The 2023 BSA KZN Yearling Sale, held at Durban’s Suncoast Casino on Thursday in the vibrant Hollywoodbets Durban July build-up, proved a great success, and is clearly a sale going from strength to strength.
Well attended by an enthusiastic crowd, despite some weather challenges earlier in the week, the sale was held in perfect conditions, with plenty of interest from all over South Africa.
Vercingetorix sales-topper at R750 000 (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The sale’s aggregate rose by a staggering 50%, with the Thursday total of R27.1 million way up on the aggregate of R18.1 million achieved at the previous year’s auction.
A strong and resilient middle market ensured that both the average and median prices rose, with the average reaching R184 354, up from R123 129, and the median soaring from R75 000 to R145 000.
Sensible reserves set by vendors and an enthusiastic buying bench meant that just 12 yearlings failed to reach their reserve at the KZN Yearling Sale in 2023.
For a second year in a row, Boland Stud consigned the sales-topping lot at the KZN Yearling Sale, with Boland’s Vercingetorix full-brother to Gr2 Umkhomazi Stakes/Gr3 Godolphin Barb Stakes winner, and former KZN Sale graduate, African Warrior, knocked down to Brett Crawford for R750 000.
Out of the winning Jet Master mare Allez Afrique, a half-sister to Gr1 Cape Flying Championship hero O Caesour, the imposing colt hails from the family of champions Enchantress, Laverna and the ill-fated National Currency, to name but a few.
Kestorm Investments spent R580 000 to acquire the top priced filly. She was the Klawervlei Stud consigned lot 13, a daughter of champion sire Gimmethegreenlight and the Pomodoro sired Equus Champion, and dual Gr1 winner Return Flight.
Mauritzfontein, whose exciting young sire Danon Platina impresses as a potential star sire of the future, headed the Leading Vendors list for the sale, selling all twelve of their yearlings offered for an aggregate of R3,64 million.
After spending R3,27 million to purchase 16 yearlings, Sterling Miller’s Pound Bloodstock led the Leading Buyers list, with their top priced buy coming in the form of the Mauritzfontein consigned Danon Platina filly Grey Fantacy (Lot 146), who made R550 000.
Having dominated proceedings at this year’s National Yearling Sale, Vercingetorix once again headed the Leading Sires by Aggregate list, with Silvano’s champion son having eight yearlings gross R3,475 million and average R434 375.
