This year’s two-day Bloodstock South Africa August Two-Year-Old Sale gave plenty of substance to the sales company’s stated aim of providing ‘a horse for every buyer’, with a diverse buying bench ensuring strong activity across the market.
The familiar big-hitters were active at the top end, there was strong demand in the medium-to-high market, and plenty of participation among smaller buyers.
In effect, horses were bought for all the major training regions, giving the national racehorse population a welcome boost as 302 lots headed off to new stables around the country.
The breadth of the market was reflected in the figures, with turnover soaring 32% from R80,505-million to R106,120-million, while the average price climbed 12% from R314,473 to R351,391.
Form Bloodstock, spearheaded by veteran thoroughbred consultant Jehan Malherbe, bid aggressively among the sale’s most outstanding lots.
Form returned to the top of the Buyers’ List for the sixth time in the past 10 years, securing eight lots for R14.505-million at an impressive average of R1,813,125.
Malherbe bought both the highest-priced colt and filly at the sale, starting on Thursday with R2,6-million for Lot 130, a stunning chestnut filly by Vercingetorix out of Palace Of Dreams. Bred by Jan Mantel at Millstream Farm, she is a full-sister to Grand Empire and Palace Of Arvernia.
Malherbe said: “She is by a champion sire out of this year’s Equus Champion Broodmare, and her full-sister is the Equus Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. We thought she was an even nicer specimen than Palace Of Arvernia was last year.”
There was spirited action around the ring for Friday’s star offering, Lot 316 Ragazinno, an athletic, Varsfontein-bred son of Vercingetorix out of Ciao Bella, by Gimmethegreenlight, who topped the sale at an August Sale record price of R6-million.
Malherbe noted: “This colt hails from perhaps the most accomplished female line in the stud book, via the prolific Mystic Spring. Pedigrees don’t come much better than this. He is a terrific specimen. He ticked all the boxes.”
High-flying Hollywood Racing, last season’s leading owners, invested R6-million in five lots at an average of R1,2-million per lot, making them the second-highest buyers.
They were followed by a notably active Michael Roberts, who bought seven lots for R5,275-million, Jonathan Snaith with seven for R4,175-million and Vermaak Equine, which purchased six for R3,72-million.
Glen Kotzen and Peter Racing, with 12 lots each, and KM Racing, with 10, were the most active among the middle-market buyers, while Lucinda Woodruff bought six.
In the value range, Bronkhorst Racing was particularly active with nine lots, followed by Dean Smith, Jacques Mitchley and Roy Magner, who bought five apiece.
Varsfontein, the perennial top-performing stud, headed the vendors’ list for the second successive year, selling 26 lots for R21-million at an average of R807,692.
Millstream Farm, going from strength to strength, was the second-highest vendor, with 12 lots sold for R7.135-million, narrowly edging Wilgerbosdrift (R7.125-million) into third place – a 10th consecutive Top Three finish for the Piketberg establishment.
Maine Chance Farms’ three-time champion sire Vercingetorix topped the sires’ list, with all eight of his lots finding strong demand.
They realised R16.20-million in total at an impressive average of R2.025-million.
Please click here for all the sales prices.
Michael Holmes, CEO of Bloodstock South Africa, reflected on the record-breaking sale: “This was a wonderful way to end our live auctions for 2026. All of them have been buoyant, with lively support from diverse buying benches. There were several new names among the buyers alongside the regulars, and that is particularly encouraging in this heartwarming phase of growth for our industry.
“We thank all our clients – vendors and buyers – for their tremendous support, goodwill and sportsmanship. Our thanks also go to the Bloodstock South Africa staff and the team of auctioneers, bid spotters and all our service providers who worked so hard to make all of this possible.”