Despite some nervousness in certain quarters, the fighting spirit of our buyers and breeders shone through on the first day of the 2019 Emperors Palace National 2yo Sale, with the numbers standing up admirably.
Silvano colt – Day 1 topseller (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
With an 83% clearance and improved figures year on year, it is obviously going to take a lot more than a shaky economy and industry uncertainty to quell the appetites.
A day 1 aggregate of R17 160 000, coupled with an average of R100 941 and a median of R70 000, was topped with seasoned buyer Lynton Ryan’s winning bid of R800 000 for the topseller – a colt named Silver Star Dust, consigned by Klipdrif Stud as agent.
The handsome individual is by champion sire Silvano out of Cosmic Jet by Jet Master – the cross that produced Equus champion 3yo Hawwaam and Gr1 winner Silvano’s Pride recently.
The top lot is a full brother to Our Shining Star and a half-brother to Gimme The Stars.
His sire Silvano achieved the top average on the day of R397 500, with the Maine Chance producer’s four lots totalling R1 590 000.
The ill-fated Soft Falling Rain’s ten lots topped the aggregate charts with a gross of R1 105 000.
Flower Alley also had ten lots sell – for R1 080 000.
Bloodstock South Africa’s Gary Grant was understandably delighted with the sales’ overall results, saying, “It was a very good sale considering the nerves and uncertainty beforehand, and yet again this market has shown its resilience. All the key indicators are up on last year, and we are hopeful this success continues through to Friday.”
The sale resumes with the final session at 11h00 on Friday morning.
