The 2025 Cape Yearling Sale was held at the SARDA Riding Centre on Sunday. The one day auction saw both temperatures and prices soar, as a strong market continued to make itself felt on the South African turf.
Exceptionally well attended, the Cape Sale saw both the average and median prices remain steady, while a considerably smaller catalogue saw an inevitable drop in aggregate, with the aggregate falling from R27.265 million to R22.445 million.
In contrast, the average price rose from R206 553 to R229 031, while the median price of R180 000 equalled the same statistic of 2024.
The 2025 Cape Yearling Sale had an exceptional clearance rate, with just two yearlings offered failing to find new homes, and this price is a strong reflection of both market confidence as well as vendors’ shrewd appraisals of their stock.
Demand continued to be strong for well bred yearlings, with the top lot sold at the Cape Yearling Sale this year being a colt sired by South Africa’s reigning champion sire Gimmethegreenlight.
Named Gone Cold (Lot 34), this colt, who was consigned to the sale by Syrilla Stud, was knocked down to A G Racing for R900 000. Not only is Gone Cold a son of an outstanding sire in the form of Gimmethegreenlight, but the flashy grey is also a half-brother to this season’s promising two-year-old Captains Envy. Bred on the same Gimmethegreenlight/Captain Al cross as champions Proceed and Sandringham Summit, Gone Cold is out of the dual winning Captain Al mare Frosted Steel.
Outstanding stallion Vercingetorix supplied the sale’s top priced filly in the form of the Syrilla Stud consigned Sitva Queen (Lot 107), with the latter knocked down to TKP Racing for R800 000.
The well related filly, a half-sister to a winner, is out of the Western Winter sired G2 S A Fillies Nursery runner up Winter’s Forge, and she hails from the family of such high-class graded stakes winners as Waterberry Lane, Polar Bound and Equus Champions Long Dollar and Toccata.
Varsfontein Stud’s top-class sire Master Of My Fate topped the Sires List at the Cape Yearling Sale, with the son of Jet Master having eight lots to sell for R2.9 million.
Wilgerbosdrift had an excellent sale and the Piketberg farm ended the day as the Leading Vendors by Aggregate, with Wilgerbosdrift selling 16 yearlings for a gross total of R5.54 million.
In terms of the Leading Buyers table, Monden International Racing topped the standings, with Monden International Racing purchasing seven lots for R2.11 million. Monden’s top lot was the One World filly One Step (Lot 73), whom they purchased for R550 000. The filly, consigned by Varsfontein Stud, as Agent, is out of the winning Silvano mare Petronella, and is bred on the same One World/Silvano cross as this season’s outstanding three-year-old One Stripe.
The new venue for the sale was met with considerable praise from both vendors and buyers alike, and SARDA provided all who attended with a memorable sale indeed.
A full list of prices and statistics for the Cape Yearling Sale can be viewed online at www.bsa.co.za
