Noble Tune Leading Sire Of KZN Yearling Sale; Backworth Filly Tops KZN Second Day
Rathmor Stud’s Noble Tune did KZN proud again and topped the leading sires of the KZN Yearling Sale, selling twenty Lots from various vendors for an aggregate of R1 335 000. The only son of Unbridled’s Song at stud in South Africa has impressed since his arrival and will be on show tomorrow (Sunday) at Rathmor Stud from 12:00.
His top seller came from Clifton Stud with an eyecatching colt named Frozen Tune, out of Western Winter mare Winter Feast. A first foal for the mare, the colt’s third dam is the brilliant Festive Forever, a daughter of Arcsa champion Festive Season. He was knocked down to Mario Ferreira for R240 000.
The top selling filly of the day from KZN, and the sale on the second day, came from Backworth Stud’s Var filly, the beautifully named Extravargant as Lot 205. Out of Cupid’s Daughter by Ad Valorem, she is a full brother to winner and twice placed from three starts Cuvara – Mary Liley, who owns Cuvara, purchased the filly for R375 000.
The overall top priced filly of the sale remained under the banner of Rathmor Stud – a daughter of Cartier Champion and five time G1 winner Duke Of Marmalade proved the star turn on the first day of the 2017 KZN Yearling Sale on Thursday.
The filly was catalogued as Lot 25 and knocked down to Gavin Van Zyl’s Team G Racing for R425 000. Going by the name of C’est Serra, the filly is out of the three time winning Western Winter mare Misty River, whose winning offspring include One Cool Dude, who defeated subsequent Horse Of The Year Futura (who now stands alongside Duke Of Marmalade at Drakenstein) when victorious in the G3 Cup Trial a few seasons ago.
C’est Serra shares her sire with game recent G1 Gold Cup winner Big Orange, currently one of the most popular racehorses in Britain.
Of the top 10 prices of the sale, six of the yearlings were KZN-bred by sires Noble Tune, Crusade, Jackson, Var and Visionaire. Piemonte Stud consigned the most expensive Jackson of the sale, a colt to Nathan Kotzen for R240 000 named Reymundo.
Bush Hill Stud consigned the top priced KZN-bred colt of the second day, with an outstanding Oratorio for R240 000 selling to Mr G Van Lear as Lot 224. Letaba is out of Count Dubois mare Fair Rosalind, from the damline of Canadian champion 2YO Talking Man.
The overall top price of the sale went to a handsome Twice Over colt out of a Tapit mare for R800 000.
In what proved very much a buyers’ market, the sales’ overall aggregate (albeit off a small catalogue) dropped back 24%, falling from R21.055 million in 2016 to R16.065 million, while the average dropped from R89 979 to R73 693 in 2017.
One of the most positive aspects about the KZN Yearling Sale, however, was the tremendous clearance rate, with approximately 83% of the yearlings on offer finding buyers.
Nic Jonsson was the sales’ top buyer, with his three lots purchased (including the sales’ topping Twice Over colt) grossing R1.34 million).
Rathmor Stud enjoyed a notable stint at this year’s sale – not only did they consign the sales’ top filly, but their exciting young resident sire Noble Tune was the sales’ top sire by aggregate, with the son of Unbridled’s Song’s 20 yearlings to sell grossing R1 335 000.
Bloodstock South Africa’s CEO Michael Holmes, commented after the sale, “We are really pleased with the clearance rate at this sale and it was definitely noticeable that day two was a stronger session than Thursday.
“While the average was down considerably, given the tough economic climate, this sale held up reasonably well and the top end of the market, once again, proved very competitive.”
A full list of prices and results for the Sibaya Casino held sale can be viewed online at www.tba.co.za
