominee of owner and breeder Drakenstein Stud, was on hand to collect the trophy. Flanking her are the super filly’s training team, Justin Snaith, left, and brother Jonathan.

Picture: JC Photographic YOUNG GUN: Champion Jockey Lyle Hewitson collects his trophy from National Horseracing Authority CEO Lyndon Barends at the Equus Awards ceremony this week. The first apprentice rider to win the championship in more than 40 years, Hewitson is recovering from an injury but hopes to be back in the saddle by September 20 – just in time to take part in the International Jockey Challenge to be held in Singapore on September 25, where he’ll compete against stars like Joao Moreira, Hugh Bowman and Hayley Turner.