Sandwiched between January’s CRS Summer Sale and next month’s Premier Yearling Sale in a competitive and rapidly evolving thoroughbred sales environment, the BSA Cape Yearling Sale on Sunday held up well in year-on-year comparitives off a substantially reduced catalogue, with the median price holding steady and a 10% increase in average price.
A fire in the Table Mountain National Park above Kirstenbosch forms a dramatic backdrop to the SARDA Centre on Sunday ahead of the Cape Yearling Sale (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Whichever way we roll the dice, the genuine competition for quality catalogue pages and good old-fashioned value for money in a rising market has probably never been greater than at the present. In the circumstances Sunday’s sale at the new scenic location of the SARDA Centre in Constantia delivered the goods.
While not pretending to aim at the heady numbers of the CRS Summer Sale, the BSA Cape Yearling Sale reaffirmed its wide spectrum market position with value-for-money consistency from top to tail, and a horse to suit most every pocket.
The stats show that 99 of the 109 catalogued lots (versus 132 of 156 catalogued in ’24) sold on Sunday for an aggregate of R22 505 000 (up 21% from R27 265 000 in ’24) at an average of R227 323 (up 10% from R206 553 in ’24).
The median remained consistent at R180 000.
The presence of a number of Gauteng buyers on the diverse bench was possibly as the result of 4Racing’s recent announcement of a transport subsidy, as well as the addition of two new BSA Sales Races of R400k apiece to the Highveld juvenile programme in 2026.
Syrilla’s sales-topper – a Gimmethgreenlight colt (#34) goes through the ring (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
And it was veteran conditioner Alec Laird who claimed the top lot when signing the R900 000 chit for Syrilla Stud’s Gone Cold (# 34), a handsome grey Gimmethegreenlight colt bred on the same cross as Gr1 winning champions Proceed and Sandringham Summit.
The athletic specimen, the only son of our champion sire in the catalogue, is out of a twice-winning 3/4 sister to Gr3 Umkhomazi Stakes winner Captain In Command and Listed Ladies Mile winner Canadian Sunset.
The two fairer sex chart-toppers tied at R800 000 apiece, with Syrilla Stud again in the mix courtesy of Sitva Queen (#107), who sold to Trevelen Pillay’s TKP Racing.
She is bred on similar lines to Vercingetorix’s Gr1-placed son Gallic Chief, out of the Western Winter sired Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery runner-up Winter’s Forge.
Wilgerbosdrift’s Royal Connection (#90) was purchased by Hollywood Racing for R800 000 (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Hollywood Racing purchased fellow fairer sex chart-topper Wilgerbosdrift’s Royal Connection (#90), a half sister to the leading team’s recent Need For Speed Sprint winner Luhamba Phambili (Danon Platina) , who is out of a Gr3 winning daughter of Silvano and Gr1 winner Royal Fantasy.
Topping the sires charts, Varsfontein resident Master Of My Fate had 8 of his offspring sell at a gross of R2,9 million, an average of R362 500.
Wilgerbosrdift’s Redoute’s Choice stallion Buffalo Bill Cody had his octet sell for a gross of R2 295 000, an average of R286 875.
On the vendors list, Wilgerbosdrift sold their 16 for a gross R5 540 000 (average R346 250), while Varsfontein let their 17 go for R4 505 000 (average R265 000).
Mauritian owner Denis Le Breton’s Monden International Racing topped the buyers list, with their shopping trolley of 7 yearlings aggregating R2 110 000, at an average of R301 429.
See the full price list here.
The next BSA sale will be the National Yearling Sale which will be held at the TBA Sales Complex in Johannesburg on 10 & 11 April.
The CRS Premier Yearling Sale is scheduled for 13 and 14 March at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
