Dear Breeders
Please find attached today’s Thoroughbred Daily News.
I am going to follow up with two lead stories to TDN –
The first is that ‘The world’s only black thoroughbred auctioneer sells top priced yearling to Singapore buyer for export at Cape Premier Yearling Sale’ – this same story with photos has been sent to the Sunday Times, along with a note that the sale was attended by the Premier of the Western Cape and 3 cabinet ministers. That should clinch publication, hopefully !
The second is the notion which sales visitor Dan Roseberg (who for 30 years ran Three Chimneys Farm, home to Seattle Slew, Slew of Gold, Rahy, Dynaformer, Smarty Jones etc and associated to 8 Kentucky Derby winners) will announce, is that the Southern Hemisphere should have a Breeders Cup Series of its own, and that in order to achieve this, harmonization of the quarantine regulations between South America, South Africa and Australasia needs addressing urgently. Dan has sufficient gravitas to be widely reported internationally.
We had conspicuous lack of buying by our international visitors – it seems it was because we expected them to buy and commit their clients to racing in Cape Town when for most of them they know very little about racing horses here. However, what seems universally recognized by them, is that SA offers a great deal more than they ever expected and after attending the J&B Met today, they will take home a huge message which will spread far and wide.
In seeking global support for racing and sales, we have made the first step. Now we must build on it.
Our Sales task team will have our debrief meeting later this week as we make a snag list and try to ensure we record issues and suggestions for next year. I encourage you to send me an email providing your views, suggestions and ideas for the record.
Finally, I realized after the closing that I did not thank my own Task Team when on the rostrum. It was a serious omission because of the level of commitment displayed. In particular I would like to single out the incredible efforts of Grant Knowles and Adrian Todd, whose commitment to this sale went above and beyond what would be considered normal, with working into the wee hours of the morning as the norm. We are talking about unpaid volunteerism, and anyone who knows about working on committees will tell you how often the exceptional is taken for granted and how thankless efforts can be regarded by others. It was remiss not to pay tribute to those efforts last night. For this reason, I draw your attention to it.
This sale was more than just a sale. It is the heart and soul of a new beginning to springboard ourselves into internationalism; to be taken seriously as a major player in the world market. Like anything that captures the heart, we care deeply and personally about what has begun and must remain committed to its future.
We must capitalize on the attention we are getting by focusing on 3 items :
1 Unifying structures in SA racing and breeding in order to focus on a single strategic mission – to internationalise our trade, both in bloodstock and the betting product
2 Using the good offices of our partners, the DTI to influence the National Gambling Board (who falls under the Minister of Trade & Industry) to make the bookmakers pay their rightful contribution towards stakes and the integrity services of racing,
3 To streamline movement controls and harmonise international protocols so that SA bloodstock can trade freely at global levels
If we can do this, we will treble our current market.
As I said, a platform for a new beginning.
If you took some pain in this sale –and some breeders did – consider it an investment in our collective future. I cant help but feel that we have a lot to look forward to.
Thanks and best regards
Robin Bruss
082 469 4231
