“He’s the only Group One-winning son of the world’s number one stallion of 2015 in continental Africa. And the fellows up at the Summerhill stallion barn know that with his cosmopolitan, outcross pedigree, combining the pre-potency of Dubawi with a tough-as-teak Australian “mum”, it makes a lot of sense to place Willow Magic in the front row of their shop window for the forthcoming season.”
A son of Overlord carrying the top weight of 60kgs in the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint made victory look easy in the exclusive sprinting race at Scottsville over 1200m, with the aptly named Talktothestars getting his first Gr1 victory for his owner and trainer, Coenie De Beer.
One of Rathmor Stud’s resident broodmares is African Love, is a half-sister to the dam of Bounding named Believe ‘n Succeed. Bounding sold at Magic Millions for $1,9million to Stonestreet Farm as a broodmare acquisition.
Summerhill-bred Rabada silenced stamina doubts on Saturday after seeing out the 2000m distance, to capture his second career Gr1 win in the Daily News 2000 for recent Triple Crown trainer Mike Azzie and owners Mr and Mrs Markus and Ingrid Jooste.
Six wins on the trot, eight victories and two runners-up in his first ten starts would commend any young thoroughbred of his origins for a stud career. But, that’s only half the Act Of War story. A towering, athletic beast of princely proportions, not even the casual racegoer could’ve mistaken his presence and the elegance of his action for anything but the belongings of a comet in the making.
Year in and year out, Toreador not only performs in the sales ring but regularly produces good horses each season, and two have made themselves known from the past weekend.
Summerhill’s striking son of High Chapparal, Golden Sword, has got off to a smart start with his daughter, Summerhill-bred Belle Rose winning her third career start for trainer Mike De Kock, who trained her sire in Dubai.
Scott Bros’ large imposing Gr1 Breeders Cup winner, Miesque’s Approval, is currently a stand out on the National 2YO Sire’s list, achieving an impressive statistic of 57.1% winners to runners (as per nhra.co.za 15 May).
Scott Bros’ young sire Crusade, saw his Galileo half-sister Seventh Heaven out battle Architecture to win the Betfred Mobile Oaks Trial Fillies’ Stakes. The Aidan O’Brien-trained winner was sent off the 7-4 favourite for the Listed heat but she made hard work of winning in the hands of Ryan Moore.
The first crops from Scott Bros’ respective stallions’ Crusade and Eightfold Path were well received at the recent National Yearling Sale, whilst Irish Flame and Await The Dawn sold one individual each for over R100 000.