Despite taking place in an economy shadowed by both COVID and political anxieties, the 2021 National Yearling Sale ended on a high note, with solid prices and brisk trading a constant during the two days of the auction.
The sales’ aggregate of R102 470 000 rose notably from the 2020 aggregate of R87 065 000, and, while the average dropped to R276 946 from R295 136 a year ago, the sales’ median rose from R160 000 to R200 000.
With recent National Sale graduates headed by recent World Sports Betting Triple Crown winner Malmoos as well as the likes of Captain’s Ransom and Jet Dark, and a catalogue packed full of quality, there was plenty of depth to the buying bench at the 2021 National Sale.
Varsfontein Stud’s More Than Ready horse Gimmethegreenlight has had an exceptional season this year, and demand was high for his progeny at this year’s National Sale. The former G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate was responsible for this year’s National Sales topper, with Gimmethegreenlight’s flashy grey son (Lot 351) out of the triple G1 winning champion All Is Secret knocked down to Form Bloodstock’s Jehan Malherbe for R2.8 million.
A half-brother to Listed Lady’s Bracelet winner Sovereign Secret, and sporting graded stakes winners as his first two dams, the sales topping colt was consigned to the sale by Klawervlei Stud.
His sire Gimmethegreenlight, who had three yearlings fetch upwards of R1 000 000, ended this week’s National Yearling Sale as the Leading Sire by Aggregate. The current Leading Sire in South Africa for the 2020-2021 season had 48 yearlings sell for a gross of R20 960 000, with Gimmethegreenlight yearlings averaging a handsome R436 667.
Three fillies made R1 100 000 to jointly head the top priced fillies list at this year’s sale. Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm’s regally bred Silvano half-sister to champion Tempting Fate, October Fair (Lot 133), was sold to Lammerskraal Stud for the joint top price along with the Varsfontein Stud bred Gimmethegreenlight filly Bonifacio (Lot 232), whose dam Scandola is a stakes placed half-sister to star three-year-old Erik The Red, with that filly sold to Form Bloodstock for R1 100 000.
Klawervlei Stud consigned the third filly to fetch R1 100 000, with the farm’s Love Rules (Lot 457), a Dynasty daughter whose stakes winning dam Eros’s Girl is a half-sister to champion Vardy, knocked down to Michael De Broglio
Varsfontein Stud, who have had such an exceptional season, were the leading vendors at this year’s National Sale, selling 39 lots for a gross total of R11 275 000, and finished ahead of Klawervlei Stud, Wilgerbosdrift, and Maine Chance Farms.
Form Bloodstock topped the Leading Buyers List at the 2021 National Sale, purchasing 24 yearlings, including the sales topper, for R13 895 000.
Strong support from the Hong Kong Jockey Club proved one of the striking aspects of this year’s sale, with the Hong Kong Jockey Club purchasing three lots at the National Sale, including a R2 400 000 Silvano colt in the form of Power Factor.
Bloodstock South Africa would like to thank all the buyers and vendors who participated in this year’s National Yearling Sale and wishes them all the best going forward.
A full list of prices and statistics for this year’s National Sale can be viewed online at www.bsa.co.za
