Entries are open for the 2024 Cape Racing Premier Yearling Sale, to be sponsored for the second year by the Tattersalls Group, Europe’s leading bloodstock auctioneers. The sale is scheduled for Thursday, 25 January 2024, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC); breeders, vendors, and buyers have an exciting and lucrative week to look forward to.

Cape Racing will be staging the sale two days before the 2024 WSB Cape Town MET, set for a sparkling renewal next year following their enterprising and innovative initiatives of 2023. With the right people in the Mother City at the right time and some promising news from the EU about bloodstock exports, Cape Racing is confident that this year’s aggregate of R44,825 million can be surpassed in 2024.

A notable statistic from the 2023 Premier Sale is that 10% of the lots that passed through the ring were sold for R1 million or more, including the spectacular sales topper Valley of The Kings (Lot 107). The Maine Chance-bred colt by Gimmethegreenlight was knocked down for R3,8-million to the Hong Kong Jockey Club, who will be returning in search of a thoroughbred of similar quality in 2024.

There are more reasons to enter and attend the Premier Sale. As announced in May, and as per Cape Racing’s new Bonus Structure and Pinhooking Programme, bonuses of R100,000 will be paid for the first juvenile win of any race, including open maiden races won by juveniles. This represents a return of R4 million in cash bonuses to valued sales clients over 40 races.

The inaugural Cape Racing Slipper, featuring graduates from the 2023 sale, will be contested on the WSB Cape Town MET Day for R1,2.5 million. The good news is that the stake has been upped to R1,5 million for the 2025 ‘Slipper’, for which the 2024 Premiere Sale graduates will qualify. The second running of the R7.5 million “Gold Rush” is the other showpiece event for Cape Racing Sales graduates on the day.

Justin Vermaak, Racing & Bloodstock Executive for Cape Racing, commented: “The 2024 Premier Sale is being held two weeks later than last year to accommodate more breeders. A number of them asked for more time to get their yearlings ready. There were positive vibes last year, and we exceeded expectations. The Premier Sale is back on the map and being held in a truly festival-type week in Cape Town when plenty of foreign visitors attend both our sale and the Met.

“It is interesting to note that two of the 10 R1-million lots were among the last six that went through the ring last year, depth all-round. We had high quality from the knock of the first hammer to the last. We aim to raise the bar even more, and buyers’ attention will again be on the sales ring all the way through.”

Cape Racing Chairman Greg Bortz spoke after last year’s sale about a “virtuous circle” for the sport in the Western Cape, born on the back of his team’s focused efforts and duly implemented initiatives. He said: “Bigger stakes attract owners, horse prices go up, more horses are bred, field sizes increase. Turnovers, public interest and attendance, improve as a consequence. The cycle starts at our Premier Sale!”

Cape Racing