The first day of the 2019 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale ended with a memorable record moment when the second last lot, a Wilgerbosdrift bred son of Silvano, was purchased by Shadwell SA for R9 million.
The new benchmark, set by the handsome Masaki, outstrips last year’s record of R5,2 million paid for the Varsfontein Stud-bred Dynasty colt Track Attack.
The R9 million baby! (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
Mike de Kock will train lot 184, a full brother to Gr1 winner Nightingale, whose Fort Wood dam is a Gr3 winning sister to SA Guineas winner Heir Apparent.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Mark Richards was the underbidder in the battle for supremacy which ended with the hammer falling at R9 million in favour of Shadwell SA.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s powerful international racing vehicle also bought the second highest priced lot on the day in the shape of the Varsfontein bred Vasco Da Gama (#115), which sold for 4,4 million.
Wilgerbosdrift’s Mary Slack enjoys the historic moment as Andrew Bon ducks out of the pic (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
Dynasty produced the top filly of the day when Drakenstein Stud bred Kim Soo (#98) sold for R4, 3 million (the third highest lot) to Form Bloodstock.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club climbed in early when setting the pace with Mauritzfontein’s well-related Querari colt, Ficksburg (#55), who was bought for R4,2 million.
The leading sires were in demand with Silvano’s 17 offspring achieving an aggregate of R16 million at an average of R941 176.
The recently deceased champion Dynasty sold 16 for an aggregate of R13 075 000 at an average of R817 188.
Watch history being made – click on the link below
The star Captain Al, whose last showing this was at Nationals, had his 12 sell for R11 575 000 at an average of R964 583.
A total of 185 lots were catalogued at an aggregate of R73 855 000. The average was R535 181, with the median price R250 000
Day 2 commences at 11h30, with Lots 186 – 400 (Session 1 concludes at Lot 240) going under the hammer.
