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Picture: 123RF/ MELORY S
Picture: 123RF/ MELORY S

Maine Chance Farms, fourth top vendor at the 2022 National Yearling Sales, have suffered a setback before the start of 2023’s sale on Friday with an incident involving their horses being transported to the highveld by truck.

It is believed that one yearling went ballistic during the journey, sending others into a frenzy.

One yearling, lot 102, a son of What A Winter, was so severely injured he had to be euthanised by a veterinary surgeon.

This was confirmed on Tuesday by Maine Chance’s Amanda Carey who said, “Sadly we lost lot 102. We are unsure what happened at this stage.”

Maine Chance has entered a draft of 29 yearlings — one of which, a filly by Erupt (lot 6) — has been withdrawn from the first day of the sale.

Last year, Maine Chance’s aggregate for the sale was R8.6m. The stud will be expecting huge interest in their half-brother (by Vercingetorix) to grade 1 winner Princess Calla. As the colt, an early foal, is lot 19, he will be offered in the first hour of Friday’s sale.

“We think this colt, named Prince Valiant, is exceptional,” Carey said.

A total of 401 yearlings have been catalogued, with 220 being offered at the Germiston complex on Friday (10am start) and the remainder on Saturday.

Another son of Vercingetorix who should prove popular on the first session is his son (lot 24) being offered by Rathmor Stud. The colt is the fifth produce of the six-time winner Queen’s Command.

Eight lots later Narrow Creek Stud will be offering a Vercingetorix colt (lot 32), half-brother to grade 3 winner Elusive Heart.

Varsfontein Stud, comfortably top vendors at last year’s sale with an aggregate of R17.5m, surprisingly have six withdrawals on the first day. The catalogues should be waving for their Vercingetorix colt Roman Agent (lot 60), with the mare being the 11th produce of their remarkable mare Secret Of Victoria.

The same stud is offering a colt (lot 62) by Met winner One World. This yearling is a half-brother to 12-time winner Undercover Agent.

Drakenstein are also offering a son of One World with a colt (lot 83) being a half-brother to SA and Hong Kong winner Singapore Sling.

Trainer Stuart Pettigrew is sure to run his expert eye over lot 65, half-brother (by Futura) to seven-time winner Vars Vicky. The colt has been consigned by Millstream Farm as agent for Gary Player.

Similar to Secret Of Victoria, Sweet Virginia is an old mare but she keeps producing top performers with dual Durban July winner Do It Again her most notable offspring. Lammerskraal has consigned her 10th produce (lot 107) who is a son of What A Winter.

Oldlands Stud are offering July winner Kommetdieding’s full-sister (lot 161) Kommetjie Storm.

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