Gypsy Queen: Two Winners One Week As Grand Dam

The big quiet bright bay mare who was voted KZN Breeders Broodmare Of The Year in 2011, is fast establishing herself a dynasty with six daughters acquired by leading Thoroughbred nurseries in both South Africa and overseas – going on to produce six winning progeny between them, including in Ireland and more recently a Listed winning juvenile at Fairview – Queen Forever on Friday, whilst her grandson So Var won at Turffontein this week.

There is a saying that one man’s loss can be another man’s gain, and in the case of Gypsy Queen (who has a name sake racing currently by Gitano Hernando) it was Rathmor Stud who purchased the mare in 2003 at the Burwell Stud Dispersal Sale, for R55 000.

There is no exact science when it comes to breeding and that is what is part of the fun of it – Gypsy Queen again proves this point in that she is a full sister to two Gr2 SA Oaks winners amongst their other Stakes wins – namely Royal Prophecy and Noble Destiny – yet Gypsy Queen was unplaced in one start at age 3.

Gypsy Queen has no doubt trounced her Bold Black Type sisters at stud, whose progeny have won but not excelled to the the heights of Gypsy Queen.

The 23 year old mare with big honest eyes, a long black forelock and a quality about her, produced a Noble Tune filly last year for Rathmor Stud – a combination of the best to the best, there is of course the sentimental aspect of their great broodmare producing to one of South Africa’s most exciting stallion prospects, a resident of Rathmor Stud.

Gypsy Queen’s first daughter to go to stud was Among Royalty, who produced three winners for breeders Collingwood Stud.  Rathmor have retained a daughter – Golden Earings (by Fort Wood) bears a striking resemblance to her dam and will foal her first baby this coming season to Noble Tune.

Leading breeding establishment Varsfontein have two of Gypsy Queen’s daughters at stud (both bred by Rathmor) – the Jallad mare Queen Of All and Gypsy Madonna. Golden Earings full sister, Gypsy Madonna, has foaled to Judpot (2015) and Gimmethegreenlight (2016). Sold for R1,2million as a yearling, Gypsy Madonna won twice and placed fourth in a Listed race.

Queen Of All gave her own dam, her first Black Type as a grand dam, with the Scribante-owned juvenile filly by Gimmethegreenlight, winning the Lady’s Slipper Stakes (Listed) at Fairview on Friday.

The filly has now recorded two wins from three starts for trainer Alan Greef – a R130 000 purchase off the 2015 Val De Vie Yearling Sale, she has bought her ticket to join Piemonte Stud in Summerveld as a broodmare in the future.

Another daughter Surabi (by Wolfhound) won the Gr2 Camellia Stakes and the Listed Gardenia, and placed in several Graded Stakes races.

A resident of Maine Chance Farms, she has produced 4-time winner Sundari (including the Non-Black Type RA Flamingo Mile) and Monday’s winner, So Var – the latter trained by Gavin Van Zyl for Michael Leaf.

It is the second win for So Var, who has also won and placed from all of five of his starts.

Last but not least of course is the Mogok filly that put Gypsy Queen on the map – her great Gr1 winning daughter on two continents, Gypsy’s Warning.

Rathmor-bred Gypsy’s Warning was sold at the Keeneland November sale for $1.05 million, offered as a racing/broodmare prospect.

Sold by Denali Stud on behalf of Team Valor and Green Lantern Stable to dissolve the partnership, she was purchased by Flaxman Holdings who bred her sire, Mogok.

Gypsy’s Warning originally sold for R170 000 at 2007 National Yearling Sale to the Howells Racing Stable.

She went on to earn R1,267,505 and $378,333 respectively.

Gypsy’s Warning won five races in South Africa and two wins in America. From the age of 2 to 5 she has won over distances of 1200 – 1800 metres, including the Gr1 Golden Slipper, the Gr1 Woolavington 2000, Gr1 Empress Club Stakes, Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge and the Gr3 Strelitzia. In America she placed in the Gr1 Beverly D Stakes, Gr1 Yellow Ribbon and third in the Miss Liberty Listed Stakes.

Her first foal, a filly by Street Cry named Know, won and placed in Ireland from seven starts. Gypsy’s Warning has since foaled to Animal Kingdom.

Gypsy Queen’s Black Type achievements at stud havent stopped there, and her Gr3 son of Kahal is likely to line up in the KZN Breeders Million Mile on 25 June. Five-time winner Romany Prince won the Gr3 London News Stakes and the Drum Star Listed for trainer Ormond Ferraris.

The R400 000 National Yearling Sales graduate has in addition, placed in several Graded Stakes races.

He is bred on similar lines to Gypsy’s Warning – her sire Mogok is a half-brother to Machiavellian, whilst Romany Prince by Kahal is a son of Machiavellian – the common denominator being the broodmare Coup de Folie. Interestingly, Know’s sire Street Cry is also a son of Machiavellian.

The last of the great mare’s progeny are still coming through, with the lightly raced chestnut Klawervlei-owned Judy Silvano and Gypsy Queen’s weanling Noble Tune filly to look forward to.

Her ten progeny to sell at sales since 2003 have sold for a combined total of R4,130, 000 between them.

Gypsy Queen is by Royal Chalice and a daughter of Sara’s Warning by Caveat. This family includes the closely related Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes winner Tales Of Bravery, and amongst a plethora of Black Type entries from an overseas damline is nine-time winner Pierre Jourdan, and his siblings Champagne Haze and Belle Rose.

It is a female line that helped to put Rathmor Stud on the map, and with her daughters still in their early days at stud, there will be much more to come from this incredibly special broodmare that has begun her own dynasty.