OSCAR FOULKES of Normandy Stud writes:
Most racehorses have gone through an auction sale in their journey from stud to racecourse. With Tattersalls having been around since the 18th century and Goffs since the 19th, I don’t expect this to change.
However, this is by no means the only way of sourcing racing prospects. Some are owner-bred, others are leased, and yet others are the subject of private sales direct from the stud.
Breeder E.P. Taylor’s strategy at Windfield was to pre-price all his yearlings, which were then offered by private sale off the farm. Anything that didn’t sell went into training for his account.
I keep coming back to the story of Northern Dancer, winner of two legs of the US Triple Crown and arguably the most influential stallion of the 20th century. Even at a modest price he was deemed too small. Unwanted by the buyers that year, he went into training for Taylor’s account.
Picture: A clipping from The Toronto Star, 1962. They were not able to find a buyer for Northern Dancer at his reserve price of $25,000.
The part that has intrigued me was this thing of private sales off the farm, whereby all the yearlings were pre-priced and then the horsemen made their choices.
Circumstances relating to this year’s crop of Normandy yearlings have thrust us into a similar situation (although I’m not suggesting any parity with the mighty Windfields Farm).
The first – potentially disastrous – occurrence was our yearlings breaking through a fence on the night of 2 August. Fortunately, there were no broken legs, but a few picked up cosmetic scarring as a result of cuts and scrapes.
Then, after entries had closed for the BSA Cape Yearling Sale, we discovered that our much-loved sales channel, the Race Coast October Two-Year-Old Sale, would no longer have a breeze-up section.
In the first week of January, we put out a list of 15 yearlings that were available direct off the farm. Sires represented were Legislate, Jet Dark, The United States and more.
One third of them have been sold, which is in line with the target we set for ourselves.
The remaining 10 are available to view pretty much as nature intended. They’ve spent their lives outdoors, playing and running in huge paddocks.
They cover the spectrum from August to November foals. The immaturity of some will reward the horsemen who can cast ahead to imagine fully-grown racehorses.
It goes without saying that they represent our best families, including those of Equus Champions Rio Querari, Mother Russia and Winter Solstice, not to mention Grade I winners like Sergeant Hardy.
Pricing starts at R80k, with an average price that’s in the vicinity of regional sales.
It’s first come, first served. We look forward to showing them to you!
Please contact Oscar Foulkes (083 297 3402 or oscar@normandystud.co.za).
