London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Hong Kong Jockey Club lends a helping hand

Hong Kong Jockey Club lends a helping hand

Club buys three yearlings for R4.8m at National Yearling Sale in Germiston

One factor emerged from last week’s National Yearling Sale in Germiston, the Hong Kong Jockey Club is an organisation whose policy is action not words.

At the 38th Asian Racing Conference held in Cape Town in February 2020, Andrew Harding, Asian Federation secretary- general, stood in for the club’s then chair Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (now Philip Chen), who could not make the trip because of the pandemic.

In his speech, Harding said: “It is clear that as an industry we must stand together like never before. The SA industry has laboured hard to overcome the barriers created by African horse sickness and the Asian federation has committed to assisting it.”

In a nutshell, Hong Kong is there to help and they took action last week buying three yearlings for R4.8m.

What a contrast to what we have seen here since we thought racing would enter a new and exciting era when MOD (Mary Oppenheimer daughters) won the vote for control last August. They have simply been treading water and some Phumelela employees have been out of work for more than a year.

Of course, the Hong Kong purchases make good business sense. They will have to travel the long route to Hong Kong via England before being put on sale in the former British colony in June 2022.

With the exchange rate of about R2/HK, it is as big a certainty as night following day that the price the two-year-olds will make in their second appearance in a sales ring will be far greater than their cost at Germiston.

With Vermaak Equine acting as their agent, the Hong Kong Jockey Club bought the second top lot at the sale paying R2.4m for the Silvano colt Power Factor. The half-brother to grade 2 winner Princess Calla was consigned by Maine Chance Farms.

A bid of R1.5m from the Vermaak team secured a Gimmethegreenlight colt who is a full-brother to Mike de Kock's dual grade 2 winner Barahin. An early foal — in contrast to Power Factor — the yearling was offered by Mauritzfontein Stud.

The colt has been named Hopjes and it was necessary for a Google search to determine it is a Dutch sweet with a coffee and caramel flavour that originated in the 18th century. A name change in Hong Kong seems likely.

Not surprisingly, Form Bloodstock emerged as leading buyer and also secured the top lot — a Gimmethegreenlight colt from Klawervlei for R2.8m. By the end of the sale they had bought 24 yearlings for R13.8 m.

The grey colt — the fourth produce of 2012 Equus Champion two-year-old filly All Is Secret — was bought on behalf of Lady Laidlaw and will join the stable of Dean Kannemeyer.

“We are delighted to have the support of the Hong Kong Jockey Club and their purchases are proof that the SA product is sought after in the world market,” said Bloodstock SA CEO Michael Holmes.

The sale’s final statistics


Aggregate: R102.4m (R87m in 2020 when it was a virtual sale).

Average: R276,946 (lowest since 2012).

Lots sold: 370 from 462 catalogued.

Lots not sold or withdrawn: 92 (20% of the catalogue).

Top vendors:

Varsfontein Stud — 39 yearlings sold for R11.2m.

Klawervlei Stud — 16 yearlings sold for R8.3m.

Wilgerbosdrift Stud — 19 yearlings sold for R7.3m.

Top Sires:

Gimmethegreenlight — 48 lots sold for R20.9m.

Silvano — 22 lots sold for R11.1m.

Dynasty — 12 lots sold for R7.5m.

Rafeef — 19 lots sold for R6.3m.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×