CRS Premier Yearling Sale soars to record highs in South Africa

Cape Town racing chief Greg Bortz swooped to a record high for the dazzling Vercingetorix-sired top lot in Thursday's keynote session of the Cape Racing Sales Premier Yearling Sale in South Africa.

Lot 85, already named Wreath Of Snow, had arrived with just about the biggest profile in the catalogue being a half-brother to breeder Drakenstein Stud's 2023 Grade 1 Cape Guineas winner Snow Pilot. His dam, Snowdance, was also successful at the highest level in the Majorca Stakes and the Cape Fillies Guineas.

The final price of R9,000,000 (£382,000/€454,000) equalled the South African auction record set by Mike de Kock on a Silvano colt during the 2019 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale in Johannesburg.

Wreath Of Snow's final price was more than double that of the next name in the standings, a filly bought by Darryl Yuta for R4,100,000 from the Klawervlei draft out of decorated sprinter The Secret Is Out. 

Vercingetorix absolutely dominated the top end of the market as the sire of the top five most expensive individuals at the session, which is very likely to achieve the highest results ahead of Friday's conclusion at Kenilworth racecourse.

Figures worked out impressively with 137 lots out of 149 lots selling at a clearance race of 92 per cent. This is a redesigned sale, so there are no comparative figures but the average R761, 679 blew out of the water the figure of R626,419 from the Summer Sale earlier in the year and is reported to have become the highest ever sales average for a yearling auction in South African history. The median of R500,000 was also a healthy one.

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