What a month April has been for the Avontuur Estate Stud Farm! With two incredibly successful Sales behind us and a notoriously difficult National Yearling Sale at the end of April, we are still smiling.
Feedback on the National Yearling Sale includes: “A lack of a strong presence in the upper end of the market saw both aggregate and average fall at the 2016 National Yearling Sale.The three day sale, South Africa’s oldest and most prestigious thoroughbred auction, closed with the aggregate dropping by a massive 16 percent. The aggregate fell by over R20 000 000, dropping from R127 827 500 to R107 010 000 in 2016. Averages also dropped markedly, from R358 060 in 2015 to R325 258 this year, while the median fell from R220 000 to R200 000 –a drop of just over nine percent”
In spite of the negative feeling, Var was in third place on Average for sires at just over R400 000 with Oratorio at just under R300 000 for 11 sales.
Once again a big thank you to our loyal supporters, owners, trainers and buyers without whom we would not be able to run a business.
Over the same weekend, Avontuur-bred Legal Eagle ran out a winner again which must put him firmly on the path to “Horse of the Year”, and we cheered on Avontuur-sponsored MJ Byleveld riding 3 Avontuur-bred winners to first place at Kenilworth on Saturday, 30 April.
What a month it’s been!