THE Durban July weekend kicks off in earnest on Thursday with the KZN Yearling Sale, which this year returns to the Sibaya Casino resort.

What will delight both vendors and buyers is that Steve Davis will be on the rostrum along with Andrew Miller and Graeme Hawkins. The popular New Zealander usually only visits for the National Sale in April.

A total of 306 lots will come under the hammer over two days (Thursday and Friday), with the start on both days being 12 noon.

This sale was previously shunned by the top studs, but this has changed and there are drafts from top operations such as Highlands, Maine Chance and Cheveley.

Highlands have a draft of 11 yearlings and they include a colt and filly by Dynasty which are the only offspring of this outstanding sire on the sale. On the first day, they are offering a well-named colt, Eyes Wide Open, who is out of the three-time winner, Living With Heart.

Interestingly, Maine Chance also have a colt and a filly by their champion sire Silvano and their colt – also being sold on the first day – is the fourth produce of the four-time winner, Jabulani Jive.

The draft of Vaughan Koster’s Cheveley Stud includes a Judpot colt who is a half-brother to Control Freak who excelled in Zimbabwe where she won eight races. In South Africa, she was placed in two Grade 2 races, the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and Camelia Stakes.

Given the successes of a number of cheap buys from Scott Bros this season, buyers are likely to take a close look at the 22-strong draft from Robin Scott’s Highdown Stud. The progeny of Mogok, Crusade and Eightfold Path with the latter represented by a half-brother to the six-time winners, Don’t Tell Mama and Pattaya Beach.

Crusade, winner of the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes in the UK, is a new addition to the Scott Bros stallion ranks and there should be plenty of interest in his son, Epic Sword, who comes up for sale on Friday. The colt is out of the five-time winner and Grade 1-placed Model Man mare, Silver Moon.

Lot 90, unnamed Captain Al filly from Boland Stud.

The family of SA Oaks and SA Fillies Classic winner, Juxtapose, is represented by an Antonius Pius colt on Friday and this youngster – consigned by Narrow Creek Stud – is out of the granddam of trainer Stanley Ferreira’s talented filly. Apparently, Barry Irwin, one of the most knowledgeable bloodstock experts on the planet, put in a recent bid for Juxtapose but she failed a medical.

Cape trainer Mike Bass, who runs Marinaresco in Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July, is sure to run his expert eye over the Clifton Stud’s Kahal colt, Prince Of Kahal. An early foal, this yearling is a half-brother to Fort Vogue whom Bass trained to win six races including the Grade 2 Peninsula Handicap.

Clifton are the agents on the second day for a Noordhoek Flyer colt, who is a half-brother to Durban July longshot Saratoga Dancer.

The German horse Querari, a son of Oasis Dream, has made a bright start to his career and one of his progeny will be offered early on the first session. The Alchemy have consigned a filly who is a half-sister to the six-time winner Feel My Love.

On Friday, The Alchemy have another well-related unnamed yearling who is a half-brother (by Irish Flame) to 2010 Equus Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Link Man.

Five lots prior to this sale, David Hepburn-Brown’s Hemel ‘n Aarde Stud will be offering a Trippi filly who is out of a half-sister to 2014/15 Equus Champion Older Filly/Mare, Hammie’s Hooker. It’s another lot which may interest Mike Bass.

Full marks to Riethuiskraal Stud whose Imperial Stride colt from the family of Legal Eagle has been named James Dean. Sadly, the majority of breeders give scant thought to coming up with interesting names.

-From Tab News.