Mick Goss
To say Mick Goss’ decision to withdraw his draft from next month’s Emperors Palace Ready-To-Run sale was a bombshell is an understatement. In football terms, it was like Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson in his prime announcing he’s joining neighbours, Manchester City, writes Dave Mollett.
The Ready-To-Run was the brainchild of Mick and my late great mate, Chris Smith. For years, the Summerhill chief had buyers (and the media!) dancing to his tune – he made damned sure everyone knew it was an event not to be missed.
As Racing Express noted yesterday, Mick has said he has no intention of abandoning next year’s TBA National Yearling Sales – a weekend steeped in history like rugby’s Currie Cup final.
However, that’s seven months away and a lot can happen in the interim – particularly if Mick has a successful sale in November under the CTS banner.
TBA chairperson, Susan Rowett, has called CTS’ decision to sell in Johannesburg (both in November and next April – the month of the National Yearling Sales) as “aggressive and unethical.”
Adrian Todd, Chief Operating Officer at CTS, countered that his company “in no way intending to affect the working operations of the TBA.”
Wise men. Chris Van Niekerk (left) and Markus Jooste (right) seen with Bernard Kantor
My reasoning that this is a “monumental setback for Bloodstock SA” (words used by Sporting Post) is that CTS chairman Chris van Niekerk and director Markus Jooste are businessmen of the highest acumen. Your chances of getting the better of them are slim.
My reading of the situation is that Mick’s wonderful (for buyers) terms of six months interest-free credit on horses sold at Ready-To-Run may have come back and bitten him. I reached this conclusion (which might be well off the mark) when reading Mick’s comment that “CTS’s guarantee of payment to vendors within 31 days was another factor I had to consider.”
Bloodstock agent, Andy Williams, commented: “A monopoly is bad, but competition is good. The TBA has been going for decades so it is up to the breeders to decide whether to continue supporting them or to support a new company – there is no problem in that.”
It is understandable if these are worrying days for employees of the TBA at their Germiston headquarters – particularly as you’ll battle to find a more helpful and cheerful team than them.
A happy ending? Not something I would want to bet on.
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