Bloodstock SA have announced that graduates of the 2016 National Two Year Old Sale will automatically qualify for two, new R1 000 000 races to be held next year.
Both races will be contested over 1400m, with one being open to fillies and the other to colts and geldings. They will be run in August 2017.
It is the first time in South African history that a major sales race will be open solely for fillies, and this exciting new venture offers buyers a host of good reasons for buying fillies on offer at the upcoming National Two Year Old Sale.
Met winner River Jetez
With the Two Year Old Sale having previously produced such star females as Bela-Bela, Lyrical Linda, Rock Opera, Zaitoon and the remarkable River Jetez, there has never been a better time to buy a filly at this great sale!
The weight to be carried by each horse shall be determined by the price at which it was sold or was bought back by its vendor, in accordance with the bands shown:
R401,000 or more: 60kgs
R201,000 – R400,000: 58kgs
R101,000 – R200,000: 56kgs
R100,000 or less: 54kgs
Susan Rowett – excited by innovation
Susan Rowett, Chairwoman of the TBA, is excited about by the new race initiative, and cites the fact that it represents two major firsts in the history of South African racing – it is the first time that a major sales race will be open only for fillies, and it is also a first that the handicap will be weighted by individual prices.
She says, “The National Two Year Old Sale has always been popular with buyers and it has a very varied mix of horses. There are some top horses – perhaps National Yearling Sale horses that picked up an injury or just needed more time to mature. These horses can and do sell well on the National Two Year Old Sale, but in the current market it is the lesser pedigreed horses that vendors are struggling with. The market is particularly weak for fillies. These races are aimed at increasing the interest in horses (and hopefully thus prices) in the lower and middle part.
Apart from the very top end, the market for fillies is weaker than for colts, and as fillies represent 50% of the foal crop, weak demand for fillies has a detrimental effect on breeders’ profitability. By supporting the fillies on the National 2yo sale with a Million Rand Race just for them, it is hoped that we can make a real difference to the sales results for our vendors.”
Bela-Bela is another top-class graduate of the sale
Wicklow Stud’s Rennie Price is also enthusiastic about Bloodstock South Africa’s new venture, saying, “ I believe this is the fairest way of running a sales race. The objective of this particular incentive is to provide upside for people, who are willing to take a chance and buy in at this sale and particularly for those who are buying the offspring of the less fashionably bred sires.”
The catalogue for the 2016 National Two Year Old Sale is available for viewing online.
