Record Price At National Sale

[Wandering Eyes]

Shadwell South Africa went to R9-million (£622,777/€558,871)-a record price for a yearling in South Africa-for the session-topping son of champion sire Silvano (Ger) on the opening day of the three-day National Yearling Sale in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

The penultimate offering through the ring, lot 184, was consigned by Wilgerbosdrift Stud and is out of the Group 3-winning Quickwood (SAf) (Fort Wood), a full-sister to G1 SA Guineas winner Heir Apparent (Saf). Quickwood has already produced the G1 Majorca S. winner Nightingale (SAf) and the G2 SA Oaks second Oriental Oak (SAf) from matings with Silvano.

Shadwell also struck for the session’s second-highest priced offering, a R4.4-million (£235,799/€273,226) colt (lot 115) by another champion sire, Captain Al (SAf), out of the stakes-winning Justthewayyouare (SAf) (Fort Wood). The dam is herself a daughter of the champion 3-year-old filly Promisefrommyheart (SAf) (Elliodor {Fr}), and she has already produced the multiple Group 3 winner Captain Splendid (SAf) (Captain Al {SAf}).

The day’s top-priced filly was a R4.3-million (£230,437/€266,926) daughter of Dynasty (SAf) (lot 98) picked up by Form Bloodstock. The bay is the fourth foal out of the dual Group 1 winner Happy Archer (Aus) (Dubawi {Ire}).

The Hong Kong Jockey Club laid out R4.2-million (£225,162/€260,719) for lot 55, a Querari (Ger) colt who is the third foal out of champion 3-year-old filly and South African Triple Tiara winner Cherry On The Top (SAf) (Tiger Ridge). Cherry On The Top’s first foal, a 3-year-old daughter of Silvano named Blossom (SAf), has won twice.

Bjorn Nielsen, best known in racing circles as of late as the owner of last year’s European champion stayer Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), picked up lot 89, a Silvano filly, for R2-million (£107,220/€124,115). Consigned by Klawervlei Stud, she is out of the multiple Group 2 winner Gibraltar Blue (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), and a half-sister to the stakes-placed Pillar of Hercules (SAf) (Captain Al {SAf}).

Other European spending came from Blandford Bloodstock, which scooped up a Captain Al colt (lot 165) out of the Group 3-winning and Group 1-placed One Fine Day (SAf) (Trippi).

With 55 lots still to sell on Thursday morning in ‘Session 1’ of the sale, 138-head have thus far been sold for R73,855,000 (£3,958,664/€4,583,256). The average of R535,181 (£28,685/€33,215) at the end of day one is down 8.1% on the whole of Session 1 last year, while the median at R250,000 (£13,400/€15,515) currently sits 23% below last year. Complete comparative stats for Session 1 will be included in Friday’s TDN.

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