“History says you know where to look!” enthused breeder Mick Goss in reference to Summerhill Stud’s exceptional draft for 2015 Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Sale to be hosted by CTS at Sandton’s Inanda Club this Sunday, 18 October.

Six of the first eight winners of the Emperors Ready To Run Cup have come from Summerhill gallops, with 59 stakes winners and 27 equine millionaires emerging from the various Summerhill R2R drafts in the same period.

“In all, we have an impressive list of young Ready To Run horses,” Goss commented on Monday. “Last year’s sale produced cracking runners like Rabada, Tar Heel and Perfumed Lady with several other good ones moving up the ranks, but I dare to say our 2015 consignment could be even better than last year’s draft.

Golden Sword with his veteran groom, Ben Mbele. (Courtesy Summerhill Stud).

“The 2014 graduates will take a bit of beating, but the general consensus at the recent Summerhill gallops was that this could well be an even better bunch than last year. The attending trainers were excited – good judges like Gavin van Zyl, Dean Kannemeyer, Joey Ramsden, Michael Roberts, Sean Tarry, Paul Gadsby and Louis Goosen.  Louisespecially  likes the offspring of Traffic Guard. He had five Traffic Guard gallopers on his top 10 list, he was so impressed he phoned me from his car after the event to share his enthusiasm!”

Goss himself is hugely excited about the first progeny of Summerhill’s new stallion Golden Sword, the international Graded Stakes-winning son of High Chaparral.  “Like High Chaparral, Golden Sword gets an altogether more robust individual than he was at the same stage; like High Chaparral, they have the same fluid movement you find in the Sadler’s Wells tribe at large, and as much as anything, they share the same racy appeal.  Golden Sword’s first crop of youngsters are big, strong types that walk beautifully.”

Particularly interesting among the Golden Sword fillies is Belle Rose, the seventh foal of Qui Danzig-mare Vin Fizz, whose previous six foals are all winners and include the “people’s horse”, Pierre Jourdan, a former winner of the Ready To Run Cup.

The unbeaten Rabada’s half-brother by AP Arrow (Lot 93) is sure to attract his fair share of attention at this year’s Sale. Named Glider Pilot, he’s a grey colt – the fifth produce of Fard’s daughter, Jordie.

“There are so many nice lots it’s hard and possibly unfair of me to single out individuals, but naturally our four Australian imports cannot go without a mention,” Goss said.

Lot 59 is Umwini (AUS), a colt by High Chaparral from the immediate family of Vancouver, the unbeaten 2015 Gr1 Golden Slipper winner, described as “an outstanding colt”.

Lot 60 is Kimberly Club, a “cracker of a colt” by Champion StallionLonhro, the top sire of two-year-olds and three-year-olds in the mighty competitive Land Down Under.

Lot 152 is an unnamed bay filly by Exceed and Excel, the world’s leading sire of juveniles, and Goss opined that this first foal is a “truly magnificent specimen”, whose yearling half-sister made $450,000 in New Zealand in January.

Also unnamed is Lot 181, a black or brown filly by prolific super stallion More Than Ready from a Graded-winning mare by High Chaparral. “She’s a gem,” said Goss.

Viewing of horses will commence from Wednesday, 14 October. The Sale starts at 1pm on Sunday.