Watch for good value buys from Mooi River’s smaller paddocks
24 April 2010
THE smaller studs in and around Mooi River are known for their consistency and as always will present some of the best value to buyers who are prepared to do their homework and look beyond the obvious at the 2010 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.

Bush Hill Stud has an impressive record here, having sold Wolf Whistle and Zirconeum, two leading performers in South Africa and Dubai, in recent years.

Zirconeum’s half-brother Black Platinum (Lot 546) is by Miesque’s Approval from Sweet Sheila, who besides Zirconeum has produced another Grade 1 winner in Stellite.

“Black Platinum is a high quality, balanced individual. He is quite possibly in the same class as Zirconeum and trainer Alec Laird s reckons he is a better looking yearling than Stellite, so we have high hopes for this one, “says Warwick Render of Bush Hill Stud.

He’s also got a soft spot for Cataloochee’s daughter Penthouse Mouse (Lot 322), born from the Northern Guest mare Look Sharp. “She is well balanced and from a good, solid South African foundation family which goes back to 2002 Equus Champion Broodmare Jessamine.

Bush Hill holds the honour – great for some and dubious for others – of being first up at the Sale with a Kahal colt Bold Barack (Lot 1), a “nice scopy colt from a Western Winter mare”, according to Warwick who adds: “I hope buyers remember to be ready for the first lot. He is worth bidding on.”

Brendan Norman of Connington Stud has a nicely conformed colt by Kahal (Lot 414) to send through the ring. He is an unnamed full brother to the exceptionally fast sprinter Evening Attire.

He mated another top sprinting filly Far De Vie to Kahal and a filly was born. Named One On One (Lot 167), she is not a big horse, but looks very athletic.

Lot 501 is a King Of Kings colt from Silver Nun, another Champion Sprinter and multiple winner who looks certain to produce good offspring.

The McHardy family from Rathmor Stud is producing a steady stream of top quality winners, with 2006 Summer Cup winner Malteme and more recent classic performers Gypsy’s Warning and Wendywood proving that Rathmor is a breeding operation to keep a close eye on.

If Gypsy’s Warning’s half-sister Queen Of All (Lot 220) turns out to be only half as good as the 1970s star filly that went by the same name, she will be a bargain buy in anyone’s book. Classic blood flows freely in the blood of this daughter of Jallad and Gypsy Queen.

Rathmor’s King Cole (Lot 410) is a first foal by King of Kings from Graded-placed Perakeen, by Rakeen. He comes from the extended family of Grey’s Inn.

 

Trainer Mike de Kock has passed on early compliments to Bruce Le Roux of Spring Valley Stud, commenting on what he calls “a very nice draft of yearlings”.

Bruce’s favourite is Arctic Hooligan (Lot 28), a National Emblem colt from Arctic Glow described simply as “outstanding”.

“We also have a big Jet Master colt, lot 165, who has lots of speed in his family and moves along quite nicely,” Bruce says.

Summerhill’s stallion Malhub is due for a truly top class competitor and Money Doesn’t Count (Lot 99) could be the one. “He’s a classy individual, quite and exceptional specimen.”

Cataloochee’s son Salado (Lot 330) is from Luna Perfumada (ARG). This one is a “very nice free walker” and she’s had a lot of attention here at the sales grounds,” Bruce concludes.

Sue Winter of Avalon Stud has high expectations for her racy bay colt from 12-time winning freshman sire Miesque’s Approval, former Champion Grass Horse in the US. Named Acquiesce (Lot 535), he is the eighth produce of Summer Bonnet, a full-sister to Texan Summer, the Equus Champion Sprinter in 2003.

Alan Sutherland is very bullish about Somerset Stud’s small draft of yearlings, which includes Irving (Lot 80) a well conformed Kahal colt from Clair Anne.  ``He’s a beautiful horse, very classy,’’ says Alan.

Somerset’s prolific mare Melting (dam of Grade 1 winner Zeeno and recently impressive Meltaway) will be represented by her 13th foal, Reigning Queen (Lot 349), by King Of Kings. “She’s special this one, I believe she is the best yearling Melting has ever had.  I rate her very much on a par if not better than Meltaway when he was this age.”

 Veteran breeder Peter Blyth of Clifton Stud has a long list of major feature winners including Classic Flag and 2010 J&B Met-placed Fort Vogue. Lot 581 is IntheWoods, a full-brother to trainer Mike Bass’ up-and-coming prospect and Peter says he is different to his brother in that he carries more of Northern Dancer’s stamp via Fort Wood’s sire Saddler’s Wells. Lot 276, he says, is a must-see. Her name is Autumn Mist and she’s a rangy three parts sister to Yard Arm.

From Diana Turner at the Kjell Foundation comes Eastern Greeting (Lot 476), a filly from the successful Kahal x Northern Guest Cross.  An even more impressive pedigree belongs to Jack’s High (Lot 235), a chestnut colt by Jallad from another Northern Guest mare Highlyconfidential, who comes from the extraordinary successful Soho Secret female line, often found in the best South African pedigrees.

Roski Stud is well represented with yearlings by top stallions Kahal, Jallad, Strike Smartly and up-and-coming sire Dynasty. Cotton Eyed Joe (Lot 22) is a son of Kahal and Antonia’s Lass (Jallad), from a multiple award-winning female line.

Bright and Smart (Lot 502) looks like one who might well fall in the value category. He’s a first foal by Strike Smartly and a Silvino-mare that won seven races and while his extended female looks lean in the third and fourth dam, his second dam oozes promise, so make sure he doesn’t escape your eye.

Koos and Lorraine De Klerk have made big investments in Yellow Star Stud. Koos believes 2010 is a turning point for his operation. Yellow Star has appointed leading horseman Guy Murdoch as stud manager and the future looks good.

Koos comments: ”This is a hard and long-term business, but we’ve done everything we can to build Yellow Star into a competitive farm and we are ready for good progress. We have steadily improved our broodmare band by being very selective.”

Koos especially likes Chat Noir (Lot 404), a well-grown colt by Strike Smartly from Parfan, by Saumarez. Parfan is a half-sister to Made Of Money. She represents the proven Strike Smartly x Fort Wood cross through her own dam Caron and hails from a successful South African family. “I think Saumarez will make a very good broodmare sire,” Koos opines.

Barton Hall Stud offers a Muhtafal filly (Lot 24), only the third produce of Apple Valley. Unnamed, her female line also returns to Champion broodmare Jessamine, discussed above. There could be value here. A Kahal filly from a Northfields mare (Lot 59) and a Kahal colt (Lot 316) from a tremendous female line are also in Block A at Barton Hall’s allocated stables.

Anne Woodham of Aldora Stud has a good feeling about stallion King of Kings. She expects his first few runners in training to start showing next year and has three of Aldora’s own King Of King yearlings on offer this year. Royal Banquet (Lot 227), is her pick. He is from the former SA Oaks winning mare Haute Cuisine and looks all class.

“Our King Of Kings filly from Sweet Secret is really beautiful and she moves well,” says Anne about Lot 545, King’s Secret. Hallowed (Lot 226) is a son of Silvano and a young Fort Wood mare, “smoothly muscled and well grown”.

There is an old belief in racing that when a stallion dies his last few crops come to light almost as a tribute to ‘dad’! Middlefield Stud’s Rob Pickering brought Danzig’s son Makareem back to South Africa from Kenya and he sired 32 foals. He died soon after his return, though as it were on a particularly climactic high. He suffered a heart attack soon after an earth-shattering transfer of his genes to a particularly charming mare.

Rob tells: “I followed the career of Makareem’s son Catmandu and the late trainer Andre Kirsten told me early on he would be a top horse, so we got Makareem back here at great cost, but I think this last crop will do him proud. There are two Makareems at Nationals and also at Sibiya and the National Two-Year-Old Sale.

Rob describes Middlefield’s Makareem colt Deal Or No Deal (Lot 569) as a “really smart horse”. He’s the first foal of a half-sister to Grade 1 winning miler National Spirit.

Middlefield’s Daylami (grey like her sire), is from the Al Mufti mare Kal Sufi and has a half-brother who has already won three times in Hong Kong.

Another filly Clear Approval (Lot 106), is thought of as a classic type. She’s a “roomy” individual by Miesque’s Approval from a half-sister to recent King’s Cup winner Thunder Creek.

Backworth Stud’s commitment to their business is clearly evident in their interesting new website, http://www.backworth.co.za. Proprietors Keith Russon and Ian Todd have set their sights on getting into the top bracket of breeders and their journey continues at this sale with the presentation of some well-bred individuals including Top Of The Chops (Lot 58), another fine specimen produced by Miesque’s Approval. His Graded-placed dam, Candy Box, had a juvenile winner called Chocolicious in Durban this week and now boasts a track record of two winners from 2 runners.

Count Me Lucky (Lot 469) is a Count Du Bois colt from Royal Pardon. His dam is a half-sister to leading sprinter Something Else and his extended pedigree is also laden with the kind of pace that makes an impression.

Silvano colt Go Moto (Lot 208) was born from Going Places, a half-sister to eight-time wining Grade 2 winner First Again. He has some of the best Zimbawean bloodlines flowing through his veins.