Three of KZN’s young sires have their juvenile siblings making starts in Group races in the upcoming months – among them Crusade, Eightfold Path and Flying The Flag. Interestingly, all three siblings are by super-sire Galileo, all in training with Aiden O’ Brien and all owned in partnership by Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith.
Crusade’s half-sister and 2-time winning Seventh Heaven, after winning the Oaks Trial Listed has been entered into the Gr1 Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh mid-July as well as the Gr3 Irish Stallion Farms Give Thanks Stakes in August. She ran in the Gr1 Investec Oaks only to be pulled up out of the race at the beginning of June, which Minding won.
Gr1 Middle Park Stakes winner Crusade has seen his well stamped yearlings being hotly received at the National Yearling Sale and KZN Yearling Sale, yielding impressive averages at both sales – Nationals he averaged R160 000 for 18 yearlings sold, and almost R100 000 at the KZN Yearling Sale for 16 yearlings sold.
Eightfold Path’s half-brother impressed on debut – Diodorus is also partly owned by breeder Flaxman Holdings, was given a sympathetic ride to let the colt enjoy himself under a hands and heels ride. He finished third without pressure, the colt out of 5-time Gr1 winning Divine Proportions holds a Gr1 entry in the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes to be run at The Curragh on 11 September.
French Gr3 winner Eightfold Path by Giant’s Causeway has had his yearlings snapped at the Nationals and KZN Yearling Sales – the Nationals saw an outstanding filly for R325 000 sold to Louis Goosen and the KZN Yearling Sale, a super colt bred by Roski Stud sold for R160 000 whilst Scott Bros had Passioneight (out of a full sister to Gr1 Scarena) sell for R125 000.
Bush Hill Stud’s new stallion prospect for 2016 sees his younger full-sister Rhododendron entered for the Gr2 Lowther Stakes at York in August. The filly finished second on debut in her only start at the Curragh over seven furlongs. She looks to follow in her big brother’s footsteps, a winner of the Gr2 International Stakes, he won by an incredible four lengths.
They are out of super mare and triple Gr1 winner Halfway To Heaven, a daughter of Europe’s top sire and broodmare sire Pivotal – in turn out of the brilliant Cassandra Go. Flying The Flag will be introduced to breeders on 29 July at Bush Hill Stud, where he will stand for R20 000 in his first season.
World leading sire Galileo has seen his son Frankel’s progeny impressing on debut with almost all them winners to date.
Yellow Star Stud’s grey son of Galileo – the first at stud in South Africa will have his first crop become yearlings in August.
The Assayer is bred on the same success cross as Frankel, out of a Danehill mare – in turn out of a Rainbow Quest mare.
The Assayer won once and placed eight times from 10 starts, including placing behind Gold Onyx in the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes (with English Garden behind him), and third in the Gr1 Golden Horseshoe, where the likes of Gold Onyx and The Mouseketeer finished behind him.
The Assayer stands for R5 000 this season at Yellow Star Stud.