Roski Stud: CTS March Yearling Sale Top-Seller News

Roski Stud: CTS March Yearling Sale Top-Seller News

The Cape Thoroughbred Sales March Yearling Sales topper came from Dr Ian Heyns, who also bred the brilliant KZN-bred multiple Group winner Seal. Lot 195 named Torro Del Oro, is a colt by Trippi – purchased for a sales-topping R1,3 million on Sunday, sold to Rainbow Beach Trading.

The colt is out of Fort Sylvia, a winning Fort Wood daughter of an impeccably-bred American mare named Lydara, who stood at Roski Stud before she was put down last year due to the infirmities of old age.

She was foaled in 1990 – the year her great sire Alydar was crowned Leading Stallion in North America and it would be the same year that he died controversially.

Alydar seemed to lead a life of controversy, not only as a racehorse but in his death too. He finished a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the American Triple Crown, a feat not achieved before or repeated since.

With each successive race, Alydar narrowed Affirmed’s margin of victory; Affirmed won by a length in the Kentucky Derby, by a head in the Preakness and by a nose in the Belmont Stakes. Alydar has been described as the best horse in the history of Thoroughbred racing never to have won a championship.

Alydar’s unfortunate death is still shrouded in mystery – after breaking his leg in his stable, foul play was suspected after Calumet Farm had become troubled financially and eventually saw the farm’s owner and lawyer jailed.

Lydara sold for over $1,million as a yearling. She is a half-sister to a truly phenomenal group of siblings; including Gold Beauty, the dam of Dayjur – in turn the sire of Modern Day who raced and stood at stud successfully in South Africa and KZN.

Her siblings include two sires, The Prime Minister and Majestic Venture, as well as Felix The Cat. Her dam Stick To Beauty by Illustrious, in total produced 17 foals, 17 runners and 11 winners – six of them Bold Black Type.

Lydara won twice at age three, and went to visit exclusive sires the world over, standing in America and England. She visited sires such as Danzig and Sadlers Wells, Spinning World, Grand Lodge and Theatrical.

Her first two Danzig foals ran in England, producing six wins between them with colt Sporting Lad running in America and England, notching up four wins and places in a Gr3 and the Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup. Sporting Ladder, the filly, won twice and went to stud, producing three winners.

Lydara’s Sadlers Wells colt was sent to Russia, where he won four times and placed nine.

Eventually purchased and imported by Anton Proctor, she was sent to the best son of Sadlers Wells to stand in South Africa – Fort Wood. The mating produced three-time winner King’s Bench who competed in South Africa and Mauritius.

Lydara visited Fort Wood once again, and subsequently foaled Fort Sylvia, a winner who placed four times from seven starts.

The mare returned to Fort Wood twice more and to Strike Smartly, however luck didnt go her way and the foal died at birth and she was barren the following the year.

Greg Royden-Turner purchased the mare as well as her Grand Lodge daughter, Lodge Of Dreams. Lydara was sent to Kahal, producing Kalidar [pictured right].

Owned by KZN Breeder Mr Clive Murphy, Kalidar has placed seven times and won at Greyville over 1900m.

Her last foal is Jullidar, an exciting mating to another great American family belonging to Roski-owned sire Just As Well, his first foal crop at the time. Jullidar is owned by Brian Burnard and trained by Gavin Van Zyl.

Lydara has left an international legacy through her daughters both overseas and in South Africa.

Juli Santini of Roski Stud paid tribute to Lydara and her temperament, “She was such a sweet natured girl, who passed her gentle nature onto all her babies.”

Roski Stud have had their own success with sire Trippi, their home-bred Journeyman winning in Dubai earlier this year.

Continually upgrading their exclusive broodmare band, Greg and Chelle Royden-Turner of Roski now stand the likes of Rambo’s Love, (dam of Journeyman), Kahal’s Group winning and performing daughters’ Silent Call and Pisces Star, as well as recently acquiring the very exciting Gr2 and Gr3 winning Go Indigo – she is due to be covered by Var this coming season.

Roski Stud – National Yearling Sales Draft 2015