The colt, named Nebula, was sold by Mary Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift and Millard intends putting him into training in South Africa before taking him to Hong Kong. He did the same with this season’s Grand Parade Cape Guineas winner Elusive Gold.

The price was R250 000 below the NYS record set by Divine Jet in 2010 and the R347 776 average, although nearly 18% up on last year, was well short of the 2008 record of R391 148.

An upbeat TBA chief executive Tom Callaghan said yesterday: “The increase in average was phenomenal and the 20% median rise was very positive. Overall this was a result we hadn’t had since 2008 so we are pretty chuffed.

“Some of the top buyers’ bench was a little soft because a couple of people didn’t pitch, and it was tough at the bottom with some first season and unfashionable sires just not wanted but the middle market was really strong and seems to be increasing.”[/expand]