What a difference a year makes.
In 2013, the Cape Ready to Run sale took place in December. This year it moved to early October. A smart move if the median prices in the two years are anything to go by, going from 100k to 150k.
The traditional RtR sale staged by Bloodstock South Africa underwent a major change. The number of catalogued lots dropped considerably, and with it the number of horses sold: 228 last year and just 84 in 2014. The median remained much the same, 140 last year vs. 145 this time round. Many of the horses which normally would have been found at this sale now appeared at the third Ready to Run Sale, staged by CTS on the same weekend. Here 138 lots were sold, the median a modest 90k.
It will be interesting to see how this CTS sale will be supported a year from now, and whether the original BSA Ready To Run will be able to attract larger numbers.
All three RtR sales produced several million-plus 2yo’s. There were ten altogether, five of which were sired by stallions standing abroad. Bernardini (R1.2m), Captain Al and Star Witness (both R1.1m) headed the original BSA sale. On the same weekend, at the CTS sale, Var (R1.6m), Redoute’s Choice (R1.2m) and Captain Al (R1.1m) led the pack. To refresh the memory, a month ago at the Cape CTS sale Trippi (R1.5m), Henrythenavigator (R1.15m), Warm Wight Night (R1.1m) and Archipenko (R1m) were the most wanted. Altogether much the same as the haul from the two RtR sales in 2014, which produced eleven million-plus purchases.
In terms of overall median prices, the Ready To Run concept is now the third highest producing sale after the CTS Cape January Sale and BSA National Sale in April.
