The curtain came down on a sizzling hot 2023 BSA November 2yo Sale at the TBA Sales Complex in Johannesburg on Sunday afternoon, with the market holding strong after a recovery in 2022, following a testing 2021.
Top price of R1,5 million was paid by Summerveld trainer Michael Roberts at the one-day platform, for a lovely daughter of Vercingetorix.
Top lot at Sunday’s BSA November 2yo Sale – lot 121, a daughter of Vercingetorix (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Consigned to the sale by Varsfontein Stud, as Agent, the filly named Ladyofdistinction (Lot 121) had gained further gloss to her pedigree when her brother Gladatorian ran second behind the flying Dyce in the Gr3 New Turf Carriers Merchants, run a day prior to the November Sale.
Another daughter of Vercingetorix, the Sandown Stud consigned Warrior Royale (Lot 135) was knocked down to Pound Bloodstock for R900 000, which made the filly out of the well bred Captain Al mare Lady Al the second top lot sold on Sunday.
The buyers list was topped by Pound Bloodstock, who signed for eight lots for a total of R2,75 million
“This was a quality sale with plenty of options for a variety of tastes and pockets,” said Pound Bloodstock’s Sterling Miller, who also signed the R600 000 chit for lot 68, the top priced colt, an athletic Lancaster Bomber out of the Gr3 Final Fling Stakes/Listed Ladies Mile winner Brave Move (Horse Chestnut), consigned by Sandown Stud.
Lot 68 – top colt, a son of Lancaster Bomber (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
“We bought 8 horses to race for a partnership of Tony Jelinski, Morgan Govender, new man Ryan King, and myself,” added Sterling Miller, confirming that the draft would be aimed at racing as 3yo’s.
Maine Chance Farms’ star sire Vercingetorix proved the king of the sales ring, with the champion son of Silvano heading the sires list for the 2023 November Two Year Old Sale.
In total, Vercingetorix had five two-year-olds on sale gross R3 170 000, with his lots on Sunday’s sale averaging a very healthy R634 000.
Overall, a wide buying bench and an optimistic market saw healthy increases in both the average and median prices, while the total aggregate, despite suffering from a small catalogue than last year, remained on par.
The aggregate for the November Two Year Old Sale dropped slightly from R25,2 million in 2022 to R25,045 million this year, with the number of horses on sale dropping in 2023 to 152 (196 went on sale in 2022).
However, both the average and median were up on the 2022 sale, with the average rising from R159 494 to R178 893, while the median jumped from R105 000 to R140 000 in 2023.
James Armitage’s Sandown Stud had a magnificent sale, and ended up the Leading Vendor at the auction, selling 12 two-year-olds for R3,89 million. Sandown sold four of the top five lots, including the R900 000 buy Warrior Royale.
