Irishman O’Kelly back on the rostrum at Cape Premier Yearling Sale

The presence of John O’Kelly — one of the best auctioneers on the planet — on the rostrum for Sunday’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale at the De Grendel wine estate is an indication the bloodstock world is getting back to normality.

Irish-born O’Kelly, who lives in Belgium, has a busy schedule as Tattersalls auctioneer in the UK, but he has always found time to demonstrate his expertise at SA’s premier Cape sale.

Though the Covid-19 pandemic has meant no visits here for two years, his overseas interviews have been bullish.

He told TDN Europe: “This [interruptions of sales] is a blip and it will get better. Now whether it will get better immediately for yearling sales, who knows. But it will get better.

“Everybody is concerned about the virus and its effects. Breeders have gone to a great deal of trouble and bred their horses and they’re ready to sell, but they are concerned about where the market is going to be.

“I think it’s reassuring that the American stock market is picking up again and people are reinvesting for the future,” said O’Kelly.

Around May and June every year, O’Kelly sets out from his Belgium home to go and inspect yearlings on behalf of Tattersalls on a large number of stud farms.

With most people grounded because of the pandemic, O’Kelly came up with the perfect solution in 2020 and embarked on a journey to France and Germany in a camper van. “In the space of five days, I drove between some 20 stud farms in France [he is fluent in the language] and Germany.”

At Sunday’s sale, O’Kelly will team up on the rostrum with Andrew Miller, the leading auctioneer in this country. Between them they will sell a total of 188 lots.

Miller will sell the first 20 lots, which include a Querari colt from Maine Chance Farms (lot 6), a Trippi colt from Klawervlei (lot 10) and a Gimmethegreenlight colt from Nadeson Park Stud (lot 19).

O’Kelly’s first lot should prove popular as the filly (lot 21) — consigned by Ridgemont Highlands — is one of only six of the progeny of red-hot stallion Rafeef on the sale. She is a half-sister to the three-time winner Stream Ahead.

Other well-bred yearlings in O’Kelly’s first session include a Twice Over colt (lot 29 from Nadeson), who is a half-brother to KZN Fillies Guineas winner Gimme Six.

Futura is another sire going great guns and Avontuur Farm are offering one of his sons (lot 32) out of the five-time winner Easy Game.

O’Kelly ends off his first spell with a William Longsword colt (lot 40) from Klawervlei, who is the first produce of the six-time winner Exquisite Touch.

The Irishman’s second spell includes another first produce — Drakenstein Stud have consigned a What A Winter colt (lot 74), who is the first offspring of grade 1 winner Lady In Black.

Of course, the CTS team will have alerted O’Kelly to the fact that — later in the sale — he will be offering a half-brother (by William Longsword) to trainer Vaughan Marshall’s top performer Linebacker. The colt (lot 158) heads up Klawervlei Stud’s large draft.