Kommetdieding’s sister sells for R3.2m at National Yearling Sale

“A face like an angel and a bum like a barmaid.” That was a memorable comment about the top-priced horse on the National Yearling Sale in Germiston this past weekend.

The creature in question is a filly called Kommetjie Storm, who was bought for R3.2 million by Kestom Investments from Oldlands Stud. The auction bidding interest was because the angel-faced one is a full sister to super colt Kommetdieding, winner of the rare Durban July-Cape Town Met double.

The above quote comes to us third hand, from Turf Talk, via Oldlands Stud owner Barbara Sanne, who attributed it to trainer Alec Laird – but it could become common currency in racing in no time!

Another notable comment on the 2023 edition of South Africa’s premier horse sale came from retired master trainer Mike Bass, who said he’d been attending the event for 40 years and this was the best draft of yearlings he’d seen in all that time.

Big spenders

Perhaps it was the sheer quality of the merchandise that spurred buyers to register the best NYS result in 15 years.

Numbers talk: 348 lots sold for an aggregate of R154 million with an average price of R442,672 and a median price of R300,000. It was the best aggregate since pre-recession 2008’s R201 million – when 514 horses were sold.

The top price was nowhere near 2019’s R9 million record, but otherwise most stats were a lot chunkier than in any year of the past decade.

Auctioneer Graeme Hawkins agreed with Bass’s assessment of a superior consignment from the stud farms, insisting his was not sales talk but rather the verdict of buyers, who voted with their money.

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There’s something strange about such upbeat talk and lavish luxury-item spending. Isn’t South Africa facing economic calamity, with lights going out? Even the wider world isn’t exactly contemplating a rosy near-future.

The great recession clobbered the thoroughbred industry, and the pandemic kicked it while it was down. So this is not easily dismissed as a typically contrarian market.

There are plenty of theories about the counter-intuitive behaviour. It could be wealthy people looking for value opportunities in a time of stress, or even wealthy people feeling they are rich enough not to be
affected by the worsening cost-of-living crisis.

It could be irrational spending in the face of a dark future – a devil-may-care response to fear.

On the positive side, it might have something to do with local racing looking well on the mend after a life-threatening moment. Or it could relate to recent positive vibes about veterinary protocols that might soon see the lifting of restrictions on South African thoroughbred exports.

Or it could be a combination of all these factors. Or something else; answers on a postcard.

Massive sales

Vercingetorix emerged as the top sire of the auction, with 35 lots going for a total of R30 million at a thumping average of R854,286. Next were Gimmethegreenlight, Lancaster Bomber, Danon Platina and What A Winter.

Drakenstein Stud in Western Cape was the leading vendor with 18 yearlings fetching R16.2 million at an average of R901,389. The biggest buyers were agents Form Bloodstock, John Freeman and Justin Vermaak.