Stud farms can be seen as a static collection of fixed assets, comprising land, paddock fences and buildings.
This is accurate up to a point, but they’re also fluid, in a sense like projects without an end point. There are always bloodstock decisions being made, broodmares being added or removed, not to forget the stallions that make or break the herd.
Normandy’s Oscar Foulkes writes that each year’s crop of yearlings is a kind of waypoint, representing a snapshot of the ongoing project. In our case, this project started more than 50 years ago.
Oscar connects with a foal at Normandy – what a life!
In the case of Normandy Stud’s draft for the BSA Cape Yearling Sale, this is pretty much our entire picture for 2023!
With the exception of the weanlings that we sold in 2022, and the four fillies being retained for stud, this is our entire crop of 2021. We are not sending yearlings to any other sales.
Through various branches, all but one of our foundation families are represented, the exception being the In Camera-Tatler dam line that started with Entre Nous.
Of course, there are a couple of other high-profile gaps: Arctic Breeze (the dam of Rio Querari) aborted a Legislate, and her full-sister Nordic Breeze lost a One World. It also happened to be the year that two of our Mother Russia sisters did not conceive.
However, we can only focus on what we have, and in this respect, there are many reasons to be excited.
Firstly, five of the 15 yearlings are the first foals of their dams. Another four are out of young mares that already have 100% records of winners from runners. Who knows which of these mares will turn out to be our stars of the future?
Erupt (photo: Jeremy Nelson)
It is also pertinent to point out that five of the draft are by Dubawi’s hot young son, Erupt, who is producing a high percentage of progressive horses.
He is also throwing more speed than may have been expected from a 2400m Grade One winner. Dubawi gets them to run over all distances and Erupt seems to be no different.
Before we get to the yearlings themselves, we should mention why we’ve targeted this sale.
Firstly, we want to sell our yearlings in the Western Cape.
Transporting them to Johannesburg – with all the risks and costs involved – especially getting them back to the Western Cape, is crazy.
Secondly, the timing works fine for a broad spectrum of our yearlings, even though we have a couple of November foals.
Finally, the various BSA incentives, especially the R100k bonus for the first 100 juvenile winners, are a big plus.
Lot 7 c. Erupt (IRE) – Point Of Order
Long before we had any idea whether Erupt would get winners, we could see the extent to which he’s improving on his mares, and this colt is a cracking example. He’s a good size (especially for a first foal), he’s scopey, and there’s plenty of him.
He’s from the Cap Alright branch of the Terpsichore family.
Lot 13 c. Querari – Quetta
The half-brother to Sachdev, who came within an agonizingly close half-length of winning the Cape Derby. His dam is a half-sister to Bravura, who did win the Cape Derby, and it’s the family of multiple champions Mother Russia and Winter Solstice.
This colt oozes class – he moves like a dream, and as a 1 November foal he’s just going to get better and better as he matures.
Lot 23 f. Oratorio (IRE) – Sabrina Fair
The dam’s only runner is a winner, and Oratorio produces an impressive close on 60% winners from foals, so percentages are on your side. The dam is a half-sister to the dam of the top sprinting filly, Sarah, and it’s the Terpsichore family.
This filly moves extremely well. She is built a lot like her dam, whose racing career was just taking off when she did a tendon.
Lot 84 f. Potala Palace – Ashram
The dam has a 100% record, including Wind Water, who is looking like a handy sprinter.
This is a good-sized, scopey filly, and she moves extremely well.
Lot 85 c. Potala Palace – Azarenka
The only runner of this stakes-placed mare is a winner. It’s a family that has been prolific in producing winners for us, tracing to a smart sprinting filly by Royal Affair that we obtained in the early 80s.
This colt is bred on the same cross as the top-class Katak. He’s a high quality chap, and the very epitome of athleticism.
Lot 92 f. Erupt (IRE) – Blue Wonder
We couldn’t be happier to have this as the first foal of a new mare. She’s a super athletic Erupt filly that should show pace up the straight even though she’s out of a Silvano mare.
Lot 119 f. Erupt (IRE) – Fleeced
We often speak about the extent to which Erupt upgrades on his mares. This filly is out of a very attractive stakes-placed mare that didn’t need any upgrading, and it’s hard to imagine a better first foal. She stands over plenty of ground, she is powerfully built, and she has a high quality, refined head.
It’s the immediate family of Star Empire, Fabiani and GG’s Dynasty.
Lot 126 c. Erupt (IRE) – Good Cause
This is a neat, good-moving Erupt colt, out of a half-sister to the graded stakes-winner Crowd Pleaser, from the family of the Champion US filly, Smart Angle.
Lot 139 c. Twice Over (GB) – Joshua’s Princess
This colt has the Classics written all over him. He’s tall, scopey and high quality, with a good action. Of course, being by the Grade One sire Twice Over, out of the grand race filly Joshua’s Princess, that’s very much in his DNA. Apart from her own exploits on the racetrack, she’s a half-sister to the dam of the Cape Derby winner Grande Jete.
Lot 150 c. Potala Palace – Lady Of The Fleece
We’ve been big supporters of Potala Palace because of his proven ability to produce top horses out of the worst mares in the Stud Book (not that we’d put Lady of the Fleece into that category). This is a high quality, scopey colt with a great action. He’s a half-brother to a couple of winners, including a black type filly, from the close up family of Fabiani, Star Empire and GG’s Dynasty.
Lot 151 c. One World – Lady Wylie
We like the look of this three-parts brother to our Cape Flying Championship winner Sergeant Hardy. He has a sprinter’s way about him, and moves well.
There are a couple of firsts here, in that he’s from the first crop of One World, and he’s the mare’s first foal.
Lot 153 f. Erupt (IRE) – Live Aid
This filly is built like a tank – yet another example of how Erupt improves on his mares. She’s a great opportunity to get into the family of Bravura, Winter Solstice and Mother Russia.
Lot 161 c. William Longsword – Marie Antoinette
For a first foal he’s a really good size, and for a big guy he’s exceptionally light on his feet. Here’s another three-parts brother to Sergeant Hardy.
Lot 172 f. Potala Palace – Night On The Hill
This athletic, high quality filly is from the Cap Alright branch of the Terpsichore family. Her full-sister was the subject of spirited bidding on last year’s RTR, and early reports about her are extremely positive.
Lot 174 c. Legislate – Nordic Light
Whenever we get asked about the perfect cat-like walk, we’ll pull out a video of this colt in action. He is just the most sensational mover. Of course, he’s by the stallion with the best percentages in the country, and his dam’s only runner is the uber-competitive Beerenberg, who has three wins and seven places from 11 starts.
His dam is a half-sister to the dam of Rio Querari, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see this cracking colt follow in those hoofprints.
Find the catalogue here.
Viewing starts on Friday 24 February – view the Normandy crew in A block at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. Exciting times!
