When South Africa's Western Cape Breeders Club invited me to talk at their Thoroughbred & Equestrian seminar, I knew it meant one thing—an opportunity for another installment of Tapp's Travels, which I hadn't done since 2011 in Australia and New Zealand.
The seminar coincided with the Cape Premier Yearling Sale in Cape Town Jan. 23-24. This gave me the opportunity to see yearlings sired by South Africa's top sires as well as some by Kentucky stallions who covered mares on Southern Hemisphere time.
This Var (TrueNicks) filly was my favorite filly of the sale, with great balance and length, a beautiful neck, and a nice disposition. She is from the family of four-time group I winner Jay Peg and is bred on the same Var/Qui Danzig cross as 2013 South African champion 3-year-old filly Via Africa. The filly sold for R1,700,000 (US$154,000), the fourth-highest price on day 1 of the sale.
Lot 21, Var—White Lies, by Qui Danzig
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Lot 28 was my favorite colt of the sale, a son of recently deceased Western Winter and out of South African group I winner Zaitoon, making him a Gone West/Gone West cross. He has a huge shoulder and a great walk. He was the co-sale-topper at R3,200,000 (US$290,000).
Lot 28, Western Winter—Zaitoon, by Count Dubois
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This Giant's Causeway (TrueNicks) filly was a consensus favorite of everyone at the sale, with an elegant, classy, way about her and an amazing walk. She is out of Captain's Lover, a South African champion who was also a stakes winner in the U.S. The filly was a co-sale-topper at R3,200,000 (US$290,000).
Lot 53, Giant's Causeway—Captain's Lover, by Captain Al
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It was interesting to see a Tapit (TrueNicks) colt in the Cape Town sale, and this colt comes from a very strong South African family (the second dam is multiple champion Harry's Charm). He made R500,000 (US$45,300).
Lot 97, Tapit—Granny Leah, by Orientate
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This colt is by hot sire Silvano (read more about Silvano here). This particular colt doesn't have a strong female family, but physically he's quite attractive, with more leg than many of the other Silvanos. He's also bred on the direct Silvano/Elliodor cross that has four stakes winners from 29 starters (14%) including group I winner Aslan. The colt sold for R325,000 (US$29,000).
Lot 111, Silvano—Indiscretion, by Elliodor
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This son of Dynasty (South African Horse of the Year by Fort Wood) had good size and muscle and was one of the horses everyone seemed to be talking about. He sold well at R3,000,000 (US$270,000).
Lot 114, Dynasty—Jabulani Jive, by Jallad
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There were three Distorted Humor (TrueNicks) yearlings in the sale, including this colt out of Ms. Blue Blood (by A.P. Indy) from the family of Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Monarchos. He has a lot of A.P. Indy in him, particularly his face, hind end, and walk. The pasterns, shoulder, and barrel are more typical of Distorted Humor. This colt sold for R2,500,000 (US$225,000).
Lot 144, Distorted Humor—Ms. Blue Blood, by A.P. Indy
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This Distorted Humor filly is also out of an A.P. Indy mare, but in addition she is from the family of A.P. Indy—her dam, Seattle Weekend, is 3x2 to Lassie Dear. The Lassie Dear family has done well in South Africa thanks to prominent sires Al Mufti and Tiger Ridge. This medium-sized filly had a very nice, athletic walk and sold for R3,000,000 (US$270,000).
Lot 184, Distorted Humor—Seattle Weekend, by A.P. Indy
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