Frankel, Camelot Among Cape Sale Sires

[Wandering Eyes]

Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA–The ninth edition of the Cape Thoroughbred Sales’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale takes place in the Cape Town Convention Centre on Wednesday with 226 yearlings catalogued over a single session, compared to a two- day affair last year when 236 lots were offered from a catalogue of 254 yearlings. Last year the sale had to do without one of South Africa’s biggest Thoroughbred investors of recent times in Markus Jooste, and his absence was felt by a 28% drop in turnover to R111,475,000 ($8,021,302/£6,221,834/€7,061,649). Last year’s clearance rate held firm at 93%, but the average dipped 27% to R504,411 ($36,295/£28,153/€31,953), with the median coming in at R300,000 ($21,586/,£16,744/€19,004).

With 12 months to regroup and take stock of the market, the CTS team has decided a slight restructure of the event was worth a try to attempt to re-establish some positive momentum.

“For me, it made sense to stage the sale over one day,” CTS Chief Executive Officer Wehann Smith said. “We’re selling more or less the same number of horses as in the past and I feel we often lost momentum on the second day. We are also trying to accommodate some of our international buyers who may want to go to the Karaka sale in New Zealand. It is encouraging to see so many familiar faces returning to Cape Town for the sale and we are confident the catalogue is of a high enough quality. There are a large number of yearlings by first-season sires, but all the top South African sires are well represented as are several of the leading international stallions,” Smith added.

Last year the top price was R4-million when John Freeman signed for a Frankel (GB) colt, and with 12 lots catalogued that are out of Grade 1-winning mares and 14 that are siblings to Grade 1 winners, there is every likelihood that price could be matched or exceeded. Yearlings are catalogued alphabetically beginning with the letter Y, and the first offering into the ring, a filly by Greys Inn out of Young Sensation (SAf) (National Emblem {Saf}) should prove popular. The Klawervlei Stud-consigned filly is a full-sister to South African champion and eight-time Group 1 winner Legal Eagle (SAf), who goes in search of an elusive first win in the G1 Sun Met at Kenilworth on Saturday.

It will be interesting to see how the first yearlings by Klawervlei Stud’s Coup De Grace fare today. The son of Tapit was high-class on the track, winning the GII Amsterdam S. at Saratoga and finishing third in the GI King’s Bishop S. at the same track. He is not short of representatives in the sale with 18 catalogued and probably his best bred offering is lot 29. This filly holds the distinction of being out of a champion in G1 Greyville Golden Slipper winner and South African champion 2-year-old Consensual (SAf) (Camden Park), but also being a half-sister to a champion in Just Sensual (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}). Just Sensual won the G1 Cape Fillies Guineas at Kenilworth in 2016 while the mare’s other two offspring to race have both won.

Coup De Grace also has a colt catalogued that is sure to attract interest. Lot 172, a chestnut colt from Riverton Stud, is a half-brother to triple Group 1 winner Captain Of All (SAf) (Captain Al {SAf}), while the dam Serious Side (SAf) (Fard {Ire}) has also produced the stakes performer Intimateconnection (SAf) (Lake Coniston {Ire}).

Although his eldest crop in the Northern Hemisphere have just turned four, Camelot (GB) has already proven himself a top-class stallion through Group 1/Grade I winners Latrobe (Ire) and Athena (Ire). Following one withdrawal, the Coolmore stallion now has three yearlings to go through the ring, all from Klawervlei and perhaps the pick of the trio is lot 46. This well-developed filly is the first foal out of the Fastnet Rock (Aus) mare Egyptian Sky (Ire), who in turn is out of Henrythenavigator’s stakes-winning full-sister Queen Cleopatra (Ire) (Kingmambo). The grand-dam has bred two stakes winners while the page traces back to Ireland’s champion 2-year-old filly of the year 2000, Sequoyah (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells).

Not many will disagree that Last Winter (SAf) (Western Winter) was the unlucky horse in the 2018 Sun Met, with Dean Kannemeyer’s 5-year-old flashing home from the widest draw to finish second, and a chance to acquire a half-brother to the talented colt presents itself with lot 54. Offered by Black Swan Stud, the colt by Elusive Fort (SAf) is out of Field Flower (SAf) (Silvano {Ger}), who won the G1 Cape Fillies Guineas.

Among the first produce on offer in Cape Town from some top-class race mares of recent seasons are lot 57, a filly by Trippi out of Fly By Night (SAf) (Jet Master {SAf}) who won the G1 Mercury Sprint, and lot 91 from Drakenstein Stud, a colt by Dynasty out of MGSW Lanner Falcon (SAf) (Trippi). Lot 137, a Slivano (Ger) colt from Maine Chance Farm, is the first produce of G1 South African Oaks winner Pine Princess (SAf) (Captain Al {SAf}), while lot 173 is a filly by Duke Of Marmalade (Ire) out of G1 South African Fillies Classic winner Siren’s Call (SAf) (Elusive Fort {SAf}).

Frankel has two catalogued on Wednesday, both from Klawervlei Stud. The first, lot 69, is a colt out of Hadarama (Ire) (Sinndar {Ire}) from the family of dual Derby winner Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), while the second is a filly, lot 100, who is the first foal out of the Dark Angel (Ire) mare Lost In Love (Ire) and hails from the family of Group 1 winning 2-year-old Sudirman (Henrythenavigator).

Wednesday offers the last opportunity to buy a yearling at this sale by the late Captain Al (SAf), and among his nine catalogued is lot 129. This filly’s dam Pagan Princess (SAf) (Fort Wood) has already bred two Group 1 winners from just four runners including this yearling’s full-brother William Longsword (SAf). The mare has also produced G1 South African Fillies Sprint winner Real Princess (SAf) (Trippi). American stallion Uncle Mo has two catalogued in the sale including lot 194, a colt from Klawervlei Stud who is a half-brother to GI Hollywood Gold Cup winner Rail Trip (Jump Start), while another first-crop stallion with a well-bred yearling to represent him is Global View. Winner of the GII American Turf S., Global View is by Galileo (Ire) out of the Storm Cat mare Egyptian Queen, and lot 189 from Ascot Stud lacks little on the dam side being out of the 14-time winner Stormy Appeal (SAf) (Kilconnel), who has already produced three stakes winners.

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