About Bloodstock SA
BloodStock SA can be described in one word: ‘Opportunity!’ There are those who argue that the right opportunity comes only once. Others will say that there are windows of opportunity which may present themselves more than once in a lifetime.
Importantly however, as leading motivational coach Tom Peters once wrote, “If a window of opportunity appears, don't pull down the shade!”

By the time you get to read this, I am sure that plenty of daylight will continue to shine through the window of the South African thoroughbred bloodstock industry. Vibrant in its promise and the bountiful talents of its horsemen, here’s an industry that has been ‘bubbling under’, much like a new smash hit about to enter the Top 10 on the song charts.

While the thoroughbred trade is more complicated in its essence, the principle of supply and demand is the same. With tremendous groundwork behind them and ongoing investments in first-class stallions and broodmares an ongoing priority, South African breeders are now producing horses good enough to hold their own anywhere in the world.

The best news of all, relatively speaking, is that South African-breds are good value! In a recent example, the first five horses past the post in the Western Cape’s famous Grade 1 race, the J&B Met, were collectively purchased for a mere R2,6 million (about 200 000 Pounds Sterling!) at various BloodStock SA Sales. Their joint earnings, after the ‘Met’, show a figure of near R15 million!

Strangely, however, but for a few shrewd, well-informed market followers - mainstream thoroughbred buyers haven’t yet explored this vein of quality horseflesh.

Let me back up the lyrical waxing with some background and evidence.

Way back when, in 1907, a South African-bred sprinter called Camp Fire II won Royal Ascot’s King’s Stand Stakes. After this participation abroad of South African horses stops for several decades and for reasons we don’t have space to speculate about here.

In 1961, however, appeared a champion called Colorado King, trained by Sydney Laird. He won ten races in South Africa including the Cape Derby and the Durban July Handicap. Sold to an American racing partnership led by William R. Hawn, he raced under the Poltex Stable banner in California. There, under trainer Wally Dunn, Colorado King won six races in 1964 including the Hollywood Gold Cup in which he defeated Native Diver and the American Handicap where he equaled the world record for nine furlongs.

In 1964 came Hawaii (by Utrillo II), another star colt owned by American Charles Engelhardt and a winner of 21 races in South Africa and the United States. He was named US Grass Horse Of The Year in 1969 and his wins abroad included the Group 1 Man O’War Stakes.

His 7 graded stakes winners include Henbit (Epsom Derby 1980. TFR 130), Hawaiian Sound (Champion England 2nd Derby. TFR 129), Hanza Dancer. 3rd Derby. TFR 124) and Sun and Snow (Kentucky Oaks).

We skip three more decades to 1997, a year in which the great Sydney Laird’s trainer son, Alec, decided to attempt the impossible. He shipped his South African champion, London News, to Hong Kong for the Queen Elizabeth II Cup and broke new ground when the son of Bush Telegraph (Jungle Cove), won in great style against popular expectations. London News went on to finish third to star filly Boshra Sham in the Prince Of Wales’ Stakes at Ascot.

The real ‘action’ started at the end of the 1990s with the emergence of the mercurial Mike de Kock, South Africa’s trainer of trainers and his SA Triple Crown winner, Horse Chestnut, by Fort Wood.

Horse Chestnut won 9 of 10 career starts and gave De Kock his first taste of overseas success when winning the Group 3 Broward Handicap at Gulfstream Park, Florida. He was been successful at stud in the US, siring several Group winners, and was brought back to South Africa in 2009.

Insatiable in his international quests ever since the days of Horse Chestnut, De Kock literally opened the floodgates by himself. In 2003 he set up a satellite yard in Dubai from which he has since trained 90 winners in the Dubai Carnival, including three Group 1s. De Kock is currently see-sawing with the mighty Godolphin for the winning most trainer in the history of the highly competitive Dubai Racing Carnival.

Importantly he has achieved much success abroad with South African-breds, including UAE Derby winner Victory Moon and other Group winners like Wolf Whistle, Surveyor, Yard-Arm, Crimson Palace (a Group winner in Europe and the US), Irridescence (a group winner in Hong Kong and the US), Grey’s Inn, Kapil, Grand Emporium and Imbongi and not forgetting Jay Peg.  The list continues to grow.

During the early part of this year’s Carnival, De Kock has had much success with the unfashionably-bred Lizard’s Desire, a colt by Lizard Island. He commented a few weeks ago: “South African-breds have proven themselves over and over in Dubai and elsewhere. They are flying the flag. They are sound and make good value buys.

At this point I’d like to say, ‘need I say more?’, but there is more!

De Kock’s exploits prompted other South Africans to venture abroad with their top horses. Mike Azzie took National Currency to Dubai for a win and to Hong Kong for a Group 1 place. Sean Tarry finished second in the 2008 Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes with National Colour and David Ferraris and Tony Millard have had regular success with South African value buys in Hong Kong.

Team Valor International President Barry Irwin has been pivotal in his support for South African-breds and is on record as saying about the BloodStock SA National Yearling Sale: “This is the best value thoroughbred sale in the world. From my experience you would pay roughly twice the price for any foal at sales elsewhere in the world.

The world hasn’t cottoned on to South African bloodstock yet, despite your great performances in Dubai. It takes courage to come here, but I enjoy myself thoroughly every year. The product is as close to pristine as you are going to get in the modern thoroughbred.’’

In their stated goals to improve bloodlines in South Africa, leading locally-based owners like Markus Jooste and Mary Slack have followed the likes of Graham Beck in buying the best available mares from Australia, Europe and the US. Jooste was the leading buyer at Australia’s Magic Millions Sale twice in the last five years.

They are supported by some of the most knowledgeable bloodstock agents on the globe including John Freeman, Robin Bruss and Jehan Malherbe, recently appointed bloodstock advisor to Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, who already uses South Africa as a “nursery” for his two-year-olds bought all over the world. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum has followed suit with several recent purchases from South African sales. Leading international bloodstock experts like Peter Doyle, Angus Gold and Tom Goff are other regular visitors to these shores.

Overseas owners who have tasted success in South Africa or with South African-breds include Fieldspring Racing, who has enjoyed many a Grade 1 winner including Dynasty and Eyeofthetiger. A few years ago they imported Tamburlaine (IRE) as a stallion prospect.

The Kalmanson family from Monaco own Varsfontein Stud Farm in the Western Cape.

Lady Chris Laidlaw earlier this year won the BSA Cape Guineas with Noordhoek Flyer, a smashing chestnut by Pivotal named after her exclusive Cape residence. Dubai-based Jim Hay and German entrepreneur Rupert Plersch have led in winners in Dubai and South Africa.

Well-know UK-based horseman David Allan owns Seven Veils, a winner on J&B Met day, and is expanding his South African interests via syndication of horses for small-scale owners.

Rose Leheup, Newmarket-based, had yet another South African winner on 5 February when Senior Senator won. She will be hoping he will turn out to be as good as Diamond Quest, her South African Gold Cup winner in 2006.

Another German Andreas Jacobs, from the famous coffee and chocolate producing family, owns the hugely successful Maine Chance Stud Farm in the Western Cape. They imported world-renowned stallion Silvano, presently disputing the lead at the top of South Africa’s formidable sires list with Jet Master. Western Winter, Fort Wood, Captain Al and Parade Leader are others in contention on the log among a group of stallions described by John Freeman as “arguably the best group of stallions at any one period of time ever in South Africa!”

The Champion Breeder of South Africa is Summerhill Stud of the Mooi River region in the KwaZulu-Natal province. Owned by internationally acclaimed horseman and entrepreneur Mick Goss, Summerhill is renowned for its exceptional facilities, an internationally trained workforce, and one of the finest stock-raising environments anywhere in the world.

The inspirational Goss has always aimed at attracting new investors, many of them from overseas, and so developed and built his principle of having partnerships in a vast majority of mares on his farm.

If one considers that South Africa’s top trainers charge between R6,000 and R8,000 per month per horse (that equates at current exchange rates to about US$1000 or 600 Pounds Sterling per month per horse) and draw your correlations, you will be amazed to discover you can keep between five horses or more in training in South Africa at the cost of only a single horse in training in the US or Europe.

‘Amazed’ and ‘Pleasantly surprised’, I’m sure! Calculate your prospects of owning a band of thoroughbreds in one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and you’ll realise you’ll have more than enough left to visit them a few times a year!

Look over there, fellows, down South. There’s a window, opened wide, and rays of bright sun are shining through it!



FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT: BLOODSTOCK SOUTH AFRICA
Telephone: +27 11 323 5700 or fax: +27 11 323 5788