OWNERS and trainers – as well as several overseas visitors – put on their buying boots at the two-day session of the Emperors Palace National Yearling Sales in Germiston sending the average to a record R347,776.

“One of the most pleasing aspects was a 20% median increase – the very strong growth shows the sale was true and honest and that the middle market grew.

“Another highlight was that one of the yearlings owned by the Wilgerbosdrift grooms made R800,000 which will have had them smiling.

Avontuur Stud’s well-made colt Mambo Mine (Lot 465) was a R375,000 purchase for Form Bloodstock, the second-highest buyer at 2014 NYS.

“In the end – with spirited bidding and underbidding – it was great value for buyers while very encouraging for breeders with high average and median price increases,” added Callaghan.

Perhaps the only downside was that 131 of the 529 lots catalogued were either withdrawn, not sold or bought back by the vendor. This is unsatisfactory for a sale of this stature.

Trainer Tony Millard, now based in Hong Kong, is wide awake to the value of SA-bred horses and he emerged the biggest overseas buyer, securing six yearlings for a total of R7.8 million. He bought the top lot on Sunday for R3.75 million – just short of the top price for this sale which was R4 million in 2010.

Millard was busy right up to the end of the sale and – with just five lots remaining – bid R2.4 million for the Captain Al colt Captain Nemo, consigned by Varsfontein Stud. The youngster is a half-brother to Master Of My Fate.

Nevertheless, it was Bloodstock SA’s regular top clients, John Freeman and Form Bloodstock, who were comfortably the biggest spenders with Freeman buying 20 yearlings for R16.6 million and Form Bloodstock purchasing 23 for R14 million. Other notable buyers were Misty Meadows who bought 11 yearlings for R6.5 million while Cape trainer Mike Bass signed for 18 yearlings for R6.3 million.

In the top vendors’ department, Wilgerbosdrift just edged out Klipdrif Stud, selling 20 yearlings for R11.895 million with Klipdrif posting a total of R11.83 million for their 18 lots.

Wilgerbosdrift had the distinction of selling the top lot (R3,75 million) which was a Silvano colt, the 10th produce of their mare, Seeking The Wind, and a full-brother to 2013 J&B Met winner Martial Eagle.

Varsfontein Stud, breeders of Yorker, whose half-brother by Silvano was withdrawn, will be delighted with the popularity of their draft. They sold 20 yearlings for R9.42 million.

In the stallion department, it was probably as safe a bet as night following day that the final crop of Western Winter would keep auctioneers Messrs Davis, Hawkins and Miller on their toes. The ill-fated Lammerskraal sire easily topped the log with his 17 yearlings averaging R79,588. He was followed by Dynasty (average R685,000), Silvano (R631,429), Captain Al (R610,000), Var (R454,231) and Fort Wood (R430,000).

Perhaps – following the successes of Louis The King and Ash Cloud – it was surprising the progeny of Black Minnaloushe weren’t more popular. His 13 yearlings sold for an average of R219,615.

However, Summerhill will be delighted with the way their first-season sire Visionaire fared with his first offerings. The son of Grand Slam returned the excellent average of R349,000 for his 15 yearlings. – Racing Express.