King Of The Charts
| King Of The Charts 05 February, 2012 – Lisa Barrett |
A look at this week’s statistics from Sporting Post reveals a proud achievement for KZN breeding and racing. King Of Kings, who stands at Peter & Jenny Bylth’s Clifton Stud, is the leading sire of 2YO’s by Stakes. What’s more impressive is that he is leading some of the biggest sire names in the country, the Cape-based stallions: Trippi, Var, Captain Al, Black Minnaloushe, National Emblem and Count Dubois.
King Of Kings crown has come courtesy some winning performances over the past month by two of his progeny at various racetracks around KZN. Little Princess, bred and trained by Gilbert Werner, won her Maiden Juvenile Plate at Scottsville on the 24th January. A few days later, his son, Reign As Kings, trained by Mike de Kock, won his his Maiden Juvenile plate at Clairwood. Reign As Kings is out of Lee Danzig, who stands at Warwick and Karin Render’s Bush Hill Stud outside Mooi River. These two victories take King Of Kings stakes earnings to R212,114 leaving him well clear of his nearest rival, Trippi.
Rated 125 by Timeform thanks to his impressive Group winning performances in England and Ireland, King Of Kings is a five-time winner of Group races at Group One & Three level. His precocity and talent were evident from the start, when he won the National Stakes (Gr.1) in Ireland as a 2YO. It was in England that he had his greatest triumph, when he won the English 2000 Guineas (Gr.1), this victory saw King Of Kings become the favourite for the 232nd Epsom Derby (Gr.1). Sadly the knee injury he suffered in the Guineas, saw his racing career come to a premature end. It was decided to stand him at Coolmore Australia, where he stood for four seasons before being shuttled between Japan (2003), New Zealand (2004), Switzerland (2005), before finally coming to South Africa in 2006, and more specifically KZN. In all King of Kings sired 11 Stakes winners from his first four crops.
One of King Of Kings sons to join the ranks of KZN breeding, is King’s Chapel, who stands at Bush Hill Stud. Winner of 10 races in Australia and New Zealand, champion three year old colt and champion miler in New Zealand, he too has kept his father’s flag flying highly with his stakes-winning Princess Emmy and impressive 2YO filly Lady Chapel.
There is a new King in the Midlands and he is standing proud.
| Lisa Barrett – Guest Writer “Lisa Barrett”, her psuedonym, currently works at a stud farm in the KZN Midlands – a position she has held for the past eight years. She describes herself as “absolutely and totally besotted by horses” and she is in a fortunate position to work with a stallion she idolises every day. She describes herself as “continually fascinated by every aspect of the racehorse business, especially pedigrees!” |
