In 2013 Bloodstock South Africa’s (BSA) Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Sale held annually at the Thoroughbred Breeder’s Association (TBA) complex at Gosforth Park returned an aggregate of 47,560,000 from 248 lots catalogued. At this year’s sale, which was held on Sunday, the aggregate was R22,440,000 from 125 lots catalogued. Meanwhile, the Cape Thoroughbred Sales Ready To Run Sale, held at the Inanda Club in Sandton on Friday, returned an aggregate of R24,680,000 from 146 lots sold.

Therefore, the two aggregates combined yielded R47,120,000, slightly down on last year despite there being 23 more lots in total catalogued. However, the BSA sales had only 94 lots sold this year (6 lots withdrawn, 12 unsold and 13 vendor buy backs), compared to 229 sold last year (6 withdrawn, 1 unsold and 12 vendor buy backs), so their average price actually increased from R207,686 last year to R238,723 this year.

The CTS sale had 138 lots sold and their average price was R178,841. The BSA’s median was up to R150,000 from R140,000 last year, while the CTS’s median was R90,000.

At the CTS Sale Derek Brugman’s Mayfair Speculators, which invariably represents perennial champion owner Markus Jooste,  were the leading buyers, purchasing 17 lots for a total of R7,315,000. This figure represented 29,6% of the Sale’s aggregate. Summerhill, who pulled their draft off the BSA Sale at around the same time that CTS announced their new Johannesburg Sale, were the leading vendor. Their 104 lots fetched R18,260,000.

The leading buyer at the BSA Sale was Brian Burnard, who is Summerveld trainer Gavin van Zyl’s chief owner. Burnard bought four lots for an aggregate of R2,295,000, which represented just 10,2% of the total Sale’s aggregate. The leading vendor was Balmoral Stud, who sold 57 lots for R15,685,000.

At the CTS Sale, Mayfair Speculators bought the highest priced horse, lot 76, a Var colt who is a half-brother to the Gr 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas winner Go Indigo. This Summerhill-consigned colt impressed at the breeze up gallops at Summerhill, where he really stretched his toe out. Mayfair Speculators had to go to R1,6 to secure him.

The highest priced filly at the CTS Sale was an Australian-bred by Redoute’s Choice out of an unraced mare by Dehere, lot 108, who showed off her huge action at the breeze ups. Her third dam is the Epsom Oaks winner Moonshell and she looks to have plenty of scope. She was bought by trainer Mike Azzie’s chief owner Adriaan van Vuuren for R1,2 million.

The other lot that reached over R1 million at the CTS Sale was lot 10, a beautifully-bred Captain Al filly, who is a half-sister to the Royal Ascot Kings Stand Stakes third-placed Sweet Sanette. She was consigned by Summerhill Sales and was bought by Mayfair Speculators for R1,1 million.

The most popular colt among the CTS breeze up panellists, lot 110, an  Australian-bred Encosta De Lago colt, was bought by Rainbow Beach Trading for R900,000.

The CTS sales topping filly was the joint most popular filly at the breeze ups together with lot 69, a Summerhill Sales-consigned Kahal filly out of a KIngmambo mare. The latter filly  was  knocked down to Rainbow Beach Trading for R400,000.

At the BSA Sale Alesh Naidoo bought lot 27, an Australian-bred colt by Bernadini, for the joint sales-topping price of R1,2 million. He is out of five time-winning USA-bred mare and his giant stride impressed many at the Yellow Star Stud breeze ups.

Brian Burnard went to R1,2 million to buy lot 35, a Captain Al colt, who is out of a half-sister by Kabool to Gr 1 winner Divine Jury and to the speedy Divine Jet.

John Freeman bought an Australian-bred Star Witness colt, who is out of the Gr 1 winning Zimbabwean-bred Goldkeeper mare Battle Maiden, for R1,1 million.

Each of the sales companies will have their own Ready To Run sales race next year. The stake for the CTS sales race was recently increased from the original R2 million to R2,5 million. The buyer’s levy for this race was R7,500, and was compulsory, and the vendor’s levy was the same amount.

The BSA’s sales race will be run for a stake of R2 million. The buyer’s levy for the race was voluntary and was R10,000. The vendor’s levy was R8,000. All in all, it looks likely that both Sales will remain strong as the vendors and buyers that supported one or the other, or both, had little to complain about.