Quality On Offer In Cape Town

Cape Thoroughbred Sales will host Book 1 of the third annual Cape Premier Yearling Sale Jan. 24 and 25 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa. There are 234 yearlings set to go under the hammer, with the sale commencing at 5 p.m. each evening.

Although still in its infancy, the Cape Premier Yearling Sale has yielded positive results, with three Group 1-winning juveniles in its inaugural draft in 2011, including South Africa’s unbeaten 2-year-old champion Soft Falling Rain (SAf) (National Assembly). This year’s catalogue has been refined to include the country’s most mature yearlings, with an emphasis on conformation and proven sires. With a renewed focus, Robin Bruss, Chief Executive Officer of CTS, said he expects to build on the sale’s early success.

“These are [South Africa’s] most forward yearlings and best-grown horses,” Bruss said. “Last year, we had some horses that were born later and were more classic types. We found that, for the most part,those were the horses that didn’t find homes. So, this year, we’ve trimmed our catalogue back. We’ve cut back by about 100 horses, suggesting to those with later-maturing horses that they find a sale later in the year. The catalogue really is focused on those big, strong, forward types.”

“They certainly appeared like they’ve got good bone to them and they’re raised the right way,” said West Point Thoroughbreds President Terry Finley, who purchased two horses at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale last year. “They breed a sturdy horse. You can tell when they come to the yearling sales that they’ve been raised the right way.”

Stand-outs from this year’s catalogue include lot 150, a colt by Dynasty (SAf) (Fort Wood) out of Dancer’s Daughter (GB) (Act One {GB}). Consigned by Highlands Farm Stud, he is the first foal from his dam, a dual champion and winner of the G1 Vodacom Durban July – South Africa’s greatest race – which was also won by Dynasty.

“Dancer’s Daughter is one of the few fillies to have won the Durban July, and here we have two winners of that race mated together,” Bruss noted. “It’s the first time two July winners have been mated, so if there was ever a horse to win the Durban July, this is it.”

Lot 226, a colt from the draft of Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm, represents another rare opportunity. The son of Var (Forest Wildcat), from the Elliodor (Fr) mare Minelli, is a full-brother to dual sprint champion Val de Ra (SAf), winner of 11 of 13 races.

Lot 37, a filly by Windrush – Russian Muse (SAf), by Russian Fox (SAf), is a full sister to G1 L’Ormarins Queens Plate winner Mother Russia (SAf); lot 1, a colt by Western Winter – Nacarat (SAf), by Pas de Quoi (SAf), is a full-brother to Grade 1 winner Nania (SAf); lot 9, a colt by Dynasty (SAf) – Our Table Mountain, by Fusaichi Pegasus is a half-brother to last year’s R2.8 million ($300,327) sale topper, and his dam is a half-sister to Artie Schiller (El Prado); lot 169, by Black Minnaloushe – Gardener’s Delight, by Giant’s Causeway, is a half-brother to Soft Falling Rain and from the family of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Gal in a Ruckus (Bold Ruckus); lot 67, Jay Peg (SAf) – Stormz Emprez (SAf), by Second Empire (SAf), is out of a half-sister to Group 1 winners Pocket Power (SAf) and River Jetez (SAf), both by South Africa’s ill-fated sire-sensation Jet Master (SAf) (Rakeen).

A four-time leading sire prior to his death in 2011, Jet Master will be represented by eight yearlings from his final crop at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale, including lot 2, lot 60, and lot 216, all the progeny of Group 1-winning mares. American-based sires Pure Prize (Storm Cat) and Tapit (Pulpit) are both represented in the catalogue. Also well represented is Trippi (End Sweep), a Grade I winner and Champion sire in Florida before he was purchased to stand at Drakenstein Stud in South Africa. Trippi made an immediate splash in the Southern Hemisphere, earning the leading freshman sire title of 2012. He is represented by 27 lots in the Cape Premier Yearling Sale, including lot 145 from the family of American Grade I winners and leading sires Awesome Again and Macho Uno.

The quality of this year’s catalogue has been the goal of the sale’s organizers from the start. Before CTS came along, the only public auctions in South Africa were run by the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, an arrangement which, according to Bruss, presented a few potential roadblocks.

“The TBA was, I think, the only major sales company in the world run by a breed society,” he explained. AThough it served its members well for a long period of time, we thought that in the modern era, we needed something that was more dynamic than a breed organization that meets quarterly. It also has the disadvantage in that there are some inherent conflicts between a breed organization and a sales company, and also being a breed cooperative, it doesn’t have the access to capital that a private company would have, which makes it harder to pay vendors out early.” A ‘pilot edition’ of the Cape Premier Yearling Sale was staged by the TBA in January 2011, with Bruss at the controls. That test run proved successful. With the backing of the eight largest stud farms in the country, Cape Thoroughbred Sales was officially born in August of that year. It now encompasses three sales: The Cape Premier Yearling Sale Books 1 & 2 (Book 2 takes place Mar. 23 & 24), and the R2-million Ready to Run Sale, a 2-year-olds in training sale where all graduates are eligible for a restricted R2-million race to take place the following year. The business mantra of CTS encompasses more than simply selling horses. Based in Cape Town, where 80% of South Africa’s foal crop is produced, CTS uses the lure of one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations to draw foreign buyers, stage a social extravaganza and encourage international participation in the South African Thoroughbred industry. In addition to the sale, visitors are exposed to a variety of activities. They have the opportunity to take in some of South Africa’s most popular tourist attractions and, if they choose to stick around after the sales, they will be treated to a day of Group 1-racing at Kenilworth Racecourse, highlighted by the G1 J&B Met, Feb. 2.

“We’re trying to create a new model, something different, and that’s why the sale was created around the whole idea of lifestyle, because I firmly believe we have to offer an attraction that other countries may not have,” Bruss explained. “We try to use the beauty of Cape Town and its many activities to attract foreign owners to come to South Africa Bruss noted that through CTS, he hopes to expand the market and demand for the South African Thoroughbred globally. The chief roadblock to that goal thus far has been African Horse Sickness, which has caused the implementation of long quarantines for horses exported from the country.

“Our main difficulty is that with our quarantine protocols, buyers can’t just buy the horses and take them home,” Bruss explained. “That’s why we encourage them to come to South Africa, enjoy our hospitality, buy horses, and put them in training here. They can use South Africa as a springboard and, later, take the best ones abroad.”

Much to the relief of those looking to export horses out of South Africa, a PCR Assay test was recently unveiled that can provide a definitive diagnosis of African Horse Sickness within hours.

“With this test, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to come down to a 10 or 15 day quarantine,” Bruss said. “The old test used to take 20 days, and they did it twice. We’re at the point now where this new test is being validated in the bigger scientific journals. To me, its surmountable, and once we do solve it, we’ll hope to become the next great developing area. In the meantime, we’d like people to come here and enjoy the experience.” The Cape Premier Yearling Sale itself is designed with the customer’s experience in mind. It is unique in the bloodstock sales

world in that it is conducted in a convention center, with buyers and audience members seated at tables and treated to fine drinks and dining while the horses are paraded before them on a raised stage. Bruss admitted that it is more Alike a banquet” than a traditional horse auction.

“Taking a leaf out of Keeneland’s book, we decided to bring people from the city to the country, as opposed to putting the horses on a float and sending them into Johannesburg, which is a business hub,” he explained. “We didn’t have a natural venue, but we realized the convention center would be a good location for us. It’s very central, with a beautiful waterfront at the foot of Table Mountain.” Bruss pointed out that, in addition to the inherent perks of attending the Cape Premier Yearling Sale, there are other reasons to buy and race in South Africa.

“The costs to keep a racehorse in South Africa are very low,” he explained. “Training fees are the equivalent of about $1,000 per month. That’s a fraction of the cost to keep a horse in training overseas. The average cost of a horse [at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale] is about R400,000. That’s about US$50,000, which is relatively low compared to the other prime markets, like Tattersalls and Keeneland book one, and the [Inglis] Easter sale in Australia.” In addition, a favorable exchange rate gives American buyers more value for their money. Currently, one American dollar is equivalent to 8.48 South African Rand. South Africa’s complicated quarantine restrictions mean that breeding stock cannot freely move across its borders, eliminating the possibility of shuttle sires or visiting mares from outside the country.

“Most of our pedigrees come from South African families, so therefore we’re offering something different,” Bruss said. AIn a world with shuttle sires, you can hardly escape the leading sires. At almost any sale you go to, anywhere in the world, you’re going to find the progeny of the same stallions. Not here.” The reception of international buyers at last year’s sale was positive. Among those from overseas signing tickets were Tom Goff, Anthony Stroud, and Tina Rau from the UK; Peter Doyle, Mick Flanagan and Con Marnane from Ireland; and Ajay Anne of New Approach Bloodstock from Dubai. Terry Finley and Kirkwood Stables’ Kip Elser wrote perhaps the strongest testimonial for the sale when they teamed up to purchase a Var colt out of Rollicking Romp (SAf) (Qui Danzig) named Variety Romp for R600,000 as a pinhook – something that is rarely done in South Africa – at last year’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale. Re-offered Nov. 2 at the TBA’s Emperors Palace Ready-to-Run sale, Variety Romp realized R1.6-million, earning Finley and Elser a US$118,000 profit.

“I went over with Kip Elser, who had been going over for quite a few years,” Finley explained. AI really didn’t know what to expect, and it turned out that we ended up with two really nice horses that were raised the right way and put into a good program.” In addition to the Var colt, Finley and Elser purchased a colt by Jay Peg (SAf), which was also entered for the Ready-to-Run sale, but was withdrawn.

“It was my first time in South Africa, and I had a great week in Cape Town,” Finley said. “I would be going back, I just have some scheduling conflicts this year. But Kip is going back over, and I definitely think we’ll be buying some more at this upcoming sale.” The merits of the first renewal of the Cape Premier Yearling Sale have also been justified on the racetrack. Of the four Group 1 races on offer for 2-year-olds in South Africa, three were won by graduates of the sale. In addition to Sheikh Hamdan’s unbeaten 2-year-old champion Soft Falling Rain–who won the G1 S A Nursery S. at Turffontein Apr. 28 and recently arrived in Dubai to embark on his international campaign under the tutelage of trainer Mike de Kock–the other Group 1-winning graduates are War Horse (SAf) (Victory Moon {SAf}), who was victorious in the G1 Golden Horseshoe S. at Greyville July 7, and The Hangman (SAf) (Jallad), winner of the G1 Premier’s Champion S. at Greyville July 28. Those three colts were purchased for the equivalent of $45,000, $40,000, and $55,000, respectively.

“In horse racing, we’re lagging behind where we should be, which is why the price of our horses are below what they should be,” Bruss said. “Eventually, when the market opens up properly, I think you’ll see a leapfrog. That’s what we’re all expecting and hoping for. We hope we’re at the foothill of a climb, and we promote ourselves as if we’re already on the way. It’s all part and parcel of a great plan to develop ourselves into something bigger and better.” The full catalogue for the Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 can be accessed at www.capethoroughbredsales.com.

-extract TDN by Kelsey Riley

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Click here to view the CPYS 2013 Book 1 Buyer’s Guide

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