For a second year in a row, a yearling sired by Wilgerbosdrift’s sadly deceased champion Soft Falling Rain proved the star attraction at the Cape Yearling Sale.
While Soft Falling Rain colt Tree Of Wisdom topped the 2018 Cape Sale, it was a daughter of Soft Falling Rain who was the top lot sold off Sunday’s 2019 Cape Yearling Sale.
Consigned, like Tree Of Wisdom, by Wilgerbosdrift, the Soft Falling Rain daughter Soft Day (Lot 167) was sold to Cape trainer Glen Puller for R360 000 on the Mistico Equestrian Centre held event.
Out of the five time winning Tiger Ridge mare Susanna, Soft Day is from the immediate family of G1 winning fillies Covenant and Promisefrommyheart, with the latter also dam of G2 Premier Trophy/G2 Peninsula Handicap winner and hot sire Master Of My Fate.
Soft Day’s third dam Secret Pact is a stakes winning own sister to former South African Horse Of The Year London News.
While Wilgerbosdrift consigned the sales’ top filly, their grooms managed to pull off a notable coup by selling the top colt at the 2019 Cape Yearling Sale.
A colt (Lot 95) named Hoedspruit was sold to Suzette Viljoen for R280 000 –making him the top male sold at the sale.
From the first crop of four time G1 winner and Horse Of The Year Legislate, Hoedspruit is out of the Trippi mare Londalozi –a full-sister to G3 Betting World Oaks third Shingwedzi and three-parts sister to Listed Perfect Promise Sprint winner Lesedi La Rona.
Lot 95 by Legislate. Image: Candiese Marnewick
The classically bred Hoedspruit’s second dam, Buffalo Dance, is a Sadler’s Wells half-sister to French Oaks winner Bright Sky.
Despite Sunday’s sale taking place in a rocky economic climate, there were a number of positives to be taken out of the 2019 Cape Yearling Sale, which saw the aggregate rise by over R5 000 000. While the median remained steady at R50 000, the sale’s overall average increased from R58 472 to R64 410, while the sales topper rose from R200 000 in 2018 to R360 000 this year.
The sales’ topper vendor was Wilgerbosdrift who sold 13 of their 14 lots offered for R1 615 000, while Paul Peter was the leading buyer –spending R1 025 000 to acquire 24 yearlings.
Former Vodacom Durban July winner, and leading first crop sire of 2017-2018, Pomodoro was the sales’ top sire by aggregate, with his 12 lots to sell grossing more than R1.2 million.
Bloodstock South Africa’s Gary Grant was upbeat about the results of the Cape sale, saying, “Today delivered a solid regional sale with an approximate 10% increase in average and a R5 million increase in aggregate to boost breeders’ cash flow. The sale offered great value for buyers, especially in view of the R60 000 added stakes bonus for all juvenile winners. BSA are well satisfied with the result and look forward to building the sale further in 2020.”
A full list of statistics and results for the 2019 Cape Yearling Sale can be viewed at www.bsa.co.za
