KZN Breeders Show Confidence and Invest For The Future

Breeders in KZN wasted no time in reinvesting their recently received KZN Breeders Premiums at two mare sales in the Cape that took place last week.

pproximately 70 horses from both the Cape Mare Sale and Moutonshoek Dispersal sales were acquired, many in foal to leading sires, purchased by approximately 12 breeding establishments and individuals and have found their way back to the Kingdom of the Zulu. It is a positive move in a currently a very challenging economic climate and one to take advantage of, which is no doubt a buyers market.

With confidence after at the recent national elections and the strongest positivity we have had nationally in years that our export protocols are going to opened to the world within the next year, and with encouragement from the East, now is certainly the time to be buying.

However, it is all about “quality over quantity” when it comes to breeding racehorses in South Africa.

Many of the breeders in KZN have spent their week in the Cape, touring farms from the Northern Cape to the Cape to assess stallions and plan matings for the future.

At the Cape Mare Sale, Lee Scribante of Piemonte Stud went to R150 000 to secure a magnificently-bred half-sister to recently deceased Soft Falling Rain and Let It Rain. Lot 124 Rain Blossom is by Oratorio and carrying a foal to Var. Piemonte Stud were one of the highest buyers of the sale, taking home 3 at an aggregate of just under R200 000.

Summerhill Stud picked up a Giants Causeway mare as Lot 55, an Argentine bred mare out of a Danehill Dancer mare, currently in foal to leading 2yo sire Vercingetorix – she was a steal at R80 000. Another interesting purchase for Summerhill was their own-bred Rebel Queen, a star filly in her day and a full sister to Uncle Tommy and half-sister to sire Rebel King.

The 7-time winning Black Type mare hasn’t had much luck at stud when it comes to retaining her pregnancies, but often a change of scenery does these sort of mares the miracles, and Summerhill will be delighted to have this blood back on their soils which contributed towards their 10 National Champion breeding titles.

Bush Hill Stud know all about the late and great Toreador, and went to R65 000 to purchase She’s A Stunner from Maine Chance, in foal to Vercingetorix. They also purchased an Irish bred daughter of Exceed And Excel in foal to Flower Alley from Wilgerbosdrift. The bred in the purple mare’s pedigree goes back to that of Moonlight Cloud who almost ended Black Caviar’s winning streak at Ascot, and the great racehorse Generous under the 3rd dam, Doff The Derby.

Colleen and Gary De Klerk, owners of the very exciting broodmare Sahara (Dam of Matador Man amongst others) purchased an Argentine mare by Asiatic Boy, also in foal to the latest sensation Vercingetorix for R47 000.

Peter and Jenny Blyth nabbed a Galileo mare in foal Coup De Grace for R32 000.  This is also the dam line interestingly of Gr1 #kznbred Hero’s Honour, himself out of a Galileo mare.

Bush Hill Stud went to R320 000 and the 4th highest price overall at the Moutonshoek Dispersal to secure African Goshawk, who was offered early in the sale. A half-sister to Halve The Deficit by Tiger Ridge (out of National Banker), she is in foal to Dynasty. Her own foal sold for R200 000 as a weanling as Lot 94 to Adam Kethro. The Renders also secured Lot 9 for R220 000, a Stakes Winning daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar in foal to Trippi. Overall, Bush Hill invested R566 000 at Moutonshoek alone for stock.

Another shrewd buy went to Bruce Le Roux of Spring Valley Stud, who snapped up a Graded Stakes producing daughter of Silvano, Tirza, for just R110 000. She is in foal to The United States and has produced Goodtime Gal and Tirzan.

Anton Procter of Burwell Stud, who keeps a small band of quality mares at Birnam Wood in the KZN Midlands, bought back into the family of his own-bred European winner Misty Birnam (Toreador) who has won in the UK and more recently twice in Germany – purchasing Lucky Lear (Jet Master) in foal to The United States.

This is also the family of the famous Northern Dancer star racing mare who was famously kidnapped in foal to Secretariat during his first crop, Fanfreluche – a tough and temperamental mare who won 11 races and was crowned Canadian Horse Of The Year, five of her races were Gr1 wins and she went on to produce 14 winners at stud, including several champions.

Overall, the Cape Mare sale reflected the economic climate. The turnover of R3,036-milion was 50% down on last year, while the average price of R27,107 was down 29%.

“The Cape Mare Sale saw the smaller farms seize the opportunity to bolster their portfolios, with good participation from them, especially KZN breeders,” said Gary Grant of Bloodstock South Africa.

In comparison, the Moutonshoek Dispersal sale yielded R8,427-million.

KZN have welcomed two new stallions to the ranks for 2019, that being New Predator (Bush Hill Stud) and Hat Puntano (Summerhill Stud).

A recent decision was made by the KZN Breeders Club to adjust certain rules within the KZN Breeders Premium Scheme, of which the end goal is to improve the breed.

The foal crop of 2019 will all be considered #kznbred, as long as the breeders return their broodmares from outside of the borders of KZN by 1 March each year, regardless of the stallions covering.

The KZN Breeders Club had also agreed two years ago, to assist Gold Circle with their increasing costs and funding increased stakes, and members of the KZN Breeders Club took a reduced annual premium in 2019.

On another positive note, the KZN Breeders Club have recently welcomed four new individual members to the KZN breeding ranks and we wish them well on their future breeding endeavours.

Congratulations to the breeders on their confidence and purchases, and thank you to the Cape Breeders for their hospitality.