Marchfield. To take up duties at Moutonshoek
Canadian-based sire Marchfield (A.P. Indy–PicoTeneriffe, by Red Ransom) will relocate to South Africa after being bought by Moutonshoek Stud.
Marchfield retired to the Park Stud in Orangeville, Ontario in 2011, having raced for his breeder Eugene Melnyk.
A graded stakes winner on turf and Polytrack, Marchfield’s biggest success came as a 4 and 5yo, earning Champion Canadian older horse honours in both seasons by landing races such as the 2008 G2 Autumn Stakes and the 2009 G2 Sky Classic Stakes, as well as the Gr3 Dominion Day Handicap.
Marchfield, who is out of the stakes-winning mare Pico Tenerife (Red Ransom), will be represented by his first yearlings this year.
Both Chris Gerber and his partner in Moutonshoek, veterinarian Bennie Van Der Merwe stressed that they had carefully studied Marchfield’s first book of Canadian mares, as well as looked closely at his first foals and yearlings to be confident that his brief North American stud career would enhance his standing with South African breeders.
“The one thing we didn’t want to do was stand a stallion who was regarded as a failure elsewhere, said Van Der Merwe.
“For us, this is like standing a freshman sire. From a South African perspective, you don’t have to tell anybody about A.P. Indy’s standing as a sire of sires in North America. And compared to some other countries, we have no problem at all that he was a two-turn horse. He ran on grass and Polytrack, which also fits our breeders’ needs. He is from a quality family and the Roberto line has done very well worldwide as broodmare sires and particularly well in this country.”
The Moutonshoek team expect Marchfield to produce horses with plenty of scope, which will draw more favour in South Africa than many other countries that have a greater emphasis on speed.
He will stand alongside another U.S. import, Lemon Drop Kid’s full-brother Mambo In Seattle (Kingmambo).
Having managed the neighbouring Wilgerbosdrift Stud in the Piketberg region of the Western Cape, Van Der Merwe joined forces with Gerber, a businessman and racing enthusiast, in 2009 to convert Moutonshoek into a stud, as well as a working farm. The two studs are the only Thoroughbred centres operating in an area also known for fruit and wine growing.
The pair started with five mares but now have a broodmare band of over 80 mares and had 25 yearlings catalogued for the National Sales this past weekend.
