Theatre of Dreams at a horse auction

They’re called horse sales – and horses do change hands – but it’s dreams that are being sold. Racehorses are beautiful creatures and can (sometimes) earn lots of money, but eager buyers rocking up at the auction ring in Germiston on Thursday and Friday will mainly be driven by visions of turf glory.

Bloodstock SA is expecting big things of the 2024 August Two Year Old Sale this week. Racing dreams nowadays have more chance of coming true than they have in a long while, thanks to the local industry looking more stable and prosperous.

The optimism is mainly founded on racing recovering from a near-death experience and the lifting of equine export bans. Less talked about has been a stirring of confidence in the country’s political and economic future.

It’ll be a surprise if the 2YO Sale doesn’t break records, so it will be closely watched from all corners of the game.

Marketing superlatives

The trouble with a thoroughbred sale is the whole thing is swathed in hyperbole; even savvy buyers can get confused by the marketing superlatives, overwhelmed by an avalanche of bloodline detail.

Observers without a purchaser’s paddle can only find some names they know and sit back and enjoy the show.

The best-known names among the sires represented at the 2YO Sale are, of course, champion Gimmethegreenlight and his closest challengers Vercingetorix, Querari, Master Of My Fate and Rafeef.

Gimmethegreenlight has 11 offspring catalogued, with the standouts being Lots 30 and 330 – a filly called Hazel Green, who is from the family of Epsom Derby winner Harzand, and a colt called Go Johnny Go, who is from the highly successful “Gimme”/Jet Master cross.

Vercongetorix has 15 on offer, with colt Torremolinos catching the eye. He is out of Australian import Alboran Sea (by Rock Of Gibraltar), who was an Equus champion and winner of the Alan Robertson Championship, the Cape Flying Championship and the Computaform Sprint – all Grade 1 races.

Lance

At the other end of the scale to these eminent fathers is Lance, who was almost entirely ignored as a stallion until one of his few offspring emerged as a track superstar – filly Quid Pro Quo, who ruled supreme in the juvenile ranks of the recently concluded season.

Lance has been visited by a few more mares of late, but only has two progeny on this sale. On pedigree, the choice is a filly out of Spring Festival, a daughter of Silvano and a half-sister to Gold Cup champ Wavin’ Flag.

As always, new sires on the block will be closely watched.

One World has been a sensation, with his first racing crop including more than two dozen winners, including dual graded nursery victor One Stripe.

The likes of brilliant racers Hawwaam and Erik The Red have their first crops on the catalogue this week, along with the imported American Declarationofpeace.

The humble environs of Germiston offer up a true Theatre of Dreams.