What about the sale topper? Dancer’s Daughter, the champion racemare with just about R4 million in earnings, has a smashing grey colt by Captain Al in Book One. He’ll take some catching, certainly in the ring!
Your road to the Millions is paved with dollars. It starts here, with the Book One sale, in the Cape Town convention centre on 23 January. Then leads to that already much anticipated Million dollar race two years later, when a bunch of highclass 3yo’s will play havoc with their sires’ seasonal statistics.
A long and rocky ride ahead, no doubt. So travel well, and remember: when the bidding leads you to a fork in the road, take it!
What about the sale topper? Dancer’s Daughter, the champion racemare with just about R4 million in earnings, has a smashing grey colt by Captain Al in Book One. He’ll take some catching, certainly in the ring!
Trip Advisor
A serious meander through Book One, meant to set hearts and minds racing CHAMPION RACEMARE Dancer’s Daughter has two foals previously bought in the sale-ring. The oldest, Dashing Scarlet, looks to be a 3yo filly with a future, following her easy debut-win for Mike de Kock. Her R1 million price-tag was exactly half of what her second foal, a colt by Dynasty, fetched at the 2013 Book One sale. What price her third foal (#62)? A son of Captain Al, he’s a big, strong colt who walks well and covers ground. And he’s grey, just like his dam and siblings.
On The Subject
Gr1 Paddock Stakes winner Emerald Cove, by Captain Al out of stakes winning Caesour mare Resolution Bay, has a full brother (#173)
of Captain Al, his sire Al Mufti is a half brother to Weekend Surprise, the dam of champion sire AP Indy. Now the Captain has a filly (#109) whose grandam is a daughter of AP Indy. The youngster is the third foal of her 2-time winning dam Hope Johanna. Staying with the cross, another Captain Al filly (#200) is out of 4-time winning Super Singer, who is a daughter of AP Indy. This one’s a very good looking individual – strong, correct and scopy.
RIVETING
to see how well Captain Al has done when crossed with the broodmare sires of his Book One yearlings:
Caesour: 7r/6w/1sw (see #173)
Danehill: 2r/1w (see #63)
Elliodor: 39r/32w/1sw (see #86, #140)
Encosta de Lago: 1r/1w (see #58)
Fort Wood: 15r/13w/2sw (see #59, #197)
Giant’s Causeway: 3r/2w (see #91)
Goldmark: 4r/4w (see #9)
Muhtafal: 2r/2w (see #113, #148)
National Assembly: 31r/22w/4sw (see #182, #196)
Redoute’s Choice: 1r/1w (see #4)
Ringaro: 1r/1w (see #54)
Western Winter: 11r/6w/1sw (see #149)
Stats Are For The Birds
often misleading or misinterpreted – but sometimes you need to sit up and take note. The website of UK studfarm Lanwades promotes its resident stallion Archipenko, a Gr1 winning miler. He rated 122 when trained by Mike de Kock, showing topform in all of Dubai, UK and USA. Archipenko’s first crop were 2yo’s in 2013, and Lanwaades has the stats: “The Leading Active British First Season Sire in 2013 by % winners to runners in Europe”. Quite a mouthful, but highly notable nevertheless.
Ascot Stud’s Ashley Parker, member of the syndicate that raced Archipenko, retains an interest in the stallion. He presents a Book One yearling colt (#65), out of French winner Desarmante. There’s interesting inbreeding here, as the mare’s dam Massarossa is by Mr Prospector out of a full sister to champion mare Miesque. Take that to Archipenko, whose sire Kingmambo is by Mr Prospector out of Miesque. You’ll see that Kingmambo and Massarossa, who are full siblings ‘in blood’, appear 2×2 in the youngster, who is his dam’s second foal.
Staying with champion sire Kingmambo, he has another son in the Book: Ashaawes, who has a yearling colt (#172) from the female line of successful sires Street Cry and Shamardal. The youngster is the first foal of Red Swan, half sister to two dams of stakes horses, in France and Italy.
A Million US Dollars
Gr1 producing Coolmore sires Danehill Dancer and Sadler’s Wells work together
is at stake for graduates of the Book One & Book 2 sale. The race to decide who gets the bounty will be run when the yearlings are 3yo’s, in January 2016, over 1400m at Kenilworth. That distance is a clue: not all runners will be distance suited, irrespective of how good they may be by then. Clearly, buyers will need to do their homework on paper as much as by physical inspection if the Million is their aim.
As the race seems likely to be run at level weights with sex-allowance, the assumption should be that on balance of probability colts will outperform fillies. Meaning that both gender and distance aptitude should be reflected in the prices.
(table showing stamina distribution of sires at the sale; to be compiled from the stamina report as it appears in the sirebook – National Emblem and Western Winter, both dead, need to be filled in)
YOU’D THINK
it would have worked before, internationally – Danehill Dancer with Sadler’s Wells mares, both sires having been in residence at Coolmore. We found four Graded winners bred on the cross. Irish Gr1 placed Gr2 winning 2yo colt Probably, rated 105, staying at least a mile as a 2yo. Irish multiple Gr3 winning filly Chrysanthemum, rated 107, a solid miler. Irish Gr3 winning filly Danehill Music, rated 106, a miler. And the fourth an Iris-bred gelding, Endowing, who won Gr2 & Gr3 in Hong Kong over 1800 and 2000m.
In South Africa the cross has 5 runners, 4 winners. Some pretty good ones, too: Australian-bred stakes placed filly Queen Mira (rated MR 98) and full brother Umgiyo (MR 105), and Irish-bred filly Berry Blaze (MR 104).
At the Book One sale is a Drakenstein filly (#179), first foal of her unraced dam who is a daughter of Irish Champion 2yo filly Necklace. Rated 115 and a miler, Necklace was twice G1 placed in the USA as a 3yo – anecdotally in races won by SA-bred Crimson Palace and by Lucifer’s Stone, the best US-bred daughter of SA champion Horse Chestnut – the stallion now back in South Africa, and standing at Drakenstein. Life’s full of coincidences.
IN THE CONTEXT
of Coolmore there also are Gr1 stallions Galileo, Royal Academy and Giant’s Causeway. All three have daughters with Book One yearlings by Gr1 producing Klawervlei stallion Count duBois. Remarkably, with all three the Count duBois x broodmare sire cross is still unbeaten on our tracks.
Galileo (2 runners, 2 winners, incl 2yo SW Counts Rocket) is found in Milla’s Rocket, twice winning miler in UK. Her yearling filly (#139) is full sister to Counts Rocket and another winning filly. Giant’s Causeway (2 runners, 2 winners) is sire of Irish-bred Nella Fantasia. Her yearling filly (#151) is half sister to 2yo Gr3 placed SW Lastbutnotleast. Royal Academy (1 runner, 1 winner) is sire of Gr1 placed Bridget’s Academy, whose yearling filly (#49) is half sister to Black Toga – a stakes winner who was Gr1 placed at 2 and at 3 (rated MR 101).
BERNARD KANTOR’s
Gr1 winning stallion Count duBois first hit the headlines in 2006, with Champion 2yo filly Asylum Seeker, 2yo Gr1 winner Zeeno, 2yo Gr1 runner-up Biarritz, and 3yo Gr1 winning filly Zaitoon. In December that same year, at the Tattersalls mare sale, an 8yo named Late Summer came under the hammer. She was by Gone West (sire of Count duBois’ sire Zafonic) out of a half sister to the dam of Count duBois. Late Summer was in foal to Dubai Destination, and was knocked down for 47.000 guineas.
The resulting Dubai Destination filly was offered for sale as a weanling, and again as a yearling, changing hands for a mere 3000 guineas. That foal was Evading Tempete, who became a multiple Gr3 placed Gr3 winner, visited sale-rings three more times, finally changing hands for 360.000 euros to Shadai Farms.
Meanwhile, Late Summer travelled to Australia, in foal to Dansili. She produced a Dansili filly there in 2008, bred under the Klawervlei NSW banner. Her next (2009) foal was by Dylan Thomas, exported to South Africa, where he earned black type, racing as For The Count. Before she knew, Late Summer was on a plane again, to Klawervlei in South Africa. Her first foal here is a filly (#127) by Gr1 sire Fort Wood.
It’s been a long road.
KLAWERVLEI MASTER
John Koster has been a regular shopper at American and European breeding stock sales in recent years. A good few of the mares he bought were mated to S-hemisphere time before being brought home – and to super sires at that: Book One has three Klawervlei yearlings by US champion sire Distorted Humor.
AP Indy mare Ms. Blue Blood is a half sister to Kentucky Derby winner and sire Monarchos, from the sire producing female line of Dynaformer. She’s dam of US-stakes placed 6-time winning sprinter Crazy About Me and has a yearling colt (#144). The same sire x broodmare sire cross can be found in US G1 winner and sire Any Given Saturday.
Also by AP Indy is Seattle Weekend, whose grandam Lassie Dear also is the grandam of AP Indy (and locally dam of Al Mufti). The mare (inbred 3×2 to Lassie Dear) has 2 winners in the US; her Book One yearling (#184) is a filly.
The trio of Distorted Humors is completed by a filly (#73) out of Irish winning Sadler’s Wells mare Ebaraya, who is full sister to a Gr1 producing Gr1 winner, and half sister to three other Gr1 winners, including two Gold Cup winners at Royal Ascot. The mare has bred 5 winners from a select band of sires. The cross of Distorted Humor with Sadler’s Wells mares is not easy to achieve because of location, and we found only 11 such horses. Among them two Gr1 winners, French miler Aesop Fables and Pathfork, the latter now in SA, having completed two seasons as stallion at Highlands.
Another US G1 producing sire (and sire of sires) mated to Southern hemisphere time is Speightstown, who is by Gone West out of a Storm Cat mare. He has a colt (#178) out of imported mare Rubicat – also by Storm Cat, giving inbreeding 3×2. The unraced mare is from a solid black type female line, and has had three foals to race in the US, all winners.
HIGHLANDS’ DYNASTY
should need no introduction as sire of Gr1 winners. His Derby winning son (and future stallion) Jackson is favourite for the 2014 J&B Met. The stallion is no stranger to sale toppers (Jackson was one), and although he may find the going to be tough against international competition at this sale, his Book One yearlings will be in great demand.
Some samples. A very classy (if still immature) half brother (#89) to champion 2yo and international star Soft Falling Rain, with good rein and covering ground. A strong, very well-topped half sister (#69) to Gr1 winner Divine Jury. A full brother (#83) to Gr1 winner Ancestral Fore. A half brother (#194) to Gr1 placed Sports Coach (dam Sport’s Chestnut won Cape Fillies Guineas). And then there’s the filly (#195) out of Gr2 placed stakes winner Starzene, a US-bred mare by Cozzene out of a mare by a son of Mr Prospector – making for a sire x broodmare sire background the same as Jackson. Aren’t pedigrees fun!
THERE ARE MANY HEIGHTS
Multiple Gr1 winner Jackson flies the flag for his sire Dynasty. Jackson has a big, strong half brother by Trippi in Book One.
still to scale for Jackson. He’d almost gone to stud as a stallion a few months ago, but his impressive Gr1 Champions Cup win in July (following an ulcer-plagued season) suggested there could be much to come on the track. So he stayed on. We won’t know till after the sale about his J&B Met effort, but right now he’s the big race’ favourite. The Book One sale features his half brother (#143) by Trippi. A big, strong colt and good mover, the youngster looks a classy type. His US-bred dam Moonlit Prairie (by Cozzene) boasts four foals to race, all victorious, two of them stakes winners.
LEAVE IT TO BARRY
Barry Irwin – master class
Team Valor’s Barry Irwin makes things happen all around the world. There’s not enough printing ink in our presses to describe it all, but here’s a morsel.
Barry knows his oats. When he came to South Africa in the early years it was soon evident that he was expert on how to pick a yearling. The pinnacle came when he bought two progeny (the first and the third foal) of a one-time winning mare from an average family. A few years later the mare was voted Champion Broodmare, thanks to two Gr1 winning daughters – Captain’s Lover and Ebony Flyer. Barry took Captain’s Lover abroad, to contest big races. Her Gr3 win in France, stakes win in the US, and fourth places in Gr1 races in both these countries vindicated his belief in the filly. Timeform rated her 110.
Captain’s Lover entered stud in the US, visiting Pulpit in her first season. She then went to Giant’s Causeway, to produce a filly (#53) in September 2012. Three months later Giant’s Causeway became Champion Sire for the third time in four years. Attaboy, Barry!
WHAT A DIFFERENCE
Antonius Pius – the leading sire of 2yo’s with that first crop
mare populations can make. Experts are still scratching their heads over multiple European champion sire Galileo’s relative failure down under. South Africa has its equivalent in Antonius Pius (Timeform 123) who had four (shuttle) seasons in Ireland and Australia before taking up duties at Highlands. When his first South African crop were 2yo’s, the writing overseas was on the wall. So much greater the surprise when Antonius made good as the leading sire of 2yo’s with that first crop in his new home country. Interestingly, three of his four 2yo stakes performers (and two of his five other winners) were out of US-bred mares. If that is a clue, then look no further than the Highlands-bred colt (#3) out of 4-time winning The Graceful Saint, an American mare whose dam is half sister to multiple Gr1 winner and champion sire (in Japan) Sunday Silence.
Not wanting to leave things to chance, also note the colt (#98) out of speedy Gr1 performer Hancock Park. That makes the yearling a half brother to nine winners, three with black type, including Gr2 filly Park Lane. A third Antonius Pius colt (#93) is out of multiple stakes winner Glad Singer, whose dam is full sister to grey champion filly Breyani.
Antonius Pius stands at Highlands, who have American mares for Africa. The future looks rosy.
EVERYTHING WE TOUCH
turns to gold. That might well be the motto at Avontuur Farm, where super stallion Var begets his amazing Gr1 progeny, and where international Gr1 sire Oratorio has just completed his first South African season. There’s a remarkable mare at Avontuur, a 2-time winning daughter of Badger Land. Her name is Mysterious Land.
The mare’s Book One yearling is a filly (#147) by Horse Chestnut, her fourth foal. The yearling’s three older siblings are all multiple winners with black type, a remarkable achievement for a mare. They aren’t flukes either, with merit ratings 96, 103 and 106, the latter rating representing Gr1 SA Derby runner-up Gothic. All three are by different sires. Their breeder is Darley-based Judy Brannigan, who boards her mare at Avontuur, and who knows a thing or two about pedigrees.
NO PAIN, NO GAIN
A newly acquired mare for Avontuur is Australian-bred Viva La Belle, half sister to SA champion staying filly Lady Of The Turf. Viva La Belle is the dam of topclass King Of Pain (rated 110 and a big-race contender for 2014), a grey son of multiple Gr1 winning Champion 3yo Greys Inn. Book One offers a grey full sister (#16) named Giveusakiss. She’s the only Greys Inn at the sale.
TRIP ADVISOR
would not be complete without Trippi. Still going strong with his stakes earning US-progeny, in SA things look rosy for him, too. There are eighteen Trippi yearlings on offer in Book One, including Jackson’s half brother (#143). Pick of the bunch might be the racy colt (#103) out of US-bred Helleborus Blue. Well topped, with good quarter and rein, he is a half brother to Gr1 winning 2yo The Hangman. This is a proper speed pedigree. Prominent in the bunch, too, is a really, really nice colt (#60) out of Gr3 winner of seven races Crimson Blossom, an Irish-bred mare from the Aga Khan’s family of Darshaan. A first foal, the youngster is big and strong (check his quarters!) and walks great.
Serious eyes should focus also on the colt (#188) of multiple Gr1 winner Shadow Dancing, half sister to Captain Al and dam already of multiple Gr1 winner Thunder Dance.
Gr1 winner, too, is SA Fillies Sprint heroine Captain’s Gal, whose filly (#52) is a first foal. Speed female line, so this should fly. Then there’s Gr1 Allan Robertson 2yo winner Geepee S, a daughter of Goldkeeper. She has a colt (#90). Goldkeeper is from the Storm Cat female line, and so is Royal Academy – his daughter Whispering Academy has a half brother (#20) to Gr1 Allan Robertson runner-up Up Front. The damsire connection begs the question: did Trippi ever have US-progeny from Storm Cat mares? Just one, a 6-time winner. There’s also a Trippi stakes winner by Storm Cat’s son Storm Creek, whose pedigree is an upside down version of the one of Goldkeeper.
There are two crosses of Trippi with broodmare sires that are still perfect (3 from 3) – Jet Master and National Emblem. These are represented by a colt (#153) out of Gr2 placed Nimley, and a colt (#138) out of Gr3 winner Milden Magic.
To round off, stakes placed mare Diva, who is half sister to Horse of the Year Winter Solstice and to the dam of Gr1 winner Bravura. The mare is dam of Gr3 winner Depardieu, all of her foals to race are winners, and she has a Trippi yearling colt (#67) in Book One.
GREASED LIGHTNING
That would be an apt description of the filly Sweet Sanette. She made her debut as a 3yo, running eight times for 5 wins (incl Gr3) and two Listed places. Exported to Hong Kong, she won 4 races (incl Gr3) for Tony Millard, who two years later took her to Royal Ascot for the 5f Gr1 King’s Stand Stakes. Showing blinding speed, and in front from halfway, she looked to have it all in the bag, only to be mugged in the dying strides. She earned a Timeform 117 for that effort. Sweet Sanette had one more start back home in Hong Kong 3½ months later (in October), then returned to the UK to be sold at Tattersalls in December. There she fetched 240.000 guineas – a cool R4m.
Sweet Sanette has three black type siblings, including Gr1 Allan Robertson runner-up and multiple Gr3 winner Franny (MR 114). Book One has another sibling (#182), a strong Captain Al filly, who looks a quick type. She’ll have plenty of paddock value if nothing else.
ROCKETS
That’s what they paid for the Singspiel yearling colt out of imported Irish mare Alignment, the hammer falling on R3.6 million at the 2010 National Sale. His name? Potala Palace, winner of the Gr1 Premier’s Trophy at 2, and placed 4th in the Gr1 Cape Derby at 3. His stakes placed dam, a half sister to the dam of Gr1 winners (and sires) Golan and Tartan Bearer, had earlier produced a Gr3 placed winner in Italy. The winning streak looks set to continue with a good boned, big, strong yearling colt (#31) by Silvano.
IF IT HADN’T BEEN
for earnings from those wretched restricted sale-related races, Judpot would have been champion First-Season sire in 2013. With two 2yo Gr1 winners (who both were also Gr1 runners-up at 2), the half brother to Kingmambo towered above all others. South Africa has seven Gr1 races for 2yo’s in total, of which two are restricted to fillies. Judpot won one for each sex, more than any other sire. Yet Antonius Pius, with his restricted sale-race loot, beat Judpot to the line – where earnings count. Still, based on his spectacular first season result, Judpot’s four yearlings will certainly be noted at the Book One sale.
RATED TIMEFORM 126
and with international earnings of some R40 million, Jay Peg must rank as one of the most successful South African breds of the new millennium. His first crop, racing last season, yielded two stakes winners from just sixteen 2yo runners. Jay Peg has an interesting pedigree, in that his sire Camden Park is by AP Indy, while his dam is by Al Mufti, who is half brother to AP Indy’s dam. The mare Lassie Dear is the common factor (4×3).
Fun to see then the result of the cross of Jay Peg with mares by Captain Al, which duplicates Al Mufi 3×2, and gives three lines of Lassie Dear. Jay Peg’s Gr3 Cape Nursery winner Flash Drive is bred that way – with more, as the second dam is by Complete Warrior, also the damsire of Captain Al (a 3×2 double). Book One features Captain Al mare Lady Major, who is full sister to a stakes winner and stakes placed winner, with the next dam a sister to Gr1 fillies Irridescence and Perfect Promise. Her yearling (#123) is a colt.
On a similar but different level is Jay Peg’s yearling filly (#116) out of Julie’ D. The 4-time winning mare is dam of Gr3 placed stakes winner Ocean’s Swift (by Captain Al) and is herself out of a half sister to Gr3 winner Captain Courageous (by Captain Al).
PUT THEM UP
and see what happens. Bernard Kantor’s approach with the horses he breeds seems clear, both here and abroad. Progeny of the mare Politesse make for a fine example. Purchased for 50.000 guineas from Darley in 2002, the unraced 2yo Politesse was the first foal of her dam Embassy, the champion 2yo filly of her generation in Europe. She visited Kingmambo stallion King’s Best early the next year, producing a colt in February 2004. The youngster was entered for sale twice, only to be withdrawn twice, first as an unnamed weanling, then again in July of his 2yo season when named King’s Apostle. He made his racecourse debut a month later in August, running three times for two seconds that year. His career took off at three, in 2007, going on for another two seasons, to end up as a Gr1 winner in 2009, rated 124.
Politesse, meanwhile, kept producing. Her colt by Cape Cross went through the ring as a weanling in in 2009, retained at 320.000 guineas. Subsequently named Cape Classic, he’s a winner of 4 races now, rated 106. Then there’s Kalk Bay, now a 5-time winner, twice entered for sale and retained. Not everything was kept, however. A full sister to King’s Apostle changed hands in 2010 for 300.000 guineas, a half sister by Oasis Dream went for 400.000 guineas in 2011. In October this year a Dubawi filly was bought back at 260.000 guineas.
King’s Apostle entered stud at Klawervlei in 2010. There are four Book One yearlings from his second crop. They include a filly out of a half sister to sire Dupont (#117), who also campaigned in Kantor’s colours, and a colt (#118) out of a full sister to champion sprint filly National Colour.
The story doesn’t end there. King’s Apostle’s half sister Pure Perfection went through the Tattersalls ring as an unraced 3yo in 2009, knocked down for 10.000 guineas. She changed hands again in 2011 for 74.000 euros at Goffs in Ireland, when in foal to Dylan Thomas. Her next cover was to Southern hemisphere time and Book One features that second foal, an Irish-bred filly (#169) by Coolmore’s Gr1 winning stallion Holy Roman Empire, who sired 2012 English 1000 Guineas winner.Homecoming Queen in his second crop. The show goes on!
A NOSE
was all that separated Mambo In Seattle from a stud career in the USA or one in South Africa. His narrow defeat in the G1 Travers Stakes made it possible for the son of Kingmambo to make it to Moutonshoek in the Cape. Rated 121 by Timeform, he’s out of a full sister to champion sire AP Indy, and in blood a virtual full brother to sire Lemon Drop Kid. At the Keeneland sale in November 2013, a full sister to mambo named Sky Beam changed hands for $900.000, with Gainesway’s Anthony Beck the underbidder and Klawervlei’s John Koster down the field.
Mambo’s first crop are 2yo this season. Book One features two yearlings from his second crop. Avontuur consigns a colt (#34) out of stakes winning mare Aluvial, the latter a daughter of Captain Al, whose sire Al Mufti is from Mambo’s female line. The other is a colt (#154) out of 7-time winner Nordic Spring, who is dam of a winner by Captain Al.
LATERAL THINKING
makes for a constant flow of international bloodlines to Andreas Jacob’s Maine Chance farm in the Cape. Jacobs has extensive breeding operations in the UK and Germany. The presence of champion sire Silvano at Maine Chance is the prime example of the international exchanges. Now there’s Gr1 winning German Champion miler Lateral, who comes with a 123 Timeform rating. His first crop are 2yo’s this season. Book One features a colt (#156) out of an Irish-bred Alzao mare, whose dam Russian Ribbon is a close relative of successful sire Dancing Champ, and is 3-part related to the dam of July-winner Teal. Interesting to see, too, that on pedigree grandam Russian Ribbon has much in common with Silvano’s grandsire Niniski.
Another new sire from Maine Chance is German-bred Italian Gr1 winner Querari (Timeform 121), a son of highclass sire Oasis Dream. Maine Chance offers one from his first crop: a colt (#107), second foal of a full sister to Gr1 placed Gr2 winner Hidden Beauty.
Then there’s the mare Bless You, a daughter of Dynaformer. She started her stud career in Germany, then was mated to Southern hemisphere time and moved to Maine Chance. The resulting yearling colt (#46) is by Gr1 producing Danehill stallion Tiger Hill, who died in a paddock incident in Germany in 2012. Bless You’s dam (by Storm Cat) is a full sister to the dam of English champion 2yo colt & sire Mujahid (by Danehill’s sire Danzig).
JET MASTER
is having a fantastic season and might well be on his way to yet another Sire Championship. Sadly he doesn’t have yearlings any more, but his full sister does! Her youngster is a colt (#25) by Mogok – the Storm Cat half brother to Machiavellian, from one of the world’s most famous female lines. Mogok is sire of Gr1 winners, locally and internationally, including The Apache (Timeform 114) and Gypsy’s Warning (Timeform 117). We note that Mogok’s dam Coup de Folie on pedigree has much in common with Jet Master’s sire Rakeen (both have doubles of Almahmoud for starters), making for a riveting mating. The yearling, offered by Gr1 producing farm The Alchemy, is his once-raced dam’s second foal.
VIGILANCE IS NEEDED
with yearlings by sires with first-crop 2yo’s but who have no runners yet. Pay attention to see who’s bidding – anyone connected to such an unraced 2yo might have the inside track. One such unproven sire is 7-time winner Oracy, a son of Zabeel, with wins in the Dingaans and Gauteng Guineas to his credit (MR 113). He has six in Book One, including a filly (#183) out of multiple Gr2 placed SW School Assembly. Keep your eyes peeled for bidders.
Still with Oracy, his sire Zabeel also is the sire of Seul Amour, who started his stud career down under before export to South Africa. Given virtually no chance here, he surprised with useful (MR 99) 2yo colt Heart Of A Lion in his first crop last season, from a total of 5 runners. Good to see there is a representative in Book One, from Maine Chance, a filly (#47) out of stakes placed 5-time winner Blue Paradise.
REBEL WITH A CAUSE
Gr1 winning sprinter Rebel King (MR 111) started his stallion career with a useful 26% 2yo winners last season, his first crop. He placed fourth on the freshmen sire list, by earnings. Rebel King is represented by five yearlings in Book One, including the second foal of Gr2 placed Gr3 winner Laser Fan, a colt (#126), and a colt (#186) out of Serious Side. The latter mare has two runners, both with black type, including Gr1 placed Gr1 winning 2yo Captain Of All.
Rebel King’s sire National Emblem, now deceased, has a single representative, a colt out of Australian Exceed And Excel mare Her Excellence, from the female line of Elliodor and Spook Express. National Emblem made headlines in 2013 with the international exploits of his son Shea Shea.
SOME NOTED RATING EXPERTS
are keen on the chances in the J&B Met of Whiteline Fever, at time of writing available at long odds ante-post. A Gr1 placed Gr2 winner, Whiteline Fever first made headlines when offered by Daytona at a minor Cape sale. At R700k he was by far the highest priced lot at the sale, drawing attention to his sire Right Approach, then with his second crop on sale. As it turned out, it was money well spent, Whiteline Fever’s earnings exceeding a million – and more to come.
Book One has a single Right Approach on offer, a half sister (#185) to five winners (incl two with black type) out of Gr1 placed Gr3 winner Secret To Success, who in turn is half sister to two dams of Gr2 winners.
Coincidentally, Daytona is represented by a filly (#21) out of a half sister to the dam of Whiteline Fever, the pair in turn half sisters to the dam of champion Jay Peg. The yearling is the mare’s second foal, by Var.
TO SIRE A CAPE GUINEAS WINNER
2013 Cape Guineas – Elusive Gold is a first-crop classic winner for his sire Sail From Seattle
in your very first crop is a rare achievement. It’s been done five times in the last thirty years, and twice this millennium. In 2006 Jay Peg won for his sire Camden Park (who died in 2007, from colic). Less than a month ago Elusive Gold put his sire Sail From Seattle on the board. A son of Gone West (also sire of Western Winter, to give some perspective), Sail From Seattle had only a few foals in his third crop through illness – one of those is a Book One entry. Consigned by Ascot Stud, the colt (#78) is half brother to 4 winners (one stakes placed). The female line background also is the one of Jay Peg and Whiteline Fever.
MORE ELUSIVE
Hawaii Stakes. Third Gr1 win for Elusive Fort, a length ahead of Biarritz. Elusive Fort has a colt in Book One (#22), as does Biarritz’ half sister Katherine (#119, by Silvano).
From Elusive Gold to Elusive Fort. This triple Gr1 winner (Daily News, SA Derby included) was exported to the US, where as a 5yo he was Gr3 placed over a mile. His pedigree didn’t ring a bell to the Americans, and if it hadn’t been for the persistent efforts of Tony Mincione and Peter de Beyer he might not have made it to stud. He has the credentials, as a son of sire-of-sires Fort Wood, plus his impressive female line: the E-family of Empress Club et al. His first crop are 2yo’s this season and expectations are high. Book One has a grey colt (#22) from his second crop, out of Gr2 placed stakes winner Wild Wolverine, by Wolf Power – another Gr1 winner exported to the US.. The youngster is half brother to eight winners, incl two stakes winners, from a very productive sire-producing American female line.
Elusive Fort is a 3-part brother to 2yo winner Escondida (by Fort Wood out of Gr3 winner Easyjadeasy, a half sister to Elusive Fort). This mare has her first foal (#76), a filly by Kahal.
WE WILL ROCK YOU!
A song tailormade for Gr1 winning sprinter Seventh Rock (MR 113). Highly popular with breeders when he first went to stud at Klawervlei, and equally in demand with his first crop of sale yearlings earlier in 2013. Those are the new crop of 2yo’s now. Two have run, both winners first time out. Appropriately, Seventh Rock has seven yearlings on offer in Book One. One which stands out in terms of black type is the filly (#75) out of Gr3 winner Encircle. The youngster is half sister to six winners, including Gr3 winner Captain In Command (MR 101), and stakes winners Reconcile (MR 101) and Canadian Sunset (MR 91).
Aside, Tawny Syndicate has imported a 2012 half sister to Seventh Rock, by Medaglia d’Oro.
CHAMPION SIRE.
Having had to contend with Jet Master for most of his career to date, Maine Chance stallion Silvano finally made it to the top last season. A solid supplier of Gr1 winners of both sexes, here and abroad, all this is reflected in his 2013 service fee of R150k. This is not the place to analyse all of his 25 yearlings on offer in Book One. Suffice to say that among them is bound to be another big one. Over to you.
We’re not quite finished with Silvano, though. Also represented in Book One is his German based half brother Sabiango, sire of stakes winner in his home country. He has a full sister (#160) to German stakes placed 5-time winner Perfect Son. Their stakes placed dam Pacific Blue is out of a half sister (among others) to Gr1 producing sire Caesour. The pedigree is highly interesting, as there are remarkable similarities between the one of the Sabiango filly on offer and Silvano’s best European filly Mi Emma (Timeform 118).
IF YOU BELIEVE
in the influence of remote female line ancestors, Silvano and Windrush make for a fine example. Silvano sired Cape Derby winner Bravura, Windrush got champion filly Mother Russia. Both are bred by Veronica Foulkes at Normandy, from the same female line. Now see Silvano and Windrush. They trace to full sisters, one mated to a son of Count Fleet, the other to Count Fleet’s full brother. Conventional wisdom is to ridicule such remote influences, but we find it intriguing. Perhaps a daughter of the one stallion can still be mated to the other stallion, although time is running out.
Windrush has two yearlings in Book One. One a full brother (#82) to 4 winners, including highclass international stakes winner Diana’s Choice and 3-times Gr2 placed Straw Market. The other yearling is a full sister (#155) to multiple Gr1 and Gr2 placed Gr3 winner Rushing Wind.
When it works it works!
ANTHONY BECK’s
Successful US sire Tapit
Gainesway Farm is riding crest of the wave in the USA. That is in no small way due to resident stallion Tapit, the Gr1 producing sire and sire of sires. Now and again, Gainesway mares are mated with Gainesway stallions to Southern hemisphere time, the progeny to be offered in South Africa.
One such mating done with Orientate mare Granny Leah, a daughter of multiple SA champion sprinter Harry’s Charm, from a solid family of Gr1 winners and champions. On offer is the mare’s first foal, a Tapit colt (#97). You might like to know that Tapit’s US studfee is set at $150.000 live foal for 2014 – that’s more than R1.5 million…
MOST INDIVIDUAL Gr1 WINNERS?
The championship battle rages on. Western Winter for years had the measure of Jet Master, be it narrowly. This season Jet Master edged ahead, but the war isn’t yet won. Both sires are deceased, Jet Master’s last crop are 2yo’s, while Western Winter has more to come. It’ll be touch and go.
Western Winter is well represented in Book One. Highlands has a grey filly (#180). She’s a correct, tall, racy filly who covers ground. Her dam also produced multiple Gr1 winner Russian Sage (Timeform 122 in Dubai), now at stud with Gary Player. The grandam is full sister to champion fillies Grey Sun and Cerulean Blue. Also from Highlands a filly (#95) out of an imported mare by Deputy Minister. The latter is a son of Vice Regent, who also is the damsire of Western Winter (3×3 in the filly). More interesting, though, is the filly’s third dam Vevila, whose two grandams are both by Victoria Park, a son of the mare Victoriana, grandam also of Vice Regent. It doesn’t end there, since Victoriana is by Windfields, who is from the same female line as Western Winter. The earlier mentioned Victoria Park and Western Winter’s 4th dam are close kin. If we had to pick just one yearling on pedigree from Book One, this filly would be it!
Western Winter has nine Book One yearlings in all. To mention those with apparent catalogue appeal: Maine Chance has the third foal of Gr1 SA Fillies Classic winner Zaitoon, a colt (#28), Daytona has a half sister (#80) to Gr2 winner Red Dor (dam in turn of two stakes performers), while Nutfield presents a half brother (#110) to Gr1 winner Imperious Star, out of Gr1 J&B Met winner Imperious Sue.
Western Winter is a sire of sires, too. His Gr1 winning sprint-son Warm White Night has his first crop of yearlings, five of which are on offer in Book One. They include a colt (#192), whose female line has been extremely successful with Western Winter. To boot, the youngster’s grandam and the grandam of Warm White Night are both daughters of champion sire Foveros. Western Winter also got highclass sprinter The Boogieman (MR 108) from a mare by Foveros.
ALL EYES
Var’s champion daughter Val de Ra with her filly foal by Oasis Dream, born in Spetember. The mare is now in foal to Frankel.
will be on South Africa’s Horse of the Year Variety Club, when he campaigns in Dubai in the next two months. Meanwhile his sire, the European champion sprinter Var, will keep the home-fires burning. Although a speed influence in the main, Var has sired major winners over all distances, from champion sprint filly Val de Ra, to miler Variety Club, all the way to stayer Princess of Light.
Book One features no less than seventeen Var-yearlings. We mention a few. Gr3 winner Normanz has a full sister (#125). Gr1 placed Gr3 winner Twitter has a full brother (#41). Stakes placed Happy Forever has a full sister (#99), the pair half sisters to Gr1 winning 2yo Happy Valentine. There’s another filly (#43) from the same family. Then Gr2 winner Go Indigo, who has a half brother (#74).
Keen conformation studiers are certain find more of Var’s Book One progeny to bid on.
BE PRICE WISE.
The million dollar race linked to the Book One & Book Two sales has a first prize of $500k. At current exchange rate that’s about R5 million. Interesting to compare this to the highest prices paid at the Book One sale in previous years. The top five price to date are R3.25m (a Silvano colt from Maine Chance), R3m (a Dynasty colt from Highlands), R2.8m (a Jet Master colt from Highlands), R2.7m (a Trippi filly from Klawervlei), and R2.6 (a Dynasty colt from Highlands). That’s a little bit of perspective.
Can we make the assumption that Book One has, on balance of probability, a better chance to provide the winner than the coupled (for the race) Book Two sale? If the answer is ‘yes’ then the highest price may well surpass the previous Book One topper. Should make for some entertaining bidding battles. Be there!
WHEN LAST WERE YOU UNDERESTIMATED
or underestimated someone else? Buyers and sellers alike are forever faced with this. Buyers when guessing how far is enough in the face of opposition. Sellers when agonising over how to set their reserve. Surprises lie around every corner. Remember the facial expression, two years ago at Book One, when a small breeder of veterinary ilk – selling as agent – wondered if he could get a hundred or two, set a hesitating reserve, then to see the bidding sail to 2.6 million for his Dynasty colt?
Who knows what’s in store.
Did the sellers of last year’s Book One lots expect their million-bounty? Look at them:
3.25m Silvano c Maine Chance
3.0m Dynasty c Highlands
2.7m Trippi f Klawervlei
2.0m Dynasty c Highlands
1.7m Captain Al f Moutonshoek
1.5m Western Winter c Lammerskraal
1.4m Jet Master c Maine Chance
1.4m Trippi c Highlands
1.4m Dynasty c Daytona
1.3m Western Winter c Lammerskraal
1.3m Dynasty c Highlands
1.2m Seventh Rock f Klawervlei
1.2m Dynasty f Winterbach
1.1m Var c Avontuur
1.05m Silvano c Oldlands
1.0m Var c Avontuur
1.0m Jet Master c Gary Player
1.0m Jet Master c Ascot
1.0m Trippi c Klawervlei
The 1.3m Silvano colt has a full brother (#31), as do the 1.4m Trippi colt (#103) and the 1.05m Silvano colt (#132), while the 2.7m Trippi filly has a full sister (#161).
The 3m Dynasty colt has a half brother (#159 by Silvano), as do the 2m Dynasty colt (#62 by Captain Al) and the 1.4 Jet Master colt (#135 by Dynasty). Hold thumbs and cross fingers: can lightning strike twice?
Joy or sorrow – there are bound to be tears again this year.
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Click here to view the Cape Premier Yearling Sale Supplement
