Cape Town plays host to the inaugural Cape Premier Yearling Sale, which
begins its two-day run on Thursday at the Cape Town International Convention
Centre.
Representing the first major yearling sale to be held in the centre of South
Africa’s largest city, the event is hosted by Bloodstock SA, the marketing
division of the Thoroughbred Breeders Association (TBA). The concept behind the
new sale is to combine the beauty and quality of life style that exists in the
Cape with a mainstream sale of top-class Thoroughbreds.
The catalogue consists of 290 yearlings, with 150 selling Thursday and the
remainder scheduled to go under the hammer Friday.
“This is a new venture for Bloodstock SA, and I am confident that it will be
a hugely successful event,” said Jan Naude, CEO of the TBA. “There has been
interest in the Premier Sale from all over the world, and we are expecting
visitors from 13 different countries. A special emphasis has been made to
attract a new clientele. We have already received many compliments in the set-up
of the sale, which allows visitors easy access to the sales arena from their
hotels. Our team is doing a great job.”
South African horses have been competing successfully at the highest level in
international company over the last few years, with the latest success story
being J J the Jet Plane (Jet Master). Out of the South African-bred mare
Majestic Guest (Northern Guest), the ZAR70,000 juvenile purchase won the Hong
Kong Sprint (HK-G1) in December, and currently has earnings of more than ZAR12
million.
Other notable horses with strong South African ties to excel on an
International arena over the last year include Lizard’s Desire (Lizard Island),
winner of the Singapore Cup (Mal-G1); Matriarch S. (G1) heroine Gypsy’s Warning
(SAf) (Mogok); and last year’s Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf (G2) winner Pluck
(More Than Ready), who is out of the South African-bred mare Secret Heart (SAf)
(Fort Wood).
No fewer than eight Group 1-winning or champion racemares are represented by
yearlings at the sale, while many of South Africa’s leading stallions are also
listed in the Premier catalog, including Jet Master, Captain Al, Silvano (Ger),
Jallad, Fort Wood, Dynasty and Western Winter. Additionally, yearlings by a
strong selection of international stallions are also available, including
Florida’s former leading sire, Trippi, as well as European standouts Choisir,
Rock of Gibraltar (Ire), Pivotal, Danehill Dancer and Royal Academy.
“The sale has been a much talked about concept,” said Tom Goff of Blandford
Bloodstock, who was among the foreign visitors impressed by the arrangements and
lay out of the sale. “It’s fantastic to see the reality being up and running,
and it seems sure to be a huge success. A number of the horses on offer seem to
be really precocious stock, and I have been impressed by the quality of the
yearlings on offer.”
For complete results, visit
www.capepremiersale.co.za.