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| Staff Writer |
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The 2024 Cape Premier Yearling Sale, powered by Tattersalls, concluded at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on a warm Thursday evening, achieving a total of R64,895,000. Out of the 136 yearlings listed, 123 entered the market, with 119 successfully sold at an average of R545,336. The median amount reached R400,000.
These statistics present positive shifts from the 2023 auction, showcasing a notable resurgence in Cape Racing. This year witnessed an increase in catalogued, offered, and sold horses, with the aggregate surging by 44%, rising from R44,825,000 in 2023.
Both average and median prices experienced significant boosts, climbing from R443,000 to R545,000 and R300,000 to R400,000, reflecting encouraging increases of 23% and 33%, respectively.
Top South African sires, Gimmethegreenlight (average – R913,000) and Vercingetorix (average – R848,000), maintained their esteemed positions, each selling 13 lots and remaining highly sought after by both local and discerning international buyers.
Trippi, another distinguished sire, saw two lots reaching R4 million, including the coveted filly Clair de Lune (ex-Louvre), consigned by Drakenstein Stud as Agent and secured by Jonathan Snaith for R3.2 million. This exquisite filly is a full sister to the Gr.1-winning miler Trip of Fortune.
Sires currently in commercial demand include Rafeef (14 lots sold at an average of R537,000) and the first crop of Hawwaam (nine lots averaging R566,000). Progeny of Querari and One World also garnered considerable attention.
Vendors reported encouraging results, with some experiencing year-on-year increases in receipts exceeding 20%. Maine Chance achieved an excellent sale, with their 14 offerings averaging R800,000. Varsfontein performed admirably, with their five yearlings averaging R845,000.
Other prominent studs included Klawervlei, selling 21 yearlings for over R10 million, family-owned Winterbach (six averaging R437,000), and Dr Marianne Thomson’s boutique farm, Ambiance, earning R2,550,000 for their five yearlings.
Ridgemont sold 11 lots, yielding close to R7 million, and made a significant acquisition by securing Lot 110, a Gimmethegreenlight filly ex All Is Secret, known for a notable SA female line, for R2 million. This purchase aligns with their commitment to obtaining top-notch stock and consistently enhancing their robust band of broodmares.
Noteworthy acquisitions also included Lot 134, a full brother to ace sprinter Cosmic Highway by Gimmethegreenlight ex Cosmic Dream, purchased from Maine Chance for R2.2 million; Lot 63, Pivotal Role, a colt by Hawwaam ex Princess Royal, also from Maine Chance, acquired by Justin Vermaak for two bars; and Lot 90, Takenoprisoners, a Ridgemont-bred Vercingetorix colt out of Takingthepeace, signed for at R1.8 million by Yolo Thoroughbreds.