The only Lateral filly on the sale (#14)

When the first of the 2013 yearling sales, the Cape Premier Yearling Sale, gets underway later this week, it will be an emotional one for all the connections of the late, great Jet Master. Champion sire for six consecutive seasons, Jet Master’s last crop of yearlings go through the sales ring this year.

Jet Master has thoroughly dominated the sales ring over the past few years, and, no doubt, buyers will be keen to acquire the last Jet Masters on sale.

At last year’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale, Jet Master was responsible for three lots which made R2 000 000. At the same sale, five Jet Master yearlings sold for R1 million apiece.

Jet Master is also sire of the 2012 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sales topper – the colt by the great stallion sold for R1.7 million.

At the National Yearling Sale, Jet Master was the sale’s second top sire both by aggregate and average.

In fact, remarkably, Jet Master has sold the top priced yearling at the National Sale from 2010-2012. In 2011, two Jet Master yearling colts topped the Cape Premier Yearling Sale at R2.5 million apiece!

The sire of 18 G1 winners (from 8 crops of racing age), Jet Master has eight yearlings on sale this week. Among the Jet Master draft are offspring of the G1 winners Lyrical Linda, Sport’s Chestnut and Nania.

Hopefully, Jet Master can emulate such outstanding South African sires as Foveros (Fov’s Favourite, Flying Duel) and Badger Land (Badger’s Gift) – who left behind G1 winners from their final crop of runners.

Young sire highlights top family

While Jet Master is set to have his last crop go through the sales ring, the well bred young sire, Elusive Fort, will be represented by his first yearlings this year.

While the son of Fort Wood has just one lot on sale at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale, the colt on offer received a nine from the selectors.

An extremely well bred horse, Elusive Fort was an Equus Champion, who won three Gr1 races and over R2 million in prize money.

Like Variety Club, Elusive Fort is out of a mare by the late Secret Prospector, and he hails from the world famous “E” family. His sire, Fort Wood, has sired the winners of over R98 million – a remarkable achievement.

While Elusive Fort himself never raced at two, his half-sister, Easyjadeasy (Model Man), was a top-notch performer at two, when her wins included the G3 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery.

Unbeaten 2yo represented by first crop

Lateral, who was an unbeaten champion at two, and a champion miler at three, is one of several promising young prospects with their first crops on sale this year.

One of more than 80 stakes winners by Singspiel (whose half brother, Rakeen, sired Jet Master), Lateral won all three starts at two, including the G1 Gran Criterium. He also won a Gr2 race by six lengths at three, stamping himself as Germany’s champion miler in the process. It will be interesting to see what mares do well with Lateral in the process – and if he “nicks” well with Rakeen and Jet Master mares.

Lateral’s sire Singspiel has done extremely well in this country himself, and has sired such notable performers locally as Potala Palace (Premier’s Champion Stakes), Candy Singer (Jubilee Handicap) and Polzeath (Easter Handicap).

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Sire links July/Guineas/Queen’s Plate winner

It is interesting to note that there is a common link between the 2012 July winner, Pomodoro,/ Cape Premier Yearling Sales Guineas winner, Capetown Noir, and Horse of the Year, Variety Club.

Pomodoro, Capetown Noir and Variety Club are all inbred to the great Northern Dancer – and all three horses are either out of a Northern Guest mare – or a granddaughter of Northern Guest.

Pomodoro’s dam, Golden Apple, is a G2 winning daughter of Northern Guest, while the former champion sire’s Cape Fillies Guineas winner, Dance Every Dance, is the second dam of the brilliant 3yo, Capetown Noir.

Finally, the mighty Variety Club’s dam, La Massine, is out of the Northern Guest mare, Karpakova.Karpakova is also the second dam of recent G3 London News Stakes winner Knock On Wood.

When taking into account the fact that all three horses look destined for stud careers, it is clear the influence of Northern Guest (one of South Africa’s most dominant broodmare sires) will be around for a long time yet.

The latter’s daughters, at the time of writing, have bred 76 stakes winners and counting.

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Perfect start for Antonius Pius

Highlands Farm’s Antonius Pius has made the perfect start to his local stud career. From two runners, the son of Danzig has had two winners. Following Yoshie’s debut win, Ace Antonius gave his sire a 100% strike record when winning at Kenilworth on Wednesday.

A truly top-class performer, whose race record does not reflect how talented he was, Antonius Pius has covered some exceptional mares during his first season at Highlands, and he has 2yos out of such high-class mares as Moonlit Prairie (dam of Jackson), Fading Light (G1 winner), Divine Nymph (dam of Divine Jury and Divine Jet), Haute Cuisine (SA Oaks) and Savannah Breeze (dam of On Her Toes).

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Farewell to another champion

One of Britain’s greatest champions, Generous, died last week. He was 25, and had been standing at Scarvagh House Stud in Northern Ireland.

By champion sire Caerleon, Generous was out of the great broodmare Doff The Derby (dam of no fewer than six stakes winners).

While he will never be remembered as a great sire, Generous did leave his mark on the breed. He sired over 40 stakes winners, including the G1 winners Catella and Mystic Lips, and is the broodmare sire of 40 more.

He was, by far, his sire’s best son at stud – with few of Caerleon’s sire sons leaving any mark whatsoever.

Generous was officially the joint fourth highest rated horse since 1977. His rating of 136 puts him equal to Sea The Stars and Shergar – and the threesome are the three best Epsom Derby winners since the World Thoroughbred Rankings began.

He was devastating in the 1991 Derby when romping away by five lengths over G1 winner and subsequent top-class sire Marju , Generous followed that up by beating the brilliant Suave Dancer in the Irish Derby and added a facile win in the King George against older horses.