Cape Sale

254 lots this year up from 210 last year,seems a big increase a good thing in these hard times?

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ATALOGUES for BloodStock SA’s first yearling sale of 2010, the Cape Summer Yearling Sale on 7 February, are available.

A total of 254 horses are scheduled to be sold this year as opposed to last year’s 210.

BloodStock SA (BSA) sales manager Caroline Simpson said yesterday: ``The physical conformation of the horse plays a huge part in this sale, but we have a few choicely bred individuals on offer, particularly from Zandvliet Stud and Netherfield Stud which don’t come to the Nationals and use this as their main selling sale.’’

Zandvliet Stud offers 14 yearlings and another five as agent - 11 by their unproven sire Surging River, who is a half brother to the dam of ill-fated stallion Strike Smartly.

Netherfield has six horses in its draft, including two by Silvano, who Simpson predicts will have the sale-topper. Lot 16, Bluevana, is a half sister to Bluemambo (second in the Investec Cape Derby before being exported to Singapore). The other is Lot 83, Beijing Bolt, who hails from the same family as top-class Honour The Guest and Firebolt.

There are four other Silvano yearlings on the sale, including Maine Chance’s Lot 158, Petara, who is from the same female line as such great horses as J&B Met winner and champion racemare Imperious Sue.

In other news, BSA has appointed a new marketing manager, Eamonn Cullen from Ireland.

Cullen (36) is already familiar with most South African breeders and trainers having visited South Africa on a number of occasions. He plans to settle here and has applied for a work permit.

Cullen has worked on various stud farms in Ireland, the UK, Europe, Australia and the USA and also held positions in advertising and marketing in various countries.　

His latest post was that of marketing manager of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, an organisation formed to develop and nurture key markets for the Irish thoroughbred around the world.