Situated in the heart of the KZN Midlands, Bush Hill Stud offers easy and convenient access to all stallions standing in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
The stud borders on the Little Mooi River which provides water for the irrigation of the winter pastures, allowing for quality grazing all year round. The natural beauty of the property is only enhanced by the wonderful band of stallions now standing at Bush Hill Stud.
“Dubawi son Willow Magic has the most amazing temperament and has settled happily into his new surroundings in no time at all,” Bush Hill supremo Warwick Render tells the Sporting Post.
Willow Magic has settled happily into his new surroundings at Bush Hill (Pic- Candiese Lenferna)
“We have always been big supporters of his and have had a long relationship with some of his original owners, having had the pleasure of standing mares for them for many years. He is definitely well represented on the farm through his yearlings and two-year-olds, even though it is only his first season with us.”
With his move to Bush Hill Stud, the original owners were accommodating enough to allow Warwick and his wife Karin to syndicate Willow Magic and sell shares.
This allowed those who have supported him in the past, as well as those who wish to do so now, to be a part of his success going forward.
“We are most grateful to the original owners for this,” Warwick says with a smile.
“MK’s Pride has been an obvious standout performer of Willow Magic’s at this stage, and I believe people have underestimated just how good he is. Looking at his form, there are not many horses who have beaten both War Of Athena and Got The Greenlight in winning Graded Stakes races.
“But I believe Willow Magic has many well above average performers and that is why, when looking at his stats, his winners to runners ratios, along with his average earnings per runner, have him on par with sires that have been legends in South Africa,” he says proudly.
Willow Magic has some really decent types on the track. The Gr1 and Gr2 placed Magical Flight looks progressive, while the way Willow’s Wish registered his second consecutive victory at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday, suggest the Sean Tarry yard hold high hopes for him next season.
“I believe the two-year old Fisher King is another for whom they have very high hopes,” adds Warwick
“We are looking forward to Ikimasu foaling this season. She is the dam of MK’s Pride!”
There is a very smart filly by Willow Magic available at the 2021 BSA August Sale out of Purple Rose, Lot 127.
Click here to view her pedigree.
“Willow Magic’s stud fee for 2021 has been set at R12 000 live foal, but we do offer discounts for multiple bookings and travel subsidies for mares travelling from out of the province,” Warwick says.
Another standout stallion with a spate of winner of late has been Flying The Flag who, according to Warwick, is doing very well and is a much loved character at the stud.
: Flying The Flag- A much loved character at Bush Hill Stud (Pic- Candiese Lenferna)
“He enjoyed a very good book of mares and therefore has a great spread of youngsters coming through still, not only here on Bush Hill but well spread through the other local studs.
“With Flying The Flag’s progeny having hit the ground running, we are still looking for a real standout. But I have heard some positive murmurs from a few connections so as they say ‘watch this space’,” he says with a chuckle.
“He is fairly well represented at the upcoming August and November sales – we have an absolutely cracking filly from the great Irridescence, Perfect Promise family at the August Sale.”
Click here to view the pedigree of Lot 239.
“He is a very well syndicated stallion so a large amount of his support has come from his shareholders. In these trying times we will do what we can to accommodate anyone,” Warwick tells us.
Standing alongside Willow Magic and Flying The Flag at Bush Hill are New Predator and Last Winter.
New Predator enjoyed two really good books of mares in the previous years, but now goes into the notoriously challenging third season.
New Predator goes into the notoriously challenging third breeding season (Pic- Candiese Lenferna)
“We are confident that with the quality of his first crop of foals backing up his credentials, we will see him get the support he deserves from the breeders. In fact, the talk around his youngsters has seen one of the leading Cape studs make multiple bookings to him for the season.
“We are naturally excited to see his first crop go through the sales ring next year,” he says.
“New Predator was a top-class sprinter miler on the track, he was desperately close to winning a Gr1 Sprint. He proved himself to have unquestionable Gr1 form, defeating no fewer than seven individual Gr1 winners in his multiple stakes victories. Being the first and only son of the great New Approach out of a mare by the phenomenal Fastnet Rock, he represents one of the most proven nicks of the modern area-that of Galileo onto Danehill.”
The final stallion of the quartet is Last Winter, who stood his first season in 2020.
“We are so very excited about his first foals due any day now. He was rushed back to South Africa just in time for the season. In fact he arrived on the farm on 2 September and covered his first mare the next day.
Last Winter’s first foals are due to arrive any day now (Pic- Candiese Lenferna)
“It’s a tribute to his character that he slotted straight into his new role with ease. He covered a decent book of mares, especially considering the lack of time leading into the season,” Warwick says with pride.
“He represents so much that is great in South African breeding, we really believe he has what it takes to make a serious impact. By the champion sire and sire of sires, Western Winter, he is out of Gr1 winning daughter of champion Silvano. His great looks saw him sell for R3,7million as a yearling.
“He followed all of this up by showing unbelievable ability on the track, winning his first four starts in impressive style before running second in the Premier Trophy. Then that run in the Met! One would have to a long way to ever find a more impressive turn of foot. It was good enough for him to be ranked by Longines as their joint 5th highest rated horse in the world to run in the first quarter of 2018,” he says.
“We are grateful to Lady Laidlaw and Lee Scribante for facilitating his standing here and we have very high hopes for him.”
Visit www.bushhill.co.za or contact Warwick and Karin Render today to send your mare to one of their top-class stallions:
- Warwick- 082 872 7799
- Karin- 082 896 4809
