Buyers from around the country are gearing up for the Sibaya Yearling Sale on Thursday and Friday, July 2 and 3, when 300 yearlings will come under the auctioneer’s hammer at the Sibaya Casino complex at Umhlanga Rocks.

The sale received a well-timed fillip when Goat captured this past weekend’s Gr.2 Gold Circle Oaks for trainer Paul Lafferty, who had secured Keivan Stud’s daughter of Labeeb for just R80,000 in 2007. Add to that the achievements of 2008 graduates, Gr.2 Fillies Nursery Spring Clover (R45,000) and Gr.1 Allan Robertson Fillies Champion runner-up Fairy Queen (R70,000), and it is clear that this sale has more than earned its reputation as a value-for-money sale, where shrewd buyers can secure quality athletes for reasonable money.

Last year’s sale reflected double-digit drops in both gross and average when turnover dropped by 16% and the average of R67,118 was down 10% on the previous year’s figure. With the country now firmly in the grip of a recession, all signs point to more tough times ahead and few consignors are expecting last year’s levels to hold steady. Nevertheless, this year’s catalogue features its usual quota of well-connected youngsters and many of the sellers believe there is plenty of quality to tempt prospective buyers.

Rodney Clarkin offers Yankee Master (Lot 74), the only Jet Master youngster on the sale. The colt is out of stakes placed Northern Guest mare Yankee Sister, who has already produced a four-time winner. “He’s  very late a foal but neat and compact. He has a lot of his sire about him and boy, does he have an attitude!” enthused Rodney.

A yearling sure to be on every serious buyer’s shortlist will be Avalon Stud’s Joshua Dancer colt Break Dancer (Lot 233), for the simple reason that he is out of the Western Winter mare Maximum Break, a four-time winning half-sister to the outstanding Jet Master siblings Pocket Power and River Jetez.

Fillies by Klawervlei’s champion National Emblem have topped this sale for the past two years and his daughter Peak Perfection (Lot 225) should likewise appeal to prospective buyers. Offered by Duncan Barry’s Riverton Stud, the “nicely topped” bay is the second foal of speedy stakes winner Lustre Burg, whose first foal by Captain Al has already won twice.

Casey Tibbs finds himself in the spotlight through the exploits of this season’s triple classic hero Big City Life, a leading contender for the upcoming Vodacom Durban July. His seven youngsters include Hyjo’s Stud Royal Serenade, out of the Royal Academy mare Royal Sera, an own sister to hard-knocking stakes-placed eight-time winner Marine Academy.

Gr.1 sire Silvano continues to build on his success as a stallion and his youngsters on offer include The Alchemy’s unnamed half-brother to Mike de Kock’s Gr.2 KRA Guineas runner-up Port Of Dubai (Lot 207).

Stand-outs amongst the freshman sires are champion sprinter Var, who has made a sensational start to his stud career with Gr.1 Gold Medallion winner Villandry, while accomplished locally-bred heroes Victory Moon and Dynasty both boast a stakes winner in their first crops. All three are represented here.

Those entering the yearling market for the first time are A P Indy’s proven half-brother Tiger Ridge, who hit the headlines as the sire of recent Royal Ascot winner Strike The Tiger; accomplished Danehill sons Way West and Solskjaer, Al Mufti’s champion sprint son Cataloochee; Dubai Duty Free winner Right Approach and 1998 English 2000 Guineas winner King Of Kings whose 20 offerings include siblings to stakes winners Miller Time (Lot 92) and Royal Day (Lot 296).

Bush Hill Stud’s Mon Sang, a winning son of A P Indy from the celebrated family of American champions Chris Evert, Chief’s Crown and Winning Colors, is sire of Mon Signore (Lot 270), whose dam is an unraced half-sister to recent Gr.1 Woolavington 2000 queen Zirconeum and Gr.1 winning sprinter Stellite.

Adding further interest to the catalogue are five Australian-bred yearlings from Anton and Judy Procter’s Burwell Stud. Said Anton: “They were destined for the National Sale, but after arriving in South Africa, the farm they were at had a case of strangles, which meant they could not be moved.” The four choicely-bred fillies are by Rock Of Gibraltar (Lot 153), Fusaichi Pegasus (Lot 211), Red Ransom (Lot 231) and Catbird (Lot 187) while the single colt (Lot 128) is by Australian Gr.1 sire Iglesia.

Other well-related yearlings worthy of mention include siblings to dual Gr.3 scorer Redcarpet Style (Lot 145 by Tamburlaine), Gr.3 winners Evening Attire (Lot 265 by Kahal), The Boogieman (Lot 84 by Parade Leader)  and Laser Fan (Lot 3 by Tara’s Halls); to stakes winners Ultra Vires (Lot 107 by Modus Vivendi), Island Retreat (Lot 234 by Parade Leader), and to smart sprinter Execute (Lot 185 by Woodborough).

The catalogue for the Sale can be viewed online at www.tba.co.za.