Guyanese owners repeated the feat of purchasing the sales topper for yet another year, when Nazrudeen Mohammed bought a yearling by Gold Market/Gin Sling just after 2 pm yesterday. On a very sunny day, there was no dead heat for the top money spinner for the Stud Farm Association's (SFA) Yearlings Sales, 2012. Last year, two horses fetched the same top billing price.
This was not repeated this year. The top sales price this year was $160,000. Last year the Guyana outfit called The Jumbo Jet Auto Sales, was conspicuous by its enthusiasm and spent some S400,000 at the sales. However, Guyanese owners dominated the sales as they bought the sales-topper Lot 66. This year, Guyanese owners bought 18 horses at a cost of $1.8 million.
Just after 2.15 pm, Jamaican auctioneer Brian Rickman brought the hammer down on Lot 66-a bay son of Gold Market/Gin Sling which was the property of Neil Poon Tip and John O'Brien. The colt was consigned by Poon Tip Stud Farm. Of the 94 lots which were in the SFA catalogue, 29 did not face the starter or walk into the ring in front of the trainers' pavilion at Santa Rosa Park. Their Lot numbers and breeding numbers flashed on the electronic board which also kept patrons aware of the bidding, as the day progressed.
When Lot One walked into the ring, the first owner/trainer to bid was Harold Chadee and the hammer fell at $25,000. This suggested that the last year figure of 2.3 million might be beaten, despite the scratches. At around 3.45 pm when Lot 93 walked into the ring, it seemed that Poon Tip Stud Farm would lead in another SFA sales topper. The Jumbo Jet Auto Sales is the largest Agricultural Machinery Company in Guyana, and the syndicate, headed by Rommel Jagroop, purchased nine horses for $1.4 million.
Derek Mosca went into the lead when he purchased Lot 15 for $150,000 for a bay colt by Big Country/Sea Urchin. Another of the yearlings, which was sought after, was February foal Lot 45. This was a bay colt by Maraheel/Bandora which was bought by leading owner Shivam Maharaj.
Champion trainer John O'Brien came with a strong run when he purchased a bay colt consigned by Poon Tip Stud Farm for Neil Poon Tip and Roger D'Abadie-the son of Charismatic Cat/Dreams of Glory. The hammer fell at $140,000. Balkaran Bassawh got into the act when he purchased a chestnut filly by Gold Market/Blushing Bride, Lot 47; the purchase cost Sir Bas owner $135,000. Among the horsemen who were part of the occasion were: Kama Maharaj, Joe Hadeed, Gerard Ferreira, Maniram Maharaj, John O'Brien, Harold Chadee and Douglas Bennett.
