The catalogue for the 2023 Tattersalls Cape Premier Yearling Sale has been published online.
The sale, scheduled for Thursday 12 January, is set to recapture much of its former glory under the new Cape Racing banner, with a number of highlights in the offing.
In more detail, the Sale:
-Returns to its original home, the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), with the backing of the world renowned Tattersalls Group;
-Features top stud farms back on the vendor list after a long absence, including Varsfontein Stud and Sandown Stud;
-Has a strong representation from super stallions in Vercingetorix (10 yearlings) and Gimmethegreenlight (17), alongside a good variety of other leading stallions, including What A Winter Querari, Master Of My Fate, Rafeef and the Drakenstein pair of Trippi and Lancaster Bomber, whose available progeny are now limited;
-Features the first offspring of highly regarded stallion One World (Captain Al);
-Is client-driven, more than ever, with a variety of entertaining events before and after the sale, as part of the Cape Summer Festival of Racing. They include a Golf Day, a Lunch at Avontuur Estate, the Maine Chance Farms International Dinner and the 2023 King’s Plate.
Justin Vermaak & Dr Andreas Jacobs at Maine Chance Farms
Justin Vermaak, Head Of Operations for Cape Racing, said that the 2023 renewal of the Premier Sale will be heralding a new era. “We are very pleased to welcome the powerhouse Varsfontein Stud back into the fray. The renewed support of studs like Varsfontein is due to the work done by Greg Bortz in reviving Cape Racing.
“We did a roadshow to gain fresh support for the sale and we explained the imperative that the 2023 Premier Sale, and those to follow, will not be a copy-and-paste replica of the old CTS Sale. The major difference is that CTS was independently owned while it is now owned by the Operator, which means that proceeds from our auctions go directly into the stakes pot.”
Vermaak added: “We had a good reception from other stud farms who will show their faith from 2024 onwards, when we’ll move the sale to a later date in January. While the 2023 sale works out well for overseas buyers being in Cape Town for the King’s Plate, it is just too early for a number of stud farms to have participated.
“What we have, however, is a compact auction with deep quality throughout, 120 lots in total. More than 20% of the yearlings on sale are by South Africa’s top three stallions.”
There will be highlights throughout the day in what will be an exciting time for vendors, buyers and indeed also the auctioneers on duty.
Varsfontein Stud’s prolific ‘Mystic Spring’ family (Snowdance, Bela Bela, Rabiya, et al) is represented by Lot 2, a bay colt by top five stallion Master Of My Fate out of Canukeepitsecret (Captain Al) – one to ensure spirited bidding early in the auction.
Klawervlei have several lots bred in the purple. They include Lot 28, a half-brother by Vercingetorix to Hammies Hero (Twice Over), one of this season’s outstanding three-year-olds, and Lot 45, a Gimmethegreenlight colt out of a half-sister to Vercingetorix himself.
Smart stakes winner Cliff Top has a Rafeef half-brother on the sale (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Ridgemont will present Lot 31, the first foal of Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Front and Centre (Dynasty), a colt sired by Canford Cliffs; also Lot 117, a half-brother to 2022 stakes winner Cliff Top, sired by Rafeef.
Avontuur have a handful of impeccably bred yearlings to go through the ring, including Lot 23, a colt by Oratorio born from the Listed winning Captain Al mare, Esteemal, from the potent Ever Seeking female line (Elusive Fort, Easyjadeasy, et al); also Lot 82, one of the last fillies by VAR from a Listed-placed mare, and from the immediate family of Pocket Power.
A half-brother to Gr1 Classic winner Red Saxon (Lot 83), sired by Erupt, comes to the sale courtesy of prominent Narrow Creek Stud. He is one of many gems waiting to be discovered in the catalogue.
More about the other lots in a future release.
For more information:
Justin Vermaak
[email protected]
Or phone (+27) 72 623 7994
