Ready To Run Sale is in galloping mood

South African breeders and vendors will be hoping the trend continues on Sunday when 145 lots go under the hammer at the 2019 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale at the TBA’s Germiston arena.

In August, the National Two Year Old Sale at the same venue saw rises in aggregate, average and median prices – defying gloom descending on the country in the wake of the Eskom debt disaster.

Earlier, the KwaZulu-Natal Sale – coinciding with Durban July week – also set new records. And the National Yearling Sale in April saw the top price for a thoroughbred obliterated as Shadwell SA coughed up R9 million for a colt by champion sire Silvano.

Silvano also topped the bids in Durban and at the 2YO Sale – at R650,000 and R800,000 respectively.

Arguably the world’s top sale, Tattersalls in the UK, this month registered only a slight decline in statistics – astonishing those who had predicted a catastrophe given the country’s political uncertainty and widespread pessimism over the economic effects of Brexit.

Buyer from all over the world – including hundreds from the US, which has its own economic uncertainty issues – converged on Newmarket and engaged in enthusiastic bidding.

Some economists have suggested in the past that an uptick in luxury-goods spending during tough financial times indicates a bottoming-out of the economic cycle.

There is no progeny of Silvano in Sunday’s catalogue, but many top stallions are represented. Deceased former champion sire Dynasty has three on offer – two colts and a filly – while up-and-comers such as Pomodoro, Flying The Flag and Visionaire will ensure keen bidding from owners and trainers in search of the next galloping star.

The Ready To Run concept was introduced to South Africa by multiple champion breeder Mick Goss of Summerhill Stud in Mooi River. Goss, one of the most charismatic gentlemen of the turf, has a winning way with words and has spun many millions of them to build this sale into one of the most popular on the auction calendar.

The idea is that young horses that haven’t made it on to the annual yearling and 2YO sales – for one reason or another, including late development – get a decent shop window.

A big enticement for buyers is that these horses have already been expertly schooled in being race-ridden and require minimal training time before they can be saddled up and stepped out on a race day – sporting their new owners’ colours and, hopefully, bringing a return on investment.

The sale candidates are galloped for the camera by riders and videos are closely scrutinised by the bloodstock fundis, all searching for that special something a horse’s action might reveal. It all adds to building excitement and intrigue ahead of the buying action.

Another major incentive to buy at this auction is the Ready To Run Cup, a R1 million race contested in a year’s time and confined to the best-performing graduates of the sale.

And just to add further to the allure, this year’s R2R Cup will be contested on Saturday, the day before the sale, at the Charity Mile race meeting at Turffontein.

The R2R Sale starts at 2pm on Sunday.

Mike Moon

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