Backworth Stud Dispersal Sale: Mares In Demand

IMG_0139-Lot6 — Cupid’s Daughter sells for R650 000. Image: Candiese Marnewick

Once again KZN broodmares were in demand at the Backworth Stud Dispersal Sale with most of them sold beyond the borders of KZN, which included stock from Summerhill and Janet Baker Properties.

The sale attracted incredible support on a beautiful April autumn day, with leading breeders and trainers from across the country attending the dispersal. Backworth have always been a boutique stud with approximately 30 choicely bred mares, and their exceptional results from small numbers reflected in the attendance at the sale which saw the buyers attending overflowing out of the tent!

Having produced the likes of Gr1 winner Chocolicious (broodmare in Australia with her first Frankel filly in training with Mike De Kock), Gr2 winners First Again and Colour Of Courage amongst their many Stakes Winners, Backworth-breds have always represented themselves well on the tracks and Keith Russon and Ian Todd were awarded the KZN Breeders Achievement in 2012 for an average winners to runners percentage of 53%.

Typical of the exceptional hospitality that Backworth is renowned for, the Graham Beck champagne flowed and guests were treated to a wonderful luncheon.

The Bloodstock South Africa hosted auction began at 1pm with Graeme Hawkins behind the gavel.

Choir Maiden (AUS) by Choisir, sold for R100 000 in foal to Noble Tune. She was purchased by Nicky Atkinson. Image: Candiese Marnewick

The sale got off to a bang with Lot 1, Ballad For Annie (by Rakeen and from the family of Ice Cube and Jagged Ice), sold for R100 000 in foal to Oratorio. Lot 4, the beautiful Irish-bred chestnut Carpark Queen by Zamindar, sold for R100 000 in foal to Oratorio – purchased by Form Bloodstock.

IMG_0356-streetwise — Streetwise by Street Cry, the dam of a top selling Var colt for R3-million at the CTS March Yearling Sale, sold for R500 000 to Form Bloodstock. Image: Candiese Marnewick

The next was a chestnut daughter of Choisir, Choir Maiden (AUS). She was knocked down to Nicky Atkinson for R100 000, in foal to Noble Tune.

The impressive sales topper, a beautiful eyecatching daughter of Ad Valorem (by Danzig) sold for an incredible R650 000 to the Equine Group, representing a buyer that wished to remain anonymous.

Cupid’s Daughter, a grand-daughter of dominant Australian sire Redoute’s Choice, is in foal to Oratorio and her first foal recently won his second start – a son of Var named Cuvara, trained by Tony Rivalland and owned by Mary Liley.

Festive Style, consigned by Janet Baker Properties sold for R110 000 to Riethuiskraal Stud. The full sister to Cover Look out of Fanciful is in foal to Linngari.

Lewinsky’s Lover, the dam of track record holders Scandal and Humidor sold for R22 000 to The Alchemy, not in foal.

November Sky sold to Equine Group for R225 000, in foal to Var. The half-sister to August Rush is a grand daughter of the great Devon Air.

Another mare that created a lot of excitement was the daughter of Street Cry, Streetwise(AUS). She sold for R500 000 to Form Bloodstock; her Var yearling sold at the 2016 CTS March Select Yearling Sale for R3-million.

IMG_1008-Lot62 — Ballad For Annie’s Var weanling sold for R240 000 to Mary Liley. Image: Candiese Marnewick

The well-bred weanlings attracted a lot of attention by leading sires. Lot 54 by Flower Alley out of Refined Gold sold for R120 000 to RN Bouwer.

An Oratorio colt out of Streetwise sold for R200 000 to Mary Liley, who also purchased Ballad For Annie’s weanling for the sales topping weanling at R240 000.

Alesh Naidoo’s The Fire Racing Trust signed for Lot 72, a What A Winter colt out of Hargraves Bell by Royal Academy (the family of Bela-Bela and Rabiya) for R120 000. Alesh also purchased the second highest priced yearling, a handsome colt by What A Winter as Lot 75 (named Chiron) for R110 000.

IMG_1596-Lot82 — A dead ringer for his sire Noble Tune, yearling Traveller’s Joy out of Silvano mare Clematis sold for R170 000. Image: Candiese Marnewick

The sales topping yearling was a handsome athletic colt by Noble Tune, with active bidding he quickly was knocked down for R170 000 to The Cape Leopard Trust.

Named Travellers’s Joy and sold as Lot 82, the colt is out of Silvano mare Clematis, fromm the immediate family of Badger’s Gift.

Twenty year old Dream Starling, by Northern Guest, sold for R50 000 in foal to Capetown Noir. She is the dam of Heaps Of Fun, The Elmo Effect and Cookie Monster. Image: Candiese Marnewick

20 Year old Dream Starling, consigned by Summerhill Staff, dam of Gr2 winner Heaps Of Fun – Stakes winner The Elmo Effect and Stakes Placed Cookie Monster, sold for R50 000 to Rob Pickering in foal to Capetown Noir. Her Capetown Noir weanling, a flashy filly with a white blaze sold for R80 000 to Monarch Bloodstock.

The sale averaged R56,804.88 with 11 Lots of the 97-strong catalogue not sold.

Congratulations to the buyers concerned.

View a gallery of the sale at the following link.

View the full pricelist