‘Buoyant’ 2YO Sale tops R80m

It was a “buoyant and enthusiastic buying market” that pushed the August Two Year Old Sale to new highs last week, according to sales company Bloodstock SA.

The sale’s aggregate rose by more than R20-million from 2023 – to R80.345-million. The average price paid per horse was up by more than R35,000 to R281,912.

The top bid over the two days was R2.8-million, paid by owner Rakesh Singh for standout colt Torremolinos, by Vercingetorix out of sometime champion race mare Alboran Sea and consigned by Wilgerbosdrift stud.

The youngster is destined for the Summerveld yard of trainer Tienie Prinsloo, who picked him out.

Twelve of the 288 lots sold fetched a million or more.

Go Johnny Go

JASM Solutions, headed up by the youthful Preshalin Murugasa, arrived with a bang on the horse buying scene a couple of years ago and continues to make waves. The company topped the buyers’ list, shelling out R5.7-million on seven two-year-olds, including R2-million for a Vercingetorix colt named Go Johnny Go.

Other familiar names prominent on the purchaser list included Laurence Wernars’s Triple Eight, which bought 11 horses for a total of more than R5-million; Hollywood Syndicate, which signed for eight; prodigal owner Ebrahim Khan, who also got eight, and Form Bloodstock agency, with seven.

The Woodruff name, associated with local racecourse glory for many decades, was to the fore: trainer Lucinda bought choice lots at R750,000 and R500,000, while Timothy left with seven at lesser prices.

Of course, father Geoff Woodruff, multiple champion trainer, recently made a welcome return from foreign climes as an assistant to “Lulu”.

The leading sire was Maine Chance Farms’ Vercingetorix, runner-up in last season’s championship, whose 15 lots averaged R923,333 each. Champion sire Gimmethegreenlight was second on the list with 10 lots averaging R767,500 apiece.

New sires One World, Hawwaam and Danon Platina were all in the top 10 of aggregate sales.

The leading vendor was Mary Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift, ahead of 2023’s outstanding breeder Varsfontein, of the Kalmanson family.