Bloodstock consultant Ric Wylie inspected 240 horses earmarked by various stud farms for the Cape Racing Premier Yearling Sale on Thursday, 25 January 2024, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), which will be powered by Tattersalls, Europe’s leading bloodstock auctioneers, for the second consecutive year.
Now in his third year as a yearling inspector in the Western Cape, his services are especially sought in his home country of Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. Wylie also manages several portfolios of New Zealand horses nurtured through racing careers in Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Ric Wylie – very impressed by the mood
Wylie and fellow inspector Karl Neisius looked at horses on stud farms in the greater Western Cape area, and he reported an ‘exuberant optimism’ among breeders. He opined this starkly contrasted the sombre moods that prevailed over most of the last decade.
Wylie quipped: “This is not purely due to the Springboks’ exploits on the rugby fields. I call it the Greg Bortz Effect. He has undoubtedly generated positive energy all around. There is genuine appreciation for his shake-up of the industry and business approach.
Wylie noted that the young thoroughbreds inspected were high quality across the board. “I must say, Karl was a good inspection partner. He has an eye for horses, and it’s no surprise he was a champion jockey for so long. There were numerically more horses to look at, and we agreed that the quality was notably stronger. We saw some fantastic candidates at fabulous stud farms. The beauty of the region never fails to impress me. Varsfontein Stud is one to mention, a truly superb place to visit.
“The top stallions are again well represented, from Gimmethegreenlight to Vercingetorix, Rafeef and Querari, the usual outstanding foals. Among the new sires, I was impressed by the offspring of the new Silvano stallion, Hawwaam. I didn’t know much about him; I just saw his yearlings walking by, and they were eye-catching. I think Wilgerbosdrift can look forward to offering them at the auction.”
Justin Vermaak, Racing & Bloodstock Executive for Cape Racing, commented: “The increased numbers and improved quality and depth witnessed by our inspectors have come in response to our 2023 Premier Sale, where foundations were laid for the future of bloodstock sales in the Western Cape. We now have the difficult task of narrowing the entries to a final select group of around 130 horses.”
- Media release by Cape Racing on Friday 15 September 2023.
