By Tony McMahon
The three days of Rockhampton’s Capricornia Yearling Sales Racing Carnival has been widely lauded as an outstanding success with records tumbling.
This was emphasised at last Sunday’s Sale at the Rockhampton Showgrounds selling pavilion, when 72 yearlings were sold, grossing a record $1,452,000.
The previous record gross was set in 2019, when some 11 more yearlings (83) sold - including quite a few post-sale -for a total of $1,025,000.
Sunday’s figures resulted in an average of $20,167 per lot, the highest by far since the sale was instigated under the Elders Pastoral banner in 1988 when 60 yearlings sold grossing less than $200,000.
Considering that the average at the 2019 CYS was what was then considered a healthy $12,352, the 2021 figures are nothing short of remarkable, a sentiment endorsed by all the big vendors.
The sales topper was Lot 87, a striking individual by Raheen Stud’s new first season sire Heroic Valour which fetched $67,500.
It was bought by Tony Fenlon, the CEO of the Rockhampton Jockey Club, who convened the CYS with Magic Millions as selling agent.
“I firmly believe that you should support what you promote,” Fenlon said.
“I bought the colt to race with my father Ray and a few good friends, they were all very happy to get him.”
Basil Nolan’s Raheen Stud topped the vendor’s figures, selling 14 yearlings to fetch $343,500, with Kenmore Lodge next best with seven sold bringing in $203,000.
On the track, Toowoomba’s Oaklands Stud continued its phenomenal record in the $125,000 CYS 2YO Classic, and were third-placed vendor selling eight yearlings for $156,000.
The sale returned a very healthy clearance rate of 84.71% which delighted the Rockhampton Jockey Club, the selling agents and vendors.
Young Callaghan Park trainer Clinton Taylor was the top buyer, taking home three youngsters - all from Kenmore Lodge - with a Divine Prophet filly (Lot 88) the dearest at $55,000.
Central Queensland buyers were prolific at the sale, and considering almost 40 yearlings came home from the earlier 2021 Magic Millions Sales to Rocky, the strength of 2YO racing in the city next season will be formidable.
Valley Rattler - a Denman gelding sold by Oaklands Stud at the online CYS last year for $21,000 - won Saturday’s $125,000 CYS 2YO Classic (1200m) giving the grand nursery its fifth winner of the race in the last 10 years.
Ridden by Ryan Wiggings for Sunshine Coast trainer Tom Button, the gelding - the only Brisbane winner in the field - asserted his class to score a decisive win from Augustawynd.
Both the second, third (Montana Night) and fourth placegetter (Bean Deadly) were sired by Spill The Beans.
The result of Saturday’s $93,000 CYS 3 & 4YO Championships was emotive when brother and sister Thomas (trainer) and Elyce Smith (jockey) teamed to win with Natural Emperor.
Natural Emperor, getting 5.5kg off the Tom Button-trained Flying Crackerjack, prevailed in a thrilling finish as the duo staged a stirring two-horse war in the straight.
Elyce (23) broke into tears as she dismounted Natural Emperor, and was hugged by her younger sibling Tom (20).
Elyce was riding for the last time under her maiden name Smith as she marries Jessie Beak in Rockhampton this coming weekend.
Thomas Smith is arguably Queensland’s youngest trainer, and he did a remarkable job to produce Natural Emperor to win first-up at 1300 metres after a six-month break from racing.
At Sunday’s Sale, Thomas also received the news that he will be training the top selling $67,500 Heroic Valour colt, with the 2022 Classic its natural target.
Overall, the three days CYS Carnival exceeded all expectations and brought an influx of racing stakeholders and visitors to Rockhampton, which was the beneficiary of a resultant economic spike.