RED Ray’s full brother Brutal Force set a new South African record for a horse sold at public auction when knocked down for R4.5 million at the CTS Ready To Run Sale at Durbanville on Friday.

Joey Ramsden and Mike Azzie held the sales marquee enthralled as they relentlessly volleyed each other’s bids with the intensity of a Federer-Nadal tennis match until Azzie decided he had gone high enough.

Joey Ramsden, highest  bidder.

Ramsden was acting for Markus Jooste whose Mayfair Speculators bought the Western Winter colt for R1.5 million at the CTS Premier Yearling Sale in January and put him into this sale to qualify him for next year’s R2 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes.

Racing manager Derek Brugman, sitting next to his boss, said: “We put a value of R5 million on him and we would have let him go if the bidding reached that figure.”

Azzie, confirming that he was acting for the big-spending Adriaan van Vuuren, said: “Adriaan wanted to go another bid but I said ‘No, that’s enough’ and thank God he didn’t go any higher.”

Brutal Force is different to his brother –  bigger, a chestnut not a bay, and with a long white blaze almost down to his teeth.

Ramsden, who will train him, also consigned him and said: “He moves nicely and he has a great nature but I haven’t done a lot with him because he has only been in about a month.”

The previous record was R4 million paid by the late Graham Beck for Divine Jet (bred by his Highlands Stud) at the 2010 National Yearling Sale. Friday’s average was up 23% at R209 343. – Michael Clower, www.goldcircle.co.za