Two Smart Juveniles For Toreador
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.
The first is the Mike De Kock-trained Misty Birnam, bred by Anton Proctor who owns the juvenile colt in partnership with De Kock. The smart colt had his first start at Scottsville and finished second to Stakes winner Red Chesnut Road, and has gone on to win twice more from all three of his starts, the last under Callan Murray in slightly soft going, and his first appearance at Greyville over 1400m where he lit up the turf to win by over three lengths.
Fanfreluche was Canada’s top 3YO filly in her time after winning three Gr1’s amongst her nine wins, and has a story after the highly temperamental mare was famously stolen from Claiborne Farm and recovered by the FBI, still in foal to then first season sire Secretariat.
She was found as a rather grumpy childs pony who had been renamed Brandy, and subsequently returned to stud where she delivered her Secretariat foal unharmed. The Bold Black Type female line also includes amongst many others, sire Lode.
The next impressive winner came from the Duncan Howells stable, a filly that was the pick of the parade ring at Scottsville on Sunday. She mirrors the race record of Misty Birnam, having placed second on her debut run and collecting two wins thereafter from all three of her starts.
The beautiful bay juvenile filly is out of Killarney Road by Northern Guest, and won easily on Sunday over 1200m by over a length going away from start to finish – defeating a well-bred field in the process. The filly owned by Mr DD MacClean will be aimed next at the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship.
Toreador once again achieved at the National Yearling Sale, selling five yearlings for an average of R150 000 each. He is currently on a winners to runners percentage of 37.2%, and stands for just R15 000 at Bush Hill Stud.
