For buyers, we think that Ready to Run sales are a no-brainer. Excluding the factor of the vendor having carried the cost of the additional months of keep, as well as two months of pre-training, buyers can see how the horses move at pace. Yes, many athletic individuals are good walkers, but there’s always an element of extrapolation; of imagining the gallop based upon the walk.

As vendors, we’ve been big supporters of this sales format. Our early success included Quick Wit and Knife Edge. Quick Wit won 10 races, including the Germiston November Handicap. Knife Edge had just 16 starts, for 8 wins and 8 places. His biggest win was the Grade II Concord Stakes.

Our 2015 draft included Sergeant Hardy and Nordic Breeze, who remarkably won their respective Nurseries on the same afternoon. Sergeant Hardy won his season opener this week, and will now be aimed at the R2.5 million Lanzerac Ready to Run Stakes. Our 2015 draft also included another RTR contender in Bishops Bounty (as agent).

We’re very excited about our 2016 line-up, which includes a smashing Dynasty filly out of a full-sister to Nordic Breeze. There’s also a handsome colt by super-hot Querari, not to mention the Dynasty half-brother to Jay Peg. Buyers wanting a quick return need look no further than the pair of Pathfork fillies. The balance of the draft includes two-year-olds by Oratorio, Twice Over, Windrush and Black Minnaloushe and Antonius Pius.

Gallops start at 9.30am on Friday, 14 October. The sale starts at 6.00pm on the 15th. It’s going to be a long session, so Red Bull may be necessary!