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Picture: 123RF
Picture: 123RF

Buoyed by last weekend’s Cape Winter Sale having returned an aggregate of more than R12m, vendors are hoping the upward trend will continue at Thursday’s KZN Yearling Sale to be held at the Suncoast casino near Durban.

Altogether 170 yearlings will come under the hammer and the catalogue contains the progeny of top sires such as Gimmethegreenlight, Vercingetorix and Querari.

Vercingetorix could be responsible for some early action as lot 3 — consigned by the Birch Bros — is one of his sons and a full-brother to Allan Robertson Championship winner, Vernichey.

Just 10 lots later, Klawervlei Stud (as agent) will be offering the first produce of Return Flight, Equus Champion two-year-old filly in 2017/18. The filly (lot 13) is by Gimmethegreenlight so she is sure to be popular with buyers.

Riverton Stud have consigned a well-bred colt (lot 25) by Vercingetorix and the youngster is a half-brother to Al Mariachi who boasts six wins here and Mauritius.

Vercingetorix has nine of his progeny due to go through the ring and Klawervlei Stud (as agent) are offering a filly (lot 33) who is a half-sister to the six-time winner, Silver Operator. Vaughan Marshall’s six-year-old runs in Saturday’s Post Merchants at Greyville.

Camargue Stud will be hopeful of plenty of interest in their filly, Summer Heat (lot 43), as this yearling is a half-sister to grade 1 winner, Guinness.

Boland Stud have consigned a well-bred youngster in the ninth produce of their Jet Master mare, Allez Afrique. The colt (lot 62) is by Vercingetorix and is a full-brother to four-time winner, African Warrior.

In the afternoon session, a lot that stands out is lot 115, which is a Pathfork filly who is a half-sister to Lady Of Power, winner of the Gauteng Fillies Guineas. Sandown Stud are the vendors of this early foal.

Danon Platina — champion two-year-old colt in Japan in 2014 — got off to a bright start in his stud career here and is represented by nine yearlings at the sale. One of them is a colt named The Mikado (lot 148) and this yearling — being offered by Mauritzfontein Stud — is the first produce of the four-time winner, Landela.

On the racing front, Turffontein hosts a nine-race card and both Gavin Lerena and Muzi Yeni should be among the winners.

In the second race, Lerena rides Red Bomber for trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren and the son of Lancaster Bomber should make a bold bid for his second win. The colt won by three lengths on debut but then found the company too strong in the Gold Medallion.

Lerena’s third-race mount, Barbaresco, a R1.4m son of Gimmethegreenlight, will pay a compliment to Sandringham Summit — fancied for Saturday's grade 2 Golden Horseshoe — if he sees off seven rivals over 1,200m.

Ivy League — a well-bred daughter of What A Winter — appeals as the right horse for the exacta.

Yeni partners Greenlight Magic for the third time in the fifth race and — from a favourable draw — the three-year-old should make a bold bid to defy top weight of 60kg. Mike de Kock’s runner, Climate Control, rates a big threat.

Bloomington bumped into a useful sort in Celestial City last time out and Yeni has been booked for Fabian Habib’s four-year-old in the final leg of the jackpot. This time the popular jockey will have to overcome a wide draw but if he does the Wylie Hall gelding should take a hand in the finish.

Alec Laird is confident about a big run from Billy Bowlegs in the Durban July and his Silvano filly, Save The Queen, could be worth a swinger bet with Bloomington.

Selections

1st race: (9) Neerah (2) Together Again (1) Southern Style (3) Kit Kat Katie

2nd race: (3) Red Bomber (6) Ivy League (5) Hotarubi (4) Festival Of Magic

3rd race: (4) Barbaresco (6) No Place Like Home (2) Captain Tik Tok (3) Full Go

4th race: (9) The Inkosana (5) Libeccio (7) Follow My Path (4) Wonderworld

5th race: (1) Greenlight Magic (2) Climate Control (9) Little Prince (7) Vesuvio

6th race: (4) Stratospheric (3) Now I Got You (7) Cian The Conqueror (8) Lord Varys

7th race: (5) Spring Will Come (8) Twice As Wild (1) Rattle Bag (6) Maboneng

8th race: (3) Bloomington (8) Save The Queen (9) Sea Anemone (5) Suryavarman

9th race: (11) Red Carpet Girl (3) Brosnan (1) Insatiable (4) Clean Living

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