South Africans rate in ratings
A number of South African horses featured highly in the final International ratings of 2010. There were 12 South Africa bred or raced horses rated 115 plus this last year. By comparison, just seven locally bred or raced horses received 115 ratings plus in 2009. And in 2008, there were eight SAF bred or raced gallopers with ratings of 115.
In both 2009 and 2008, Pocket Power was the highest rated SAF bred horse in the Classifications, with a rating of 121. This year, the highest rated horse in the International Rankings was J J The Jet Plane, who received a rating of 122 for his game win in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint.
The ratings provide further testimony to the greatness of Jet Master as a stallion. Since 2008, the highest rated SAF bred horse in the rating has been a son of the former Horse of the Year, the greatest sire ever bred in South Africa.
J J is rated 1lb superior to Rocket Man (Viscount) and Sacred Kingdom (Encosta de Lago), both of whom he defeated in Hong Kong. Sacred Kingdom has subsequently franked the form of J J’s Hong Kong with a victory in Sunday’s HKGp1Centenary Cup.
Second highest South African on the list was the ill-fated Lizard’s Desire (Lizard Island), who received a rating of 121 for his win in the Singapore Airlines International Cup.
Highest rated horse for 2010 was Harbinger (Dansili), who won all four of his starts this year. Harbinger, now at stud in Japan, was rated 135, after winning the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes by 11 lengths, over a field which included subsequent Gp1 winners Workforce (King’s Best) and Cape Blanco (Galileo). Harbinger was rated 1lb inferior to last year’s top rated horse on the Classifications, Arc and Derby winner Sea The Stars (136).
Brilliant mares, Goldikova (Anabaa) and Zenyatta (Street Cry), both received a lower rating in 2010 than in 2009. Goldikova dropped from a rating of 131 to a rating of 125, whilst Zenyatta was dropped off a 128 to a rating of 125. Blame (Arch), the sole horse to defeat Zenyatta in her 20 race career, was rated 129.
The Suns of Silence
Former Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year Sunday Silence was probably the greatest stallion ever to stand at stud in Japan. His sire sons are now establishing a great dynasty themselves. Whilst none have proven as dominant as Sunday Silence himself, to date, two of Sunday Silence’s sire sons (Manhattan Cafe and Agnes Tachyon) have headed the general sires list in Japan in the last three years. Five of the top ten sires on the 2010 Japanese general sires list are sons of the mighty stallion.
From 1995 until 2007, Sunday Silence himself headed the sires premiership in Japan.
Whilst the Japanese sires’ list has been reclaimed by a sire from another sire line this year (the Kingmambo horse King Kamehameha tops the list), there is plenty of evidence that the Sunday Silence male line remains a potent force in Japan.
Sunday Silence horse, Deep Impact, headed the first season sire’s list and 2yo sires list for 2010. His progeny should improve with age, like he did, and there is plenty of optimism regarding the prospects of Deep Impact as a stallion. Deep Impact’s best progeny to date are the Gr1 placed colts Real Impact and Libertas.
The first three sires on the Japanese first crop sires list for 2010 are sons of Sunday Silence! Whilst another Sunday Silence horse, former champion Zenno Rob Roy, was the leading second crop sire in Japan last year.
Sunday Silence sons are also enjoying international success, with Fuji Kiseki siring Dubai Sheema Classic winner Sun Classique and Dance in the Dark producing Melbourne Cup winner Delta Blues. Another son, former Sheema Classic winner Stay Gold, is the sire of 2010 Arc runner up Nakayama Festa, whilst his Japan Cup winner, Special Week, fathered American Oaks winner Cesario as well as 2010 Japanese Horse of the Year and Sheema Classic runner up Buena Vista. \Yet another son of Sunday Silence, Divine Light, sired former English 1000 Guineas heroine Natagora.
Another son, the Darley raced Layman, was the second leading first crop sire in France in 2010.
For all the global success enjoyed by Sunday Silence’s sire sons, he has yet to be represented by a son in his class as a stallion. Only Fuji Kiseki has sired more than 50 stakes winners to date, and he has had 12 crops to race . A number of Sunday Silence stallions are still young, however, and their statistics could improve over time.
It remains to be seen if Deep Impact, arguably Sunday Silence’s best racing son, can become his most successful sire son and further enhance his sire’s remarkable global dynasty.
Local sire’s international success
Few South African based stallions have enjoyed as much international success as Caesour (Nureyev). To date, Caesour has been represented by international stakes winners Perfect Promise (Gp1 C F Orr Stakes), Irridescence (Gr1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup), Dane Julia (Gr1 Breeders Stakes) and Alexandra Rose (Gr3 Morvich Hcp). What is amazing about Caesour’s international success, is that each of his international stakes winners have won in different countries. Caesour’s versatility as a sire can be seen in that fact that he has sired graded stakes winners from 1000 meters (O Caesour) to 3200 meters (The Eiger Sanction).
Caesour is also becoming an increasingly important broodmare sire.
Recently on l’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, Caesour mares produced Paddock Stakes winner Emerald Cove and L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate runner Tales of Bravery. The latter looks to be a big runner in the J&B Met later in the month.
Caesour has done when mated to Al Mufti mares, siring the likes of Gr1 winner O Caesour and the stakes winning filly Toga . Emerald Cove is a daughter of Al Mufti’s leading sire son Captain Al, which reinforces the strength of that particular cross.
Caesour, who has sired six Gr1 winners to date, has a filly on offer at the inaugural Cape Premier Yearling Sale, who is from the same family as champions Majestic Crown and Senor Santa.
