RESPECTIVE teams of Honourable Silks will be contemplating downtime in the Bahamas this December as a legal battle looms over the rights to the prized Ready To Run Cup, claimed for 2015 by  Cape Thoroughbred Sales (CTS) in the wake of their newly formed and now confirmed exclusive partnership with BSA’s former bedfellow, Emperors Palace.

In another entertaining twist in the Saga for Sales Ring Supremacy, BSA’s Chair Susan Rowett on Saturday named two high-ranking officials from the Racing Operator Phumelela as potential allies in what could become  a Call to Court. Considering Phumelela’s  link with CTS via some mutual directorship, this could develop into a matter worthy of replacing the Oscar Trial on DSTV Channel 199!

In her latest release to the press, Rowett tells of her surprise at the information that CTS had penciled in their first Johannesburg Sale, also named “Ready To Run” for Sunday 2 November.

Rowett writes: “The long-standing announced date of the TBA’s BSA Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale are Friday 31st October and Sunday 2nd November.  Indeed the date has been on our website for at least a year!  No-one from CTS has contacted anyone at the TBA to discuss dates and certainly no-one at the TBA has given anyone at CTS the right to announce anything to do with TBA’s BSA sales.

“With the withdrawal of the Summerhill draft and after liaising with vendors, the decision was taken to have our cocktail party on Friday and the sale on the Sunday – the full details are as detailed in our letter sent yesterday (Friday).  We have kept our auctioneers fully updated with these plans.  If anyone at CTS had had the professional integrity and courtesy to contact us they would also have been informed of these plans.

“In a meeting last week with Emperors Palace, we were told that they would not be renewing their exclusive sponsorship contract with us after December 31st 2014 as they were entering into a relationship with CTS.  It is a great disappointment to us that our relationship with Emperors Palace has ended in this sad way.

“The Ready To Run Cup sales race run at Turffontein belongs to the TBA.  The affixing of the Emperors Palace name to the race was part of our sponsorship agreement with Emperors Palace which ends December 31st, 2014.  The Cup itself is kindly provided by the Racing Association.  Patrick Davis of Phumelela and Larry Wainstein of Phumelela have confirmed to us their firm assurance that the race belongs to the TBA.  This is important as both organizations have also stated their policy to oppose the proliferation of sales races.  Our attorneys are engaged on this matter to protect our interests.

“I wish to thank our vendors for their loyalty and to all the buyers and breeders who have sent in messages of their encouragement and support.  The BSA Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale 2014 is sure to be the most fantastic event.”