Breeding racehorses is not for the fainthearted. It’s a long game and fraught with incredible highs and the heartbreak that is the flipside, something Narrow Creek stud master John Everett can very much attest to.
He has experienced the highs this season through the exploits of Isivunguvungu, who displayed grit and class in equal measures to win last weekend’s Gr1 Mercury Sprint at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
The Isivunguvungu team at the happy lead in (Pic -Candiese Lenferna)
The four-year-old blossomed into championship material last season whilst clocking up the miles. From homebase Summerveld he traversed half the country to run third in the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship on Met day.
Rested for three months back home, he then made the journey to Turffontein for the Gr1 Computaform Sprint at the end of April and fully lived up to his name, when charging to an impressive two-length victory, in the process providing trainer Peter Muscutt with his first top level winner.
Remarkably, the gelding has emulated his sire, the Champion Sprinter What A Winter, who also counted this double amongst his splendid array of 15 wins. The Drakenstein-based son of Western Winter had enjoyed arguably his best ever season by finishing second on both the General Sires List and is also the second leading sire of two-year-olds.
On the flipside, John has had a hard time getting another foal out of Isivunguvungu’s dam, Miss Tweedy.
John Everett (photo: hamishNIVENPhotography)
He elaborates: “Miss Tweedy hasn’t had a foal since 2020 and is once again empty. She takes to the stallion but reabsorbs around 90 days. I can only put it down to the fact that she had biliary. Nevertheless, she’s worth persevering with and we will try again this year. I have her down to go to Hawwaam.”
A Narrow Creek homebred, the daughter of Tiger Ridge is out of Danehill’s Australian-bred granddaughter Dancing Penny. Trained by Justin Snaith, she scored a career-defining win in the Listed Breeders Guineas at Fairview.
“Vet Dr Ian Heyns and I bought Dancing Penny off one of the Equimark Sales,” John recalls.
“We bred Miss Tweedy together but when we couldn’t get a bid for her at the KZN yearling sale, I bought out Ian’s half-share and kept her for myself. I raced her with Dorrie Sham and she won us four races.”
Isivunguvungu is the mare’s third foal and was sold off the farm during the dreaded Covid pandemic.
“That was a good year to buy off the farm,” John reflects wryly. “In addition to Isivunguvungu, I sold Big Eyed Girl and Moonshiningthrough, both of which are now five-time winners.”
It was Sally Bruss who purchased Isivunguvungu on behalf of the Hollywood Syndicate and it was she who pre-trained him.
The 2yo Isivunguvungu when he was in pre-training with Sally Bruss at Wind River Farm near Tulbagh
“He was the first horse I bought for Hollywood,” she recalls. “He had that special way about him and always had a lovely action. Besides, he reminded me so much of his grandaddy, he looked just like a little Western Winter!”
While Miss Tweedy has given John a few headaches, the immediately family is securely represented at Narrow Creek by three young mares. Fortuitously, he has Miss Tweedy’s Rafeef half-sister Chicks For Free, as well as two half-sisters to Isivunguvungu, the winner Bat Out Of Hell (Querari) and placed Damned If I Do (Rafeef).
By his own admission, John is not one for the limelight. However he may just have to dust off his tuxedo before leaving for the upcoming 2YO Sale. Given that Isivunguvungu is a live candidate for Champion Sprinter honours, he may just need it for the Equus award ceremony.
