NYS 2022 is a great success

BIG TURNAROUND: MARKED INCREASES IN ALL FACETS OF THIS YEAR’S EVENT

Top price of R3.3million paid for Silvano colt.

The 2022 National Yearling Sale ended on a tremendous high note on Friday night, with the sale proving strong across all levels. Not only was the gross aggregate up by in excess of R30 million, the average price rose from R276,388 to R357,997, and the median rose from R200,000 to R250,000.

Remarkably, the 2022 National Sale, whose aggregate reached an impressive R136.755 million, achieved a more than 90% clearance rate - a great indication of the strength of the overall buying market.

This year’s National Sale was topped by a blue-blooded Silvano colt (Lot 226) by the name of Forest God, who was knocked down to Form Bloodstock’s Jehan Malherbe for R3.3 million.

Consigned to the auction by Varsfontein Stud, the beautifully bred colt, a half-brother to three winners notably Listed Perfect Promise Sprint winner Amy Johnson, is out of the Jet Master sired Listed Syringa Handicap/ Oaks Trial victress Touch The Sky. The latter, in turn, is a halfsister to five graded stakes winners notably Equus Champions Bela-Bela and Rabiya.

Top priced filly sold off this year’s National Sale was the unnamed Vercingetorix filly (Lot 73), consigned by Klawervlei Stud. A daughter of Captain Al’s Grade 3 Sycamore Sprint winner Myfunnyvalentine, and from the immediate family of champion fillies Consensual and Just Sensual, the filly was knocked down to Vermaak Equine for R1.4 million.

Varsfontein Stud had another outstanding sale and they ended the National Sale of 2022 as the Leading Vendors by Aggregate, with Varsfontein selling 24 of their 25 yearlings offered for a gross total of R17.53 million, with their tally headed by the Silvano sales topping colt.

Form Bloodstock, whose tally included the aforementioned Silvano colt, was the Leading Buyers and headed the Buyers list ahead of Vermaak Equine, John Freeman and Greg Bortz.

In total, Form signed for 34 yearlings for a total of R22.61 million with their total including seven lots fetching upwards of R1 million.

While Silvano and his outstanding sire son Vercingetorix both enjoyed excellent results at this year’s National Sale, it was South Africa’s reigning champion sire Gimmethegreenlight who headed the Sires List, by Aggregate, at the 2022 National Yearling Sale.

The son of More Than Ready had all of his 37 lots on offer sell for a total of R26.02 million, and Gimmethegreenlight yearlings averaged an impressive R703,243 at the 2022 National Sale.

Vercingetorix, who appears South Africa’s Champion Sire elect for the current season, had an excellent sale with the former National Sale graduate having 41 yearlings fetch R25.555 million and average R623,293. Vercingetorix’s top lot sold was a R3-million colt (Lot 211) named Celtic Chief who was knocked down to Sabine Plattner on the first day of the auction. Consigned by Mauritzfontein, Celtic Chief is a halfbrother to six winners including Courageous Cat - a facile winner of his only start.

The sale proved a sellers’ market, with trading proving brisk and strong throughout the days of selling.

Bloodstock South Africa would like to thank all the buyers and vendors who participated in this memorable sale and wish them all the best with their purchases from this year’s National Sale.

All the statistics and prices for the 2022 National Yearling Sale can be viewed online at www.bsa.

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