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SPORTING POST • FRIDAY 11th - SUNDAY 13th FEBRUARY 2011
How The International World Sees The Cape Sale On January 27th and 28th, Bloodstock South Africa set an example to the rest of the Bloodstock world as to what is achievable when the combined forces of Government and high powered private enterprise are harnessed in one focused objective. In less than one year, the seed of an idea (to hold a select sale of yearlings in central Cape Town) germinated to produce a spectacle that has never been seen before. Three hundred yearlings were housed, paraded and sold in a totally enclosed convention centre just yards away from the Central Business District of this beautiful city, minutes from the iconic V & A Waterfront complex and all nestled below one of nature’s most recognisable landmarks of Table Mountain, reports GRANT PRITCHARD-GORDON
T
he project was driven by some business names of worldwide prominence, who just all happen to be major breeders in The Western Cape Province. The Bloodstock South Africa team and the delegated organisers had both access and positive input from the leaders of Steinhoff and Investec. No wonder that the event was so beautifully organised and a pleasure to attend. No detail was overlooked and apparently little expense spared to ensure that the yearlings had excellent stabling, the vendors were afforded spacious parade areas and hospitality facilities, the prospective purchasers were pampered with faultless viewing and entertainment arrangements, while the population of Cape Town were welcome onlookers to an extraordinary spectacle. The Government of The Western Cape Province must be congratulated in recognising the enormous potential of this project to advance many facets of political relevance. They funded much of the expenditure and together with the Department of Trade & Industry, also introduced a unique scheme whereby foals were bought for workers cooperatives and resold at this auction, with the direct result that the many hard working staff became stake holders in the Bloodstock Industry. This scheme is scheduled for major expansion in future years and will become a major source of valuable funding for the
Bloodstock industry with a significant boost to staff morale and care throughout the region. Indeed, the Government involvement was noticeable from the start of proceedings when The Prime Minister Premier of the Western Cape Province made the opening address. At the end of two evenings of sales, 214 yearlings had changed hands for an average of 410,000 Rand (£ 40,000) and a gross aggregate of 88,000,000 Rand ( nearly 9 million pounds). Records were set for highest yearling prices ( 2,500,000 Rand ) and highest aggregate of any sale in The Western Cape, but the real relevance of the results was that purchasers from both South Africa and many other countries had been attracted to attend the sale. Hopefully the future is assured for this event and the organisers can build on the momentum to both improve the quality of the stock and also attract more overseas investment. There were many agents and trainers from other countries in attendance to witness the proceedings and hopefully they will return with clients next year. The script will be that South Africa raises excellent bloodstock at very affordable prices and a visit to Cape Town in January to purchase yearlings can be a very enjoyable experience. South African-breds have been winning on the world stage for very many years, despite the restrictions imposed on travel relating to African
Horse Sickness. Mike de Kock has won over one hundred races in Dubai, principally with South African horses such as Lizard’s Desire, Victory Moon, Ipi Tombe and Sun Classique. Further afield JJ The Jet Plane and Irridescence have won International races in Hong Kong. Perfect Promise and Dane Julia have won at the highest level in Australasia, while Crimson Palace was a Grade 1 winner in Chicago for Godolphin and Gypsys Warning recently won the Matriarch S. G1. There is no doubt that a South African bred horse can be competitive anywhere in the world. It is hard to pinpoint the reason for the international success of South African horses. The current leading sires in Captain Al and Jet Master are both South African bred stallions . The old brigade of Western Winter and Fort Wood were both imports. The rising stars of Silvano and Var were top class performers in Europe with non-commercial pedigrees. Two recent imports in Trippi and Black Minnaloushe have sired Group 1 winners overseas and their stock were keenly sought after at the yearling sales. So the future is rosey on the stallion front and South African breeders have recently been keen purchasers of well bred females from America, Europe and Australasia. The quality of future yearling catalogues will steadily improve in the near future. The most interesting news for South African racing was
Bernard Kantor, MD Investec Bank UK Four agents at the summit : Ignacio Pavolovsky with Markus Jooste, CEO Steinhoff (Arg), Robin Bruss (SAf), Gareth Pepper (SAf), International enjoying the Cape Sale Grant Pritchard-Gordon (GB)
Visit to Dr Andreas Jacob’s Maine Chance Farm in Robertson. Andreas also owns Newsells Park in England and Gestut Fahrhof in Germany
the recent announcement that a major international race is being planned for 2012. The L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate is rumoured to become a million dollar race open to overseas horses. Again, there has been enormous joint efforts between Government and the Bloodstock Industry to facilitate such a major step on to the world stage. Kenilworth racecourse in Cape Town compares favourably with any major track in Europe and Australasia. There is a convenient gap in the racing calendar between Hong Kong and Dubai for an International Mile race, providing yet another mouth-watering venue for any owner with a good enough horse to travel. However, such a race would be far more important in promoting South African horses to overseas purchasers. This is the prime aim. Cape Town in January is a magical place to visit. Cloudless blue skies, exquisite food and wine, stunning scenery and a very friendly welcome await all racing enthusiasts that fly south for winter warmth. Hopefully the results from this initial Cape Premier Sale will encourage Bloodstock South Africa to continue with the experiment in 2012. If so, then this should be a firm diary date to attend.
Will Haggas (GB), Investec Bank’s Bernard Kantor (SAf), Ali Al Qama (Dubai) and Chris Van Niekerk (SAf)
Letter to the Thoroughbred Daily News
For the last few years I have been on a huge kick about people in this bu siness always coming up with negatives. And being self-employed, I can cer tainly talk all day about the nega tives. Great fun and exc iting stories we seem to ne ver get enough of - op ening day at Del Mar, The Melbourn e Cup or the great exp erience of racing at Royal Ascot - just to name a few. Nothing pleases me mo re than to relate this sto which started around the ry end of December when invited to South Africa to the Inaugural Cape Pre I was mier Yearling Sale. Boarding the plane on January 21 no idea what lay ahead. st, Are these people amate I had ur horse breeders in darkest Afr ica?! I really didn’t kno w what to expect. Selling yearlin gs in January in the So uthern Hemisphere is like sel ling in June in the North ern Hemisphere. In other wo rds, very early!! From the time I was pic ked up at the airport in Cape Town, there was nothin g amateur at all about this operation or these peop le. Horse men and wo men like me from 15 countries we re embraced by knowle dgeable professionals. We were tre of the most outstanding ated to drivers, trips to some stud farms I have ever seen, treated to lunch, wine-t astings, dinners at som e fantastic restaurants, day trips an d, frankly, whatever we wanted. They were there to help and promote. The hospi tality was outstanding. The opening of the sal e was kicked off with coc and hors d’oeuvres, foll ktails owed by a most outsta nding performance by one of South Africa’s leading singin dancing groups. We we re further treated to a pro g/ on a huge screen showin duction g the accomplishments of some of South Africa’s great horses that have perfo rmed at the very top level of racing all over the world. The sale yearlings we re a very well-selected group – mature, with good bone and size, and to be hone st, a lot more forward than North American yearlings in summer. The last day was a trip to 20 minutes outside of Ca Kenilworth Race Course just pe Town with three G1 ’S and a G2 on the race card. I was very excited!! Th e horses looked outstanding as their coats sparkled in the African sun. Everyone was dre ssed in style, with the att endance reported over 50,000+ . Th the air as we all bet, talk ere was a fantastic buzz in ed horses, and enjoyed the wonderful South Africa n hospitality. Thank you to all of the South African horse me n and women. You not only sold me on your horse s, but also on your wonderful cou ntry and your kind and gracious people. Alistair Roden- Bloo dstock LLC. Kentuck y, USA.
Summerhill Stud boss Mick Goss, English agent Charlie GordonWatson, Singapore trainer Pat Shaw, and SAf owner Phil Georgiou