TRUE to its dynamic and progressive nature, the Cape Thoroughbred Sales Company (CTS) has announced a number of enterprising plans for implementation, including a major rationalisation of the sales programme.

Adrian Todd, MD of CTS, said that the company has spent several months considering suggestions for industry progress and less onerous sales schedules from major role players. Discussions in this regard have also been held with BloodStock SA.

Todd explained:  “Market sentiment has been that there have simply been too many sales. CTS will be streamlining its 2018 Auction Sales Programme in the interest of rationalising the events calendar as well as enhanced service and convenience to buyers and sellers.

“Whereas in the past CTS offered six sales for yearlings and two year olds, we have now consolidated them into three sales. The new format provides buyers and vendors with every level of sales platform, from a select offering for later developing horses, to a value session with low costs to buyers and sellers for value buys.”

The restructuring entails:

1. The Cape Premier Yearling Sale (CPYS) will remain in its attractive January slot
2. The CTS March Yearling Sale will be integrated with April’s CTS Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale to form a single Sale in April 2018. The combined sale will be held in the Cape and will comprise of three sessions:

2.1 Select Session 1:  An evening select session, catering for quality later developing horses.

2.2  Session 2: The second session caters for a quality selection of the old CTS March yearling draft. Horses from both of these sessions qualify for the CTS Millions.

2.3  Session 3:  A value session that will provide value buys for owners and a solid platform for vendors upon which to enter their value stock, not qualifying for the CTS Millions.

3. November’s Lanzerac Ready To Run Sale remains in place.

Todd announced two further initiatives.

CTS has acquired a major share of fast-growing Kuda Holdings and Todd said: “This is a strategic partnership.  Wehann Smith of Kuda, who has built the company in admirable fashion, will remain at the helm of the operation. Furthermore, Wehann has been tasked with identifying potential operational synergies between Kuda and CTS.”

As a result of these synergies, Todd himself will be devoting more of his time on the pressing and all-important issues surrounding bloodstock export protocols and CTS Chairman Chris van Niekerk explains:  “The Export Task Team comprises of role players across the board who have made significant progress in the last two years. We’ve come a long way in consolidating the efforts of the racing and breeding industries along with veterinarians and now we need to drive our combined efforts over the line in what is arguably the most important matter in the history of the combined industry. This is a vital juncture for all of us.”