The 2025 National Yearling Sale will be an emotional milestone for Courtney Soal. It will be the first time that the Soal family’s Sunstone Farm and Stud will be selling under their own flag.
Courtney Soal – dedicated to her horses (Pic – JC Photos)
The tragic passing in December 2022 of passionate racing man Kevin Soal shocked the South African racing industry. Mr Soal raced many top horses, was the owner of National Heavy Haulage, and also farmed in Mooi River, from where the family has continued their small breeding operation.
Showing inordinate strength, the 30 year old Courtney Soal told the Sporting Post earlier this week that her late Dad would have wanted them to continue with the horses and the family business, and that, while their lives would never be the same again, they have stood together.
“No family can ever be prepared for what happened in December 2022, but my Mom Debbie, my younger sister Megan, and I resolved to do it in Dad’s memory. He worked hard to build up the business and the farm and this is our way of honouring his very special memory.”
Courtney travels regularly between the beautiful farm in Mooi River and their logistics business on the Highveld.
“We are looking forward to the National Yearling Sale. We are offering two lovely horses, who will arrive this weekend. I will be there next week.”
She talks with enthusiasm about Cyrus The Great (#194), a son of exciting new sire Declarationofpeace, and whose first two dams are both stakes placed six-time winners. He hails from the same family as champion Travel North.
“He is a powerhouse pocket rocket. A real steam train. He’s a precocious athletic specimen and we are excited to see him in the ring. The Fighting Fifth (#312) is an elegant and athletic Captain Of All filly out of The Fifth Wave, a three-time winning half-sister to Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge winner Gimme A Shot, who has done so well for us,” adds Courtney.
The Soals have raced the horses they bred and then they continue the cycle by then breeding with their fillies.
“Dad bred Gimme A Shot, as an example. She is a Gr2 winner of 5 races. She’s a 5yo already and she may be ready one of these days to move to Sunstone and enter the next phase of her career. Adam and Mike Azzie train our horses and we are very happy to enjoy an excellent relationship with them,” she concluded.
Courtney and her team will be at Block C at the TBA Sales Complex from Monday.
