TWO days of frenetic trading came to an end on Friday with the second and final day of the 2016 Cape Premier Yearling Sale taking place in Cape Town.

The sale had established a new record for a yearling sold at auction in South Africa a day earlier, when a Silvano colt, named Silver Coin, was knocked down for R6 million –smashing the previous record of R5.2 million, which had been set at last year’s sale.

While that record price was not threatened on day two, there continued to be good money for several top lots, with Friday’s top lot coming in the form of lot 183, a colt by leading sire Dynasty (sire of 2015 record priced lot Shining Knight).

Consigned by Highlands Farm, the colt, named Dynasty’s Blossom, was knocked down to the Mayfair Speculators/Coolmore/Maine Chance Farms triumvirate for R4.5 million.

Day two’s top lot is out of the Danehill Dancer sired G3 Final Fling Stakes winner Crimson Blossom, whose fourth dam, Delsy, produced G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner and leading sire Darshaan.

Dogwood founder Cot Campbell’s namesake, a colt by prominent sire Trippi out of G1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Ebony Flyer (the first foal of his dam), was another to find favour with buyers, with the colt being knocked down to bloodstock agent John Freeman for R3.3 million.

However it was R6 000 000 buy Silver Coin who really set the tone for the sale. He assisted his sire Silvano in becoming the leading sire for the 2016 Cape Premier Yearling Sale –Silvano sired 22 yearlings to sell, and they grossed a total of R24.5 million, and averaged R1.13 million.

Reigning champion sire Captain Al finished second on the sires log, with the always popular Dynasty back in third.

Mayfair Speculators were the sales’ leading buyer once again –they bought 9 lots for a total of R13.4 million. Overseas buyers were also active at the sale, with Tina Rau and MV Magnier both active, Peter and Ross Doyle buying four lots for R3.85 million, and Amanda Skiffington picking up three yearlings for R2.15 million.

The sale also marked the first time that the China Horse Club bought yearlings on a South Africa sale –their purchases including a Var filly for R1.9 million and a Dynasty filly for R800 000.

Klawervlei led the vendors list by aggregate, their 49 yearlings amassed a total of R38.27 million, with Highlands second top by aggregate. Another Cape farm to enjoy a hugely successful sale was Drakenstein Stud, whose nine lots amassed an impressive R17 100 000. Drakenstein sold yearlings averaged R1 900 000.

Overall, the sales’ aggregate rose from R120 450 000 a year ago to R135 650 000, however, the average dropped from 2015’s R644,117 to R600,221, and the median also decreased from R400 000 to R375 000.

Buyers gained an additional incentive for the sale, as graduates of the Premier Sale automatically qualify for two $500 000 races in 2018, with an additional bonus of $1 000 000 up for grabs if one owner should win both contests.

Complete statistics for the sale are available online at www.capethoroughbredsales.com

www.capethoroughbredsales.com