The SAF Connection
KZN YEARLING SALE
Besides the drama of the July, last weekend also saw two regional sales held by Bloodstock South Africa. Traditionally, the Kwazulu Natal Yearling Sale falls into the second tier of sales behind the National Yearling Sale. This years sale followed the successful trend of recent sales in South Africa as the sales aggregate climbed from R6.7m to R9.2m for the 186 lots sold as compared with 133 sold last year. The average price held steady at R50 000 ($7600).
Top Prices
R400 000 ($61 000) Special Branch, bay colt by Fort Wood x Raise A Man x Lost Chord (Gb)
R200 000 ($30 000) Red Bud, bay colt by Wolfhound x Coastal x Seattle Song
R175 000 ($27 000) Demoiselle, bay filly by Captain Al (Saf) x Foveros (Gb) x Auction Ring
R165 000 ($25 000) Hambile, ch colt by Muhtafal x Northfields x Contraband
R160 000 ($24 000) Contemporary Age, bay colt by Modern Day x Secret Prospector x Northern Drive
R150 000 ($23 000) ?, ch colt by National Assembly (Can) x Phantom Breeze (Ire) x Blushing Groom (Ire)
R150 000 ($23 000) National Gift, bay colt by National Assembly (Can) x Model Man (Saf) x Prince Tor (Ire)
R150 000 ($23 000) Summer Place, bay colt by National Emblem (Saf) x Averof (Gb) x Lost Chord (Gb)
R150 000 ($23 000) Tara’s Queen, b filly by Tara’s Halls (Snl) x Golden Thatch (Ire) x Royal Prerogative (Gb)
R140 000 ($21 000) Air Of Destiny, ch colt by Manshood (Gb) x Mistral Dancer (Can) x Historian (Ire)
KZN MARE & WEANLING SALE
This sale is typically small and only had 93 lots catalogued, down from 153 last year. The aggregate held steady though at R2.3m with the average climbing strongly to R38 000 ($6 000) from R28 000 ($4 000). Amazingly, the top price was 50% higher than that fetched for the Fort Wood colt at the yearling sale three days earlier, and the top weanling sold is a foal of the top mare sold.
Top Prices
R600 000 ($91 000) Poppy, 7 y/o bay mare by Fard (Ire) x Harry Hotspur (Saf) x Royal Prerogative (Gb)
R140 000 ($21 000) ?, chestnut weanling filly by Muhtafal x Fard (Ire) x Harry Hotspur (Saf)
R110 000 ($17 000) ?, chestnut weanling colt by Silvano (Ger) x Formaz x Averof (Gb)
R100 000 ($15 000) Sylvan Story, 6 y/o ch mare by Silvino x Fine Edge (Gb) x London Way (Ire)
Mares can be purchased for next to nothing in South Africa. Consider some of these bargains on the sale.
Base Beat is a 9 year old mare with two previous foals, both too young to have raced yet. She is by Qui Danzig, a successful son on Danzig. Her dam produced Our Boy David, an 8 time winner over 1000 to 1200 metres, including a Gr2, with 16 places including a Gr3. Her third dam produced multiple bold black type horses including the champion colt Jamaican Music, a multiple Gr1 winner, July winner, and sire. She sold for only R20 000 ($3 000).
Twilight Again is a 4 year old filly, unsuccessful at the track. She is a daughter of Iktamal, a grandson of Danzig. Her dam is a stakes winner of five races. Her third dam produced multiple bold black type runners including Dunette, a champion filly in Europe who herself was the dam of French Glory, a Gr1 winner and sire. Twilight Again sold for a mere R4 000 ($600).
Many other well related mares sold for very little including a filly with the Mr Prospector x Northern Dancer cross in her 2nd and 3rd generations ($2 300), a daughter of Western Winter (Gone West) for $3 800, a daughter of Russian Fox (Nijinsky II) didn’t fetch her reserve of $3 800, a daughter of Northern Guest (Northern Dancer) didn’t fetch her reserve of $3 000, and the list goes on.
SIRE STANDINGS
With only a few weeks to go in the season, the current sire logs look as follows:
R9.1m 12% wins -> Jallad
R9.0m 17% wins -> Western Winter
R7.0m 20% wins -> Fort Wood
R6.2m 12% wins -> Al Mufti
R6.0m 10% wins -> National Emblem (Saf)
The top damsires are:
R8.4m 10% wins -> Northern Guest
R7.2m 11% wins -> Elliodor (Fr)
R5.7m 9% wins -> Dancing Champ
R5.2m 10% wins -> Golden Thatch (Ire)
R4.2m 7% wins -> Foveros (Gb)
The top sires of 2 year olds are:
R1.3m 22% wins -> Jet Master (Saf)
R1.2m 13% wins -> Goldkeeper
R1.2m 17% wins -> Captain Al (Saf)
R1.0m 15% wins -> National Assembly (Can)
R1.0m 20% wins -> National Emblem (Saf)
Note that National Emblem (5th on both the sires and sires of 2 y/o list) is the son of National Assembly (6th on sires list and 4th on the 2 y/o sires list).