Few active South African stud farms have bred a higher percentage of Gr1 winners to foals than Normandy Stud.
Despite breeding between just 20 and 30 foals a year, Normandy Stud has produced a plethora of stars over the years including champions Aquanaut, Mother Russia, Rio Querari and Winter Solstice.
Normandy bred superstar Winter Solstice (Pic – Supplied)
The farm has developed a few key families which to this day continue to make their mark on the South African turf.
With his draft including yearlings by the likes of Elusive Fort, Hawwaam, Legislate, Rafeef and The United States (to name a few), Oscar Foulkes is understandably upbeat about Normandy Stud’s draft for this year’s Cape Yearling Sale.
However, as Oscar points out, perhaps the most telling influence to be found in this consignment is the impact of some of Normandy’s most important female lines.
Oscar sums up the power of Normandy’s female lines, and their impact on the 2024 Cape Sale, as follows:
Nordic Vine
Two of our star yearlings from 2022, Nordic Quest and Nordic Chief, went through the ring months before Rio Querari (out of their dams’ full-sister) won the Computaform Sprint in breathtaking fashion. Having first been treated at Guineas potentials, this pair bolted up over the Kenilworth 1200m on consecutive Saturdays. ‘
Lot 103
There is absolutely no doubt that the two yearlings we have on the 2024 CYS are sprinters. Lot 103 is the Rafeef half-brother to the uber-consistent Beerenberg.
He’s a neat colt with a laid-back attitude and a cat-like walk. One lot later is the half-sister (by The United States) to Nordic Chief. She looks like a speedball.
Terpsichore
This is the only family in the stud book to have produced multiple Queen’s Plate winners, in Winter Solstice and Mother Russia. From this family we have a pair of well-grown, scopey Erupt colts out of young mares (lots 86 and 111). Both are good-moving sons of Philanthropist mares, which seems to be a ’nick’ for Erupt.
Lot 86
Out of a half-sister to Sachdev and the promising Sukhumvit, is a Gold Standard filly (lot 23). She’s neat and high-quality, as one would expect from a granddaughter of Trippi.
Lot 86 is an Elusive Fort colt with star quality. He is a striking example of size, scope, presence and athleticism.
In Camera
In Camera was our first Guineas winner, and for other breeders she was the foundation mare for numerous other Grade One winners.
Lot 47
Legislate really stamps his fillies – mostly, they are the darkest of bays with hardly any white, and they are built for the classics. This filly (lot 47) is as good a mover as you’ll find on any sale, and she’s smart to boot.
Hard Lady
We have used various sons of Captain Al for our half-sisters to Sergeant Hardy, and we couldn’t be happier with this son of One World (lot 80).
Lot 80
His sire may have won the Met, but this colt looks as if 1200m could be his maximum.
‘Other’
Notwithstanding the Elusive Fort colt mentioned above, we have a neat, well-made colt (lot 13) with a walk that’s hard to beat. He is a half-brother to the smart sprinter, Wind Water.
Lot 13
Closing out our draft is a line-up of athletic fillies by Hawaam, Futura, Master of My Fate and The United States.
This draft can be viewed from Block A at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
