The CTS Cape Premier Yearling Sale kicks off at 2pm today in the perfect setting of picturesque De Grendel wine estate near Durbanville. 

188 top yearlings were originally carded but with 11 withdrawals 177 will come under the hammer wielded by top auctioneer Andrew Miller and his cohorts.

And the sale kicks off with a potential highlight, as Lot 1 is the first produce of Mauritzfontein’s Danon Platina (Jpn) (the only son of Deep Impact at stud in SA)  to go to auction.

Consigned by Ridgemont, the cleverly named Honshu is out of Var mare Baltia. 

As David Mollett wrote about the sale  in his Turf Talk piece earlier this week….

“The big studs such as Klawervlei, Ridgemont Highlands, Drakenstein and Maine Chance have backed this particular sale which has been the starting point for a number of champions.

“Past graduates include Met winner One World, L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate hero Vardy,
champion filly Carry On Alice, and Saturday’s Met third and dual Gr1 winner Linebacker.
This is the time of year when Klawervlei boss, John Koster, must wish there were 36 hours in a day.
 
“If bookmakers were to price up on Sunday’s top lot it’s certain that Klawervlei’s Lot 158, Linebacker’s half-brother (by William Longsword), would be favourite.

“However, the big bids don’t come unless the confirmation is right so we will have to wait and see whether the colt ticks all the boxes.

“One thing is certain – Linebacker’s trainer Vaughan Marshall will be running his expert eye over this eighth produce of the Australian mare, Thin Red Line.

“Being a daughter of Redoute’s Choice, it’s no big surprise she’s produced a host of winners. Koster’s Klawervlei draft numbers a total of 35 yearlings with another 19 as agent. Maine Chance Farms have consigned 14, Nadeson Park Stud 25 and Ridgemont
Highlands 17.

“The last named have eight offerings by their sire, Canford Cliffs, so Cliff Top’s win in last Saturday’s Summer Juvenile Stakes couldn’t have come at a better time.

Cliff Top wins Cape Juvenile under Greg Cheyne (Wayne Marks)

“Included in the Maine Chance draft is a Lot 55, a colt by Vercingetorix – currently as popular with buyers as Mo Salah with Liverpool fans – and this early foal is the second produce of the Australian mare, Grande Roche.  The prediction is that Andrew Miller will see plenty of hands going up for this lot.

Lot 55

“Hassan Adams’ Nadeson Park Stud have backed the sale with a strong draft and their first yearling into the ring, a son of Gimmethegreenlight (Lot 19), hails from a family with plenty of black type. July runner up Young Rake can be found in the pedigree.

Lot 19

“A Nadeson female which catches the eye is a Gimmethegreenlight filly (Lot 97) out of the Jet Master mare, Mysterious Jet. She is the dam of the eight-time winner, La Bella Mia.

Lot 74

“Drakenstein – breeders of Met runner-up Jet Dark – consign yearlings by six different
stallions in their nine-horse draft. They include a What A Winter colt (Lot 74) who is the first produce of Lady In Black, Equus champion Two Year-Old Filly in 2016/17. The stud’s two yearlings by Lancaster Bomber include a colt (Lot 104) who is a half-brother to Justin Snaith’s seven-time winner, Pinkerton.”

View the full Catalogue HERE