New record highs and a market buoyed by many bright lights at the end of the tunnel. That was the state of play when the curtain came down after two days of frenetic National Yearling Sale bidding on Friday evening as economic challenges, and the memory of the dark days of the Covid-19 pandemic, felt well and truly buried.
The TBA Sales Complex on 18 and 19 April 2024 may well be looked at in the years ahead as two days that firmly placed South African horseracing back on the road to a sustainable recovery.
After the 2023 twelve year high aggregate of R153 750 000, the stakes were raised further as 344 of the 393 catalogued yearlings sold on Thursday and Friday for a scintillating aggregate of R200 190 000, with an average of R 581 948 (2023 – R4442 672) and a median of R400 000 (2023- R300 000).
The nearest comparative aggregate was back in 2008, when R201 050 000 was the total spend, but with 170 more yearlings going through the ring, producing an average of R391 148 and median of R250 000.
Lot 175 – A R6 million price tag! (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The top lot for the 2024 renewal remained the Day 1 cracker, lot 175, Man Of His Word, a Gimmethegreenlight colt out of Honorine by Redoute’s Choice and consigned by Wilgerbosdrift, which was bought by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for R6 million.
Mauritzfontein consigned the top filly, lot 88 named Cherry Bakewell, who fell to a bid of R3,6 million by Form Bloodstock also on Day 1.
A three-parts sister to former Horse Of The Year and Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara queen Summer Pudding, her dam is a Gr3 winning half-sister to Triple Tiara winning champion Cherry On The Top.
Top vendors were champion breeders Wilgerbosdrift, whose 19 yearlings sold for R25 525 000 at an average of R1 343 421.
Form Bloodstock bought 18 lots for a gross R25 325 000 at an average of R1 406 944.
While the retired Drakenstein star Trippi had 8 yearlings selling for R11 300 000 at an average of R1 412 500, the sires charts saw Vercingetorix’ 34 yearlings selling for R39 475 000 at an average of R1 161 029.
Varsfontein champion Gimmethegreenlight had 39 sell for R35 450 000, an average of R908 974.
Both What A Winter and fast ascending star Rafeef had their supporters, with the Drakenstein sire selling 25 for R14 380 000 at an average of R575 200, while the Ridgemont hero sold 21 for R11 415 000 at an average of R543 571.
