Records Fall at South Africa's KZN Yearling Sale

The Sibaya Casino was the scene of a record-breaking conclusion to the 2019 KZN Yearling Sale that concluded July 5.

The two-day sale ended with a new aggregate achieved for the KZN Yearling Sale, generating a gross of 21,505,000 rand (US$1,514,970), a record for the popular KZN-held auction.

The sale also ended with marked improvements in both the average and median prices from last year, with this year's average price rising 15% from R80,045 ($5,639) to R89,979 ($6,339), and the median increasing from R50,000 ($3,522) to R60,000 ($4,227) this year.

The clearance rate for this year's auction stood firm at over 80%, with the sale attracting large crowds during both days of trading.

Friday's session saw a new sales-topper crowned, with the Silvano colt Assured (Lot 242) fetching R650,000 ($45,790). Consigned by Danika Stud, on behalf of the Missing U Syndicate, Assured was knocked down to Suzette Viljoen.

The well-bred colt, who shares his sire with four Vodacom Durban July Handicap (G1) winners as well as July favorite Hawwaam, is out of the stakes-placed Trippi mare San Trip, a daughter of Gold Circle Oaks (G2) third Santiago (by Fort Wood) and a half sister to listed stakes winner Berlusconi. The family, which has been extraordinary successful in Chile, includes two-time Chilean champion Shesgoing Tobefun and graded stakes winners Areco for Sale and Noble Vine.

Varsfontein Stud's Gimmethegreenlight was the leading sire by aggregate for this year's KZN Yearling Sale, with Gimmethegreenlight's nine lots on offer all selling for a total of R1.76 million ($123,987). His top seller was the second-highest-priced yearling sold, a R550,000 ($38,745) colt named Sugarcoatedgreen who was consigned by Nadeson Park Stud and bought by Nick Jonsson.

Nadeson Park Stud topped the leading vendors list, with that farm consigning 17 yearlings to gross R2.46 million ($173,300) while the Hollywood Syndicate was the leading buyer at the KZN Sale this year, purchasing 10 yearlings for a total of R1,365,000 ($96,160).

Bloodstock South Africa's Gary Grant was delighted with the outcome of the sale. 

"We at Bloodstock South Africa are very grateful to vendors for bringing such a high-quality product to this year's sale," he said. "We are also extremely thankful to the numerous buyers who participated at this year's sale with such high spirit and wish them well with their purchases. It was an outstanding achievement, given the ongoing economic uncertainties, for records to fall at this sale, and we hope to achieve similar results at August's National 2-Year-Old Sale."

A full list of prices and statistics can be viewed online at the Bloodstock South Africa website.