(Edited Bloodstock South Africa press release)

A Tiger Ridge colt named Hollywood Ridge brought R500,000 ($68,502) to top the second day of the Emperors Palace national sale of 2-year-olds in South Africa Aug. 15. Laird Racing Stable purchased the juvenile from Ascot Stud.

The auction’s gross of R15,655,000 ($1,949,822) through two days is down by 2% from last year, and the average price fell  3% to R77,500 ($9,653).  The clearance rate increased from 85% in 2008 to 88%.

“As earlier sales during the past year have indicated, it is definitely a good buyers’ market,” said Bloodstock South Africa’s CEO Jan Naude.  “This is the sale to buy 2-year-olds with strong pedigrees at a keen price.”