The well related Firth Of Tay proved the star attraction at Thursday’s Cape Mare Sale, held for a first time at the Mistico Equestrian Centre.
Consigned by Wilgerbosdrift, the mare was knocked down to John Kramer for R300 000 on what proved a tough day for breeders overall.

Tested in foal to champion sire Trippi, Firth Of Tay is a winning own sister to Equus Champion and sire Kildonan, whose five wins included both the G1 Premier’s Champion Stakes and G1 Gold Horse Casino Sprint.
The sales topping mare, whose other notable relatives include current G1 star Carry On Alice, has produced 2 winners to date, including Nima –a three time winner who finished third in the Listed Jamaica Handicap.

Party Peg was the second top lot sold, with the Favour Stud consigned daughter of Jay Peg fetching R200 000 to the bid of Patricia Devine Investments. A three time winner herself, and out of a sister to Equus Champion Let’s Rock ‘N Roll, Party Peg sold in foal to champion sprinter and leading first crop sire What A Winter and she had a colt by that son of Western Winter at foot.

The sale once again proved tough for vendors, with just 143 lots of the 214 catalogued (there were 23 withdrawals) fetching their reserve –and the top price of R300 000 fell drastically from a year ago, when the top lot made R460 000.

Both the aggregate (by 50%) and averages (by 45%) were well down on 2016 in what proved, once again, very much a buyers’ market.

A full list of results and statistics for the 2017 Cape Mare Sale can now be viewed online at www.tba.co.za