Shadwell South Africa went to R4,4 million to lead the charts with Day 1 of the 2019 National Yearling Sale still in progress on Wednesday.
Mike de Kock is likely to train Vasco Da Gama, a Varsfontein Stud bred son of Captain Al bred on the same cross as Gr1 winners Captain America and William Longsword.
Vasco Da Gama – lot 115 raises the bar to R4,4 million (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
The lovely specimen is a full-brother to multiple Gr3 winner Captain Splendid, and his stakes winning dam is a half-sister to multiple Gr2 winner and exciting sire Master Of My Fate.
He is also a ¾ brother to the dam of Gr3 winner Ghaalla – who sold for R5 million at the 2017 National Sale.
This is the final National Yearling Sale for the progeny of Captain Al and the Klawervlei star’s offspring commanded plenty of attention.
While there is still two days left of the top sale, Varsfontein now lead the charge in pursuit of a hat-trick of topsellers – having the Dynasty colt Track Attack – a half-brother to champion Yorker – set a new high of R5,2 million in 2018, following in Ghaalla’s (then Goddess Var and also purchased by Shadwell SA) hoofprints from the 2017 renewal.
Form Bloodstock punctuated the early pace set by the Hong Kong Jockey at R4,2 million for lot 55, when going to R4,3 million for lot 98 – a Dynasty half-sister to a multiple winner out of the Dubawi sired multiple Gr1 winner Happy Archer, who raced with such success for Sean Tarry.
