Klawervlei Stud were the leading vendor by aggregate at CPYS 2023 powered by Tattersalls and John Koster was in a buoyant mood this week.
He said, “It is easier when you have the numbers but it was a very good sale for us and we had nice averages too. It was great to see Trippi still commanding high prices after serving South Africa, specially Drakenstein Stud, so well for so long. I love Trippi, he is a great sire and our two by him sold well and I was very pleased to see our Gimmethegreenlitghts and Vercingetorix’s doing well too.”
Klawervlei’s Trippi filly sold for R1,1 million to the Tawny Syndicate and their colt sold for R800,000 to John Freeman.
The most expensive of their eight Gimmethegreenlights on the sale went for R1,5 million and two others went for R850,000.
They sold two Vercingetorix’s as agent and the filly went for R1 million to Bass Racing and the colt went for R600,000 to Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock and Kirkwood Equine Advisory.
Klawervlei’s policy is to buy shares in the best sires to help them manage the covering costs.
The service fees are not cheap, but this sale proved that going to the best sires usually pays off handsomely.
John was full of praise for the CPYS 2023 venue, which was back at its old home at the Cape Town Convention Centre.
He believes this could be the best sales venue in the world and elaborated, “There was a fantastic vibe and this is the best venue one could wish for. Other country’s have tried inner city venues but have not been able to get it right. The convention centre is beautifully air-conditioned and free of dust and insects and this makes it so much easier to manage the horses and it provides an amazing opportunity being so centrally situated.”
He continued by mentioning two things South African racing had to be extremely grateful for.
“Hong Kong have been so good to SA racing and for SA racing. They were here so will probably be at the BSA nationals. They have always supported SA 100% in every way possible. Then we must be grateful to have Tattersalls powering the CPYS. They are the world’s most reputable and probably oldest bloodstock sales company, so it is amazing they have supported South Africa like this. Tammy O’Brien ( International Client Relations and Strategic Development role for Tattersalls) has been over here and we are going to build up a lot of friendships overseas through Tattersalls.”
The Hong Kong Jockey club bought the most expensive lot at the sale, a R3.8 million Maine Chance Farms-bred Gimmethegreenlight colt.
John was thrilled to have overseas involvement in his most expensive lot, a R1,5 million Gimmethegreenlight colt who was the third highest lot on the sale, sold to the partnership of Greg Bortz and Bjorn Nielsen.
Nielsen is a South African who lives overseas and has become well known in global racing circles particularly through being the owner of the legendary stayer Stradivarius.
John said, “Bjorn Nielsen has been a fantastic supporter of the SA bloodstock industry and I am very proud to have him as owner of one of our horses.”
He concluded by praising Greg Bortz, “Greg has taken Cape Racing to great heights in such a short space of time, so I am sure he will do the same with Cape Sales. Next year there will probably be a few tweaks and he will bring in some of his own innovations. It is exciting times for SA racing and SA breeders.”
Klawervlei sold 18 yearlings at CPYS 2023 for an aggregate of R10,175,000 and an average of R565,278.
