KZN Breeders : New Stallions Standing In Kwa-Zulu Natal For 2011 Season

King's Chapel, New Zealand Horse Of The Year and triple Grade 1 winner, has arrived at Bush Hill and settled in well. Warwick Render describes him as being "a good looking, well balanced, substantial horse with a wonderful temperament." King's Chapel is by King of Kings (standing at Clifton Stud) out of Lower Chapel by Sharpo.

King's Chapel has enjoyed some success at stud in New Zealand with three crops to run there so far. In his first crop, the current four year olds he had the very smart Gr 2 winner King's Ransom, and the stakes placed Star of Kings. Overall from this crop he has achieved a rate of 50% winners to runners. In his three year old crop he got the stakes winning filly Princess Emmy and in his current two year old crop he has from only five runners to date the multiple stakes placed and highly regarded Lady Chapel.

When one takes this measure of success and adds the comments from pedigree guru Karel Miedema in his analysis of King's Chapel's pedigree his future in South Africa is even more exciting.
To quote Karel "King's Chapel has a female line background that fits the bill, much more so than was the case in New Zealand where he started his Stud career". King's Chapel will have the ability to tap into the Fair Trial legacy in South Africa as have recent successes like Harry Hotspur, Golden Thatch, Elliodor, Foveros and Western Winter, and as such mares with these elements in their pedigrees along with those mares with Gone West, Owen Tudor, Court Martial, Mummy's Pet, Flower Bowl (Danehill, Caesour, Parade leader etc), Sharpen Up, Danzig/Green Desert, and Blushing Groom. This point emphasises how well suited he is to the mares we have in South Africa.

"All in all we at Bush Hill believe he is a very exciting prospect for Natal breeders and have been further encouraged by the interest shown in him by many of the key breeders in our region already". King's Chapel stands for a fee of R15 000 this year, and a Stallion Day is being held on 31 July at Bush Hill Stud to introduce him. Please contact Warwick or Karen Render if you would like to attend.

Strategic News(AUS) is standing at Rathmor Stud, and Mike McHardy says of him "He is a lovely large athletic individual, and very correct, with a nice temperament." Strategic News proved himself as a racehorse, winning the Grade 1 Steinhoff Summer Cup over 2000 metres, and the Dubal Casthouse Handicap over 1600 metres in Dubai.
Strategic News is by Strategic out of Sensuous by Grand Lodge. His pedigree suggests he will suit mares by the Northern Dancer, Never Bend, Sharpen Up, Herbager, Round Table, Bold Ruler, Sir Tristram and Blushing Groom sire lines, which are abundant in South Africa. His sire Strategic, is a champion sire of 2 year olds, and a Sire of Sires. His dam Sensuous is by Grand Lodge who is the sire of 62 Stakes winners to date. He is standing for a fee of R5 000 this year.

Just As Well(USA) is standing at Spring Valley Stud. He is an exciting new stallion by A.P. Indy out of No Matter What by Nureyev. He has a beautiful head which has strong resemblance to his famous sire, sizable hindquarters and he is very nicely put together, with a fantastic temperament. He raced over 4 seasons in USA, Japan and Canada and had 4 wins, 8 seconds and 3 thirds, and amassed $859,582 in stakes won. He won the Gr 1 Northern Dancer Breeders Cup over 2400m and the Gr 3 Arlington Handicap over 2000m. He placed second in the Gr 3 Arlington Handicap over 2000m, and Gr 2 Dixie Stakes over 1800m, the Gr 1 Arlington Million 2000m, and in the Gr 1 Gulfstream Park Breeders Cup Handicap over 1800m. His service fee for this year is R16 000 with a Live Foal guarantee.

Summerhill Stud have two new stallions, namely Visionaire(USA) and Bankable(IRE). Visionaire, by Grand Slam out of Scarlet Tango by French Deputy, will be standing for a fee of R20 000 excluding vat for his first season. Barry Irwin of Team Valor says of him "I've always wanted to breed my South African mares to a big, strong, extremely fast American horse, with the ability to get a mile. Visionaire ticks those boxes." He comes from the breed-shaping male line of Gone West, sire of Western Winter, Elusive Quality, and Zafonic. His first USA-bred foals are said to be in his own mould, being described as big, athletic, good limbed, and strong. His race record consisted of five wins over 6½ furlongs to 8½ furlongs at 2 and 3, and he amassed almost R4million in stakes. Visionaire was presented at Summerhill's Stallion Day and it was clear what a strong individual he was, with an honest appearance and fine temperament.
"I can understand now why Mr Irwin wanted so badly to bring this horse to South Africa. He's as big and strong as any horse I've had in this barn, and he's just about the best looking, too. He's wanted to breed his mares in South African to a horse like this for years", according to Greg Muir, Summerhill's Stallion Manager.

The next exciting prospect is that of Bankable. Trained by Herman Brown, this horse achieved eight wins, four at Group and Stakes level, from 1200 to 2000m, and more than R20million. His 122lbs Timeform rating ranked him in the top 1/2% of racehorses internationally, he also ran the World Champion Raven's Pass to 1 length, giving the champion 6lbs. Bankable is by Medicean out of Dance To The Top by Sadlers Wells. Medicean is the sire of Group One winners Dutch Art, Nannina, Almerita, Al Shemali, Mr Medici and Chevron.
He weighed in at a monstrous 560kgs in training. Herman Brown describes him as the best looking specimen of a thoroughbred he's been associated with. Greg Muir says of Bankable - "Like most of our breeding colleagues, we watched Bankable's Dubai performances in awe. There can hardly be a soul in the stallion business, that wouldn't have wished secretly that one day this fellow would wind up on their farm. He has everything: size, a flawless physique and lightning speed." Bankable stands for a fee of R20 000 excluding vat this year.

Spectrum has arrived at Yellow Star Stud, from the Cape, after standing in England and Australia prior to coming to South Africa in 2005.
Spectrum is by Rainbow Quest out of River Dancer by Irish River, and he is a four time winner including the Irish 2000 Guineas 1600m GR1 and the Champion Stakes 2000m GR1, from 1600 - 2000m. He was given a Time Form rating of 126 at the age of 3. It is interesting to note that his pedigree is free of Northern Dancer. His notable progeny list is impressive, including being a Sire-of-Sires, and a Broodmare Sire, and he has left his mark in several countries. These include Golan(IRE) who won English 2000 Guineas & King George, Tartan Bearer who won Gr2 Dante Stakes, 2nd Gr1 Epsom Derby, Gr2 Prince of Wales Stakes in 2009, Gamut(IRE) who won Group 1 GP de Saint-Cloud, Spectorial(AUS) - Winner of Grade 1 Sire's Produce Stakes, Witch Calderon(FR) who is a top rated Older Mare in Italy, 2002, Wild Iris(AUS) - Winner of Grade 1 Australian Oaks, Red Cat(IRE) - Champion 2yo Filly in Turkey, Time Ahead (GB) - 2nd Gr1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks), Whisperer (GER) - 3rd Gr2 German 2000 Guineas and who has placed in a Group 3 race.

His presence as a Broodmare Sire includes the likes of Dutch Art(GB) winner of Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, Group 1 Prix Morny, Group 2 Norfolk Stakes, 2nd Group 3 Greenham Stakes, 3rd Group 1 2000 Guineas; TFR 126, Winchester(USA) has won Group 1 Manhatten Handicap, Prince Kaapstad - won Gr2 Northern Guinneas, Conillon(GER) - GP der Sparkasse,3rd Gr2 Union Rennen, Shot Bless(IRE) - Group 3 Premio Mario Incisa, Premio Zanoletti. As you can see, his record speaks for itself, and it is very exciting to have a stallion of this calibre joining the ranks in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Breeding season opens 1 September, and we look forward to the crop of 2012 from these very exciting stallions to have joined the KZN Breeders ranks this year, and we wish them every success.

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