Cape Premier Yearling Sale Day 1

I went to the sale yesterday evening. Not quite sure what to make of it.

For a start - it's actually quite a relief ( and fun! ) to go to a sale without a buyer's card. No pressure but conversely no flutter of expectation.

I am sure the 'experts' and spin doctors will give their findings shortly but here are mine :

I was expecting much higher prices to be paid for some of the yearlings. For example - it was rumoured that the Western Winter x Dancer's Daughter lot would fetch anything up to R3 million. They s-t-r-u-g-g-l-e-d to squeeze out the R1 million odd that it eventually fetched.

The new qualification and settling conditions appear to have squeezed a lot of the 'put your hand up and let them wait for their money' types out altogether. A number of trainers, in particular, were absent and a couple told me that they had no mandates from owners whatsoever.

I am not sure whether the much vaunted overseas buyers were there either.


The usual old auction tricks were in evidence - a number of lots were 'bid' up to amounts of R200,000 odd and then withdrawn as not sold. Were there buy backs? Probably. Possibly. I still remain adamant that a paddle system should be introduced which would eliminate this practise altogether or make it a public reality - in which case it would cease attracting negative comment. (Breeders who are concerned about fetching a price for their lots can always institute a reserve or alternatively stand behind the auctioneer and not release the yearling if the offer is too low ).

I was aware of quite a lot of 'horse trading' behind the scenes. A handful of buyers told me that they never even bid on their fancies when they detected low or no interest. They then approached the sellers after the lots were withdrawn and offered what they were prepared to pay.

In summary - I found the sale somewhat lacking in snap and energy. The ideal layout has, in my opinion, yet to be found as the venue is 'boomy', accoustics are quite poor and it becomes quite tiring after a relatively short period. From a comfort and audio perspective the sales complex at Gosforth Park is still far superior.

Txs Garrick will have a look today

Garrick - 100% spot on! My take as well. I believe the big hype did not help and in my book the NYS will remain our no 1 sale.

106 million turnover and 403 average.......hmmmmmmmm

Mike Bass spends R5m on two Jet Masters (tu)

Small breeders took a bath.

Garrick Wrote:

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> Small breeders took a bath.

That was always going to be the risk..... if you don't have anything of substance to put up on the sale...no place for the sires outside the top 5 JetM, CAL, Silvano,some Var and now Trippi are a hard act to follow.... then those pinhooked imports also tend to steal the limelight too....CTS will no doubt claim a success but the stats are skewered once again....interesting will be whose colours those top horses will run.....knocked down to several trainers but may be for a single owner...:S

5bar = 1lambo and 1ferrari

well done to anyone who can pay 5 mill for two horses.

well done to anyone who can pay 5 mil for two cars

Only difference is the cars are proven super cars, the horses will have to prove if they are super IF they even see the racetrack