The Emperor's Palace Ready To Run Sale : HAIL MARCUS

Basil MarcusAnd we mean Basil Marcus, not the one-time Roman Emperor, Marcus Andronicus. Leading Cape trainer, Basil Marcus, had a great weekend with his Ready To Run graduates, his five runners earning themselves three victories and two seconds in Cape Town on Saturday.

First up was Pele Pele, a R140 000 buy on behalf of leading industrialist, Roy Eckstein, who only got going in the last 100 metres and won going away by ¾ of a length. He has just had a handful of starts, and this one looks like a more than progressive sort. If he had been entered for the event, he was a more than likely runner in the R500 000 Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup, due to be staged on the 3^rd November at Turffontein.

His stablemate, Don’t Tell Titch, also belonging to Roy Eckstein and his long-time partner, Cecil Baitz, stole the laurels in the second race from yet another Summerhill graduate, Royal Racer, the property of Hong Kong resident, Andrew Yuen. These two drew well away from the field, showing their class over the extra furlong and here again, Don’t Tell Titch would’ve been a compelling entry in the Emperor’s Palace Cup, had he won his previous start, and his trainer Basil been in a position to plan things that way.

As if that wasn’t enough, Basil had Sbakhabakha engaged in the last on the card, and she came from last after turning for home very green, to mow the field down and win by ¾ length. Yet another Summerhill graduate for Marcus, Amaphupho ran his socks off to be second after also experiencing difficulties on the turn, and closing as quickly as anything on the day. This was a very encouraging run first time out of the maidens, as he had won his last start by 2 ¾ lengths. Basil has five highly promising three year olds from last year’s Summerhill draft, and he has a great deal to look forward to as the Cape season approaches. Speaking on Saturday evening, he says the foundation of his stable is based on his successes with Summerhill-breds, not forgetting of course that much of our own success dependant upon on what Basil does with the stock he takes home from us.

If anything emerges from Saturday’s events, it’s the advantage Basil gives himself (& by definition, his clients,) when he takes the trouble to come to Summerhill and ride the horses in advance of the Sale. He wasn’t a multiple Champion jockey for nothing, and his judgment is unerring, even though he never steps on them to any degree when he’s trying them out.

Don’t forget, the previous year, he bought Desert Links (of his admission, one of the best in the country this year,) and multiple Group/Stakes winner, Majestic Sun who was a Ready To Run graduate of the year before.

Three cheque payment scheme extended by Summerhill

As if the Listed status of the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup is not in itself enough of an incentive to buyers, the practice started some ten years ago by Summerhill of affording buyers the facility of paying for their purchases (aggregating R60 000 or more) over three months has been extended again for the Ready To Run Sale on November 4th. This has been a popular concept with buyers, as there are not a lot of people who can simply write out a cheque within 30 days for the sort of money it takes to buy a racehorse these days. This sort of accommodation not only brings an added dimension, it also adds interest and broadens the buying bench at the sale significantly.

Stud Fees : At least someone is listening

Storm CatWhile this may not be music to the ears of those of our stallion masters whose horses stand in the R200 000 – R250 000 bracket in the local market, the most expensive stallion in the world, Storm Cat, who has stood for a fee of $500 000 (just short of R3.5 million) since the 2002 season, has had his fee reduced to $300 000 for the forthcoming season, following a significant drop in the average price paid for his yearlings this year. Just a year ago, Storm Cat’s yearlings averaged $1,250,400, and this year, though they were conceived off a half million dollar stud fee, they averaged just $545,038, a drop of more than $700 000 a head.

The reality about seriously high stud fees, particularly in a limited market like ours, is that eventually, they hurt the people that paid them, and until the market is big enough and strong enough to sustain fees at current levels, the truth is, they’re simply not sustainable.

The next result from a drop in fees in the case of a horse like Storm Cat, is that the “backlash” continues to haunt his connections for the foreseeable future, with buyers of services inclined to support those horses whose fees are within reach.

His principal competition, A.P.Indy and Kingmambo, will continue to stand at $300 000, which means the three of them will share top spot in the market. Both A.P.Indy and Kingmambo stand at Will Farrish’s Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Lexington, where the current leader on the American Sires log, Smart Strike, also stands. Smart Strike’s fee was recently elevated to $150 000, putting him in the top six or seven sires in the United States, and representing a doubling up on his fee of $75 000 earlier this year.

You don't have to spend a Million and a Half

Angus GoldIn part two of the Tattersalls Yearling Sale in Newmarket England yesterday, Sheikh Hamdan, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and owner of the stallion standouts, Kahal, Muhtafal, Malhub and Albarahin on the Summerhill roster, shelled out £100 000 (almost R1.5 million) when his Racing Manager, Angus Gold, outbid all comers for the session topping colt by Europe’s Champion Three Year Old Miler, Dubai Destination.

The point is, there’s a paternal half brother to an Australian Group winner by the same sire (who celebrated his third individual Graded Stakes winner this week in Europe) in the Summerhill Ready To Run draft, and he’s already turning a few heads with his big fluent action. Of course, you needn’t take our word for it; just turn up on Friday at 11:30 am, and see for yourself at the gallops. If you can’t do that, look out for him on both Bloodstock SA and Summerhill’s websites (or better still, watch Tellytrack) for a recorded version.

Then raise your catalogue, and write your own history!

P.S. And we’ve saved you the transport.

A week of Festive Highlights!

ARE we set for a week of social festivities and highlights, or what?

When you read this, Summerhill’s Stud’s Ready To Run gallops will be only a day or two away and many guests are looking forward to it as a social occasion as much as an opportunity to spot a champion of the future.

On Friday night, when the gallops are over, many friends, colleagues and business associates will discuss Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final as they eagerly await the evening kick-off.

A host of them, at Summerhill, will be glancing periodically at their notebooks in which the names of several “good movers’’ from earlier in the day will be jotted down. Roll on Ready To Run Sale, 4 November!