Outstanding SA-Bred sprinter National Colour, a brilliant racemare and producer who was crowned Horse of the Year for the 2005-06 season, has died while giving birth to a healthy filly foal by champion Australian sire Snitzel.
Sean Tarry leads National Colour in with Brett Smith in the saddle
Trained by Sean Tarry, the daughter of National Assembly, our Joint Horse Of The Year and Champion 3YO Female Sprinter in 2006, won eight races here and in Dubai, with the grey flyer’s notable performances including a four and a quarter length win in the 2006 Gr1 Computaform Sprint, a defeat of top globetrotting sprinter Tiza in the 2006 Gr1 Mercury Sprint and a runner up finish in the 2008 Gr1 Nunthorpe Stakes – one of Britain’s top sprint features.
As a broodmare, National Colour enjoyed a red-letter day when her sons Mustaaqeem and present day Ridgemont Highlands stallion Rafeef each won a Gr1 on the same Turffontein card on 6 May.
The Shadwell-raced pair put clear daylight between themselves and their rivals – Mustaaqeem an easy four-length winner of the SA Nursery and Rafeef just over a length clear in the Computaform Sprint.
Her son Rafeef – horse of the season
Mustaaqeem also topped the 2016 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale when bought by Angus Gold on behalf of Shadwell for A$1.75 million (around £970,000/€1.1m).
National Colour died of a broad ligament haemorrhage shortly after giving birth to a filly by Snitzel.
The foal, the eighth produce of National Colour and a three-parts sister to Mustaaqeem and Rafeef, was fostered immediately.
National Colour was due to visit another top class sire son of Redoute’s Choice in the form of Not A Single Doubt.
