Maine Chance Farms’ multiple champion sire Silvano made history on the first day of the 2019 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale on Wednesday when his son Masaki (Lot 184) was knocked down to Shadwell South Africa for R9 000 000 –making the Wilgerbosdrift bred colt the top priced yearling ever sold in the country.

Out of the Fort Wood sired G3 Magnolia Handicap winner Quickwood, Masaki is a full-brother to G1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes winner Nightingale and to G2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks second Oriental Oak.

(This was not the first time that Silvano made headlines as the sire of a record priced yearling –as his son Silver Coin made R6 000 000 at the 2016 Cape Premier Yearling Sale.)

Silvano had two other yearlings make R1 000 000 plus on Wednesday, with a filly out of Gibraltar Blue making R2 000 000 and a colt out My Lady Bluff fetching R1 000 000, and the triple G1 winning son of Lomitas ended Wednesday as the Leading Sire by Aggregate and Average with his 12 lots to sell grossing R16 000 000 and averaging R1 333 333.

His exciting son Vercingetorix also had a good day on Wednesday, with the former Equus Champion selling four lots for R1 825 000 and averaging R456 250. Vercingetorix’s daughter Lyrical Dance was knocked down to Form Bloodstock for an even R1 000 000.