The 2025 Bloodstock South Africa August Two-Year-Old Sale, held at the TBA Complex on Thursday and Friday, 21–22 August, delivered both substance and quality, proving a resounding success for vendors and buyers alike.
In a first for South Africa, BSA created a new outlet for vendors and buyers, both locally and internationally, by staging a Virtual Sale Of Select Mares And Fillies For Stud. Proceedings on Friday morning opened with a brisk half-hour session devoted to this draft of high-end broodmares and fillies. The innovative addition proved as popular as it was productive, drawing strong international interest.
Both the stud draft and the main two-year-old catalogue delivered results that spoke of depth and resilience in the marketplace. Prices ranged from a modest R20,000 to a record R4-million, with a broad and lively buyers’ bench ensuring that the sale once again catered to every level of participant. Encouragingly, the figures compared favourably with last year, signalling a welcome measure of consistency and confidence in the bloodstock sector.
That strength was reflected in the statistics. Turnover and averages held up well against recent editions of the auction, while several standout transactions helped bolster the overall result. The sale generated a total turnover of R80,5-million, just shy of last year’s R80,9-million — a notable performance given that 46 fewer horses went through the ring. Demand was evident across the board, with only nine horses unsold compared with 21 last year, producing an exceptional clearance rate of 97%. The average price per lot rose 12% to R314,512, while the median jumped an extraordinary 63% to R260,000.
The standout lot was Le Soleil (Lot 47), who entered the ring just before lunchtime on Thursday. He sparked a spirited bidding war that was ultimately won by Jono Snaith, on behalf of Snaith Racing. Le Soleil, a son of champion sire Vercingetorix and champion race mare Clouds Unfold, “turned heads the moment he stepped out of his box,” said Snaith. “He possessed a commanding presence and carried himself with the authority of a true ‘meneer.’”
Snaith also secured two other colts and a filly for over R1-million apiece — all by Rafeef — and in doing so topped the buyers’ table with eight lots purchased for R9,03-million (average R1,128,750). “At the heart of this game, we are all searching for ‘the one’,” he added. “Congratulations are due to the breeders, who continue to raise the bar, and to Bloodstock SA for staging yet another highly successful sale.”
Also bolstering the bench, Arun Chadha and Warne Rippon’s ASSM Racing Syndicate were out in force, securing 19 quality individuals for R7,3-million. ASSM have long shown a knack for shrewd mid-market purchases, sourcing cleverly from both major and smaller breeders. At this sale they supported no fewer than 13 stud farms, securing the progeny of 11 stallions. Their haul included an R850,000 Rafeef filly from Winterbach Stud, a R160,000 Skit Skizzle colt from Bosworth Farm, and both a colt and filly by Heavenly Blue from Ascot Stud.
Varsfontein Stud finished as leading vendor with 17 lots sold for R10,37-million (average R610,000), while Rafeef topped the sires’ list with R10,72-million (average R630,588 per lot).
Michael Holmes, CEO of Bloodstock SA, said he was delighted with the results and grateful for the strong support from vendors and buyers alike. “The industry is pulling together, and it’s encouraging to see. We are pleased to be achieving our objective of catering to every level of the market. Our exceptional clearance rate reflects the fact that there were horses for every buyer, which will go a long way to assisting the racing operators’ goal of increasing field sizes nationally.”
Holmes also praised the diverse spread of buyers. “It was wonderful to see Eastern Cape trainers secure 25 horses, and we also enjoyed strong support from Mauritius, Zimbabwe, and Kenya — markets where our footprint is now firmly established. Notably, Dr Lesley Sercombe of Kenya purchased four lots, investing just under R3-million.”
He confirmed that the virtual Select Sale of mares and fillies for stud will now become a regular feature of the August Sale: “This is further proof that breeders are continually striving to improve their broodmare bands, with a strong measure of faith in the industry’s future.”
The next Bloodstock South Africa live auction will be the Cape Yearling Sale on 1 March 2026 at the South African Riding for the Disabled Association property in Constantia. Monthly BSA online auctions will continue, with the next due in September.
Images: Candiese Lenferna
