A pair of horses achieved final bids of R400,000 ($65,794) to
top the two-day GrandWest Yearling Sale in Cape Town. Saturday
evening’s opening session featured the progeny of first- and
second-crop sires, and it was 2001 Arlington Million (G1) hero Silvano
(Ger) (Lomitas), the champion freshman sire in his native
Germany in 2005, who was responsible for Saturday’s top four
offerings.
Hip No. 31, the filly Happy Spirit, was knocked down
to Turffontein-based trainer Weiho Mawing, who was acting on
behalf of building magnate Kenny Geemoi. The chestnut is a daughter of Happy
Land (Badger Land), a dual Listed winner in South Africa,
and hails from the extended family of champion Starcraft (NZ).
Silvano commands a fee of R40,000.
Western Winter has proved popular in South Africa, having sired the likes of Yard-Arm and
Surveyor. Hip 194, named Saint Stephen, was purchased
by local trainer Dean Kannemeyer, acting for an overseas buyer.
The bay colt is a grandson of Group 1 winner Saintly Soul (Comic Blush) and is
therefore kin to a pair of winners from her three foals to race.
A total of 216 horses sold from 228 offered for R18,230,000 ($2,998,565).