Bloodstock South Africa and Cape Thoroughbred Sales have had an exploratory meeting in which they have both agreed that an amalgamation of the two companies would be in the best interests of the racing industry.

These two organisations run the biggest sales around the country. Bloodstock South Africa are the marketing arm of the Thoroughbred Breeder’s Association, who run the Emperor’s Palace National Yearling Sale, the Milkwood Sale, the Cape Mare and Weaning Sale, the Suncoast Casino KZN Yearling Sale, the KZN Mare/Weanling/Horses in Training/Fillies Sale, the Emperor’s Palace National Two-year-old Sale and the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Sale.

Cape Thoroughbred Sales, which was only formed last year, run the Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 and Book 2 and the Cape Ready To Run Sale.
Ian Robertson, who is the chairman of the TBA, said that a council of the TBA and the directors of the Cape Thoroughbred Sales, whose chairman is Chris van Niekerk, had both agreed that the two organisations needed to get together to “put our houses in order.”

“There are still a lot of negotiations to be done before anything is concrete,” he said.

There are probably two main reasons behind the wish to amalgamate. While competition is always healthy, attracting international buyers to South African sales probably requires a unified strategy. Furthermore, the returns to racing generated by the sales have likely been compromised by the costs of running two companies.

Meanwhile, the Emperors Palace National 2YO Sale in South Africa has concluded with a 19.2% increase in the average over 2011. The R70,000 sale average was achieved with 100 less horses sold, but the R20,200,000 aggregate was only marginally below 2011's R21,510,000. Included among the large group of new buyers were owners from Zimbabwe and Kenya.

This year's sale-topper, a filly by US sire Tapit, went for R650,000 to Cape trainer Joey Ramsden. Underlining the strength of the buying bench was the sale of 2 individual colts for R500,000, by Dynasty & Silvano. That compares well to 2011's top price of R350,000