The Justin Snaith-trained Vercingetorix 4yo The Grey King galloped his way into the history books on Wednesday as he laid claims to being one of the most successfully extended syndicated horses of all time in South African racing when realizing bumper returns for his host of happy owners.
The handsome grey was sold to longstanding owner Etienne Braun for R1 206 000 on the BSA October Online Auction.
The Kings ClubSyndicate lead The Grey King in (Pic -Cape Racing)
The Sporting Post has learnt that the purchaser was representing a partnership, which includes himself, Robert Bloomberg, Gina Goldsmith, Greg Bortz, Jonathan Bloch and the Stonebridge family.
Apparently the decision to sell was based on the fact that the two-year syndicate term was up and the fairest way to dissolve the partnership was on a public auction where all members or shareholders could bid. This was reflected in the incredibly high price that The Grey King fetched!
While our reigning Equus Champion Sprinter, and now Ridgemont- based sire, Thunderstruck held the original BSA online sales price record when purchased by Mary Slack for R1 241 000 as part of the Michael Javett Dispersal in May 2022, and was subsequently surpassed when Billy Bowlegs sold in September 2023 for R1 760 000, The Grey King grabbed the headlines this week when he had the champagne corks popping for The Kings Club, who originally purchased him for R350 000 at the Cape Racing Sales 2022 Ready to Run sale.
The Grey King (Grant van Niekerk) in full flight (Pic -Cape Racing)
The Maine Chance-bred galloper earned R310 512 in stakes and coupled with Wednesday’s sale ticket of R1 206 000 means gross earnings of R1 516 512. He has thus made five times his purchase price, with the profits to be paid out to syndicate members.
Syndicate Manager Gina Goldsmith expressed her delight.
“The Grey King was our first syndicated horse, and we couldn’t be prouder of him. He achieved incredible results on the track while offering members a wonderful journey and experience. Making a huge profit is such a bonus! Horses have a gift of bringing people together, and this was the case with this wonderful grey horse,” she told the Sporting Post.
The Grey King, whose 2024 SA Champions Season campaign was cut short by injury, also qualifies for the R5 million CRS Big Cap sales race in 2025. The CRS Big Cap is the exciting new ‘slot’ race which will headline the inaugural Cape Racing Festival Sales Day, run in tandem with the March Premier Sale.
The Big Cap was modelled on the Everest concept introduced in Australia, and the concept has been featured successfully previously in South Africa as the ‘Gold Rush’. The rich race will be run as a handicap, with conditions.
Cape Racing launched an industry-first exciting new syndication incentive programme in July 2023 and that has certainly been an unqualified success, crowned by The Grey King’s success.
History was made in the South African bloodstock sales arena in the dark days of the Covid-19 epidemic in June 2020 when BSA launched their groundbreaking first monthly digital sale.
The inaugural sale encompassed the entire spectrum of thoroughbred and sport horses and was lauded as an important step onto the dynamic thoroughbred sales landscape of the 21st century.
