The South African thoroughbred sales season is now in full swing and just a fortnight after the BSA Cape Yearling Sale up the road at Mistico, the Cape Thoroughbred Sales team set up at the magnificent De Grendel Wine Estate on Sunday to host the delayed 2021 renewal of the Cape Premier Yearling Sale.
The Cape Premier Yearling Sale has been the launching pad of an impressive honour roll of Gr1 winners in the decade since it opened shop as the unique inner city sale at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Sunday evening’s sale venue sunset (Pic – Taubin Grove)
For a sale that has traditionally relied to some degree on a powerful international bidding bench, 2021 was always going to be a test.
Times and lifestyles have changed dramatically thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated ills – although, to be fair, some of the economic pain has probably been self-inflicted by the game.
So while the top end of the market came through on Sunday, it’s the middle and bottom end that breeders must be concerned about.
Topselling #172
Top lot of the sale was #172, a really well-related and good-looking Gimmethegreenlight filly out of the stakes performed Western Winter mare, Strawberry Ice.
She was offered by Lammerskraal and fell to a bid of R1,1 million by international-based owner, Bjorn Nielsen. She is likely to be trained by Justin Snaith, and she is coincidentally from the same family as their very smart Silvano’s Pride.
In total, 202 lots were catalogued, of which 174 made it to De Grendel, with 155 selling.
Click here to see the full price list
Last year, 232 were catalogued of which 174 of 216 offered were sold.
The 2021 aggregate of R37 710 000 was down 33% on 2020 – that’s with 19% less horses on the market.
Avontuur’s #3 Triple Time (Twice Over) sold to John Freeman for R700 000 (Pic – Taubin Grove)
The average for Sunday was R243 290 – down 25% on the R325 373 of 2020.
Sunday’s median price was R200 000 – down 25% on the R250 000 of 2020.
- Next up is the BSA National Yearling Sale which will be held on 15 and 16 April at the TBA Sales Complex in Johannesburg.
