Curved Ball Off To Winning Start
Bush Hill Stud’s magnificent son of Fastnet Rock, the only son of the great Australian sire in South Africa, is off the mark with his first winner at the Vaal bred by Cathy and Jonathan Martin’s Hadlow Stud.
Fast And Rocking, a two year old filly out of an Australian Archway mare, Terrestrial Rose, won second time out for trainer Mr D Little in a juvenile plate over 1200m. The filly is owned by Miss MM Van Wyk and was purchased at the 2015 National 2YO Sale for just R30 000 and won convincingly by three and half lengths under Muzi Yeni from a seventh draw.
Curved Ball, an impressive looking stallion that oozes strength, quality and substance and throws his good bone, has just six runners of which one is a winner and two have placed – Tony Rivalland’s Je Suis Silver bred by Backworth Stud, and Lordofthegooglie bred by Klawervlei at Fairview.
Curved Ball’s top prices came at the 2015 CTS Cape Premier Yearling Sale with R350 000 for a colt from Klawervlei, whilst another lovely big colt at the Suncoast KZN Yearling Sale, bred and consigned by Spring Valley Stud sold for R230 000.
Curved Ball represents one of the most potent crosses to Fastnet Rock being out of a Zabeel mare. He hails from the immediate family of such horses as top sire Marscay, the triple Gr1 winning Melbourne Cup victor Subzero, Gr1 winner Grout and a host of other Gr1 performers.
Curved Ball himself gave every indication that he too was destined for Gr1 success with him placing in his first start, winning his second start and then in only the third start of his career he secured an emphatic length and a quarter victory in the Gr2 Dingaans (over Gr1 standouts Galileo’s Galaxy, Exhilaration, Smanjemanje and Bulsara), which he duly followed up with a victory in the Sea Cottage Listed. Despite suffering what was effectively a career ending injury in the wet in his next start in the Tony Ruffel he still managed a place.
His sire Fastnet Rock, one of Danehill’s finest sire sons, was a former Australian champion sprinter and is a multiple champion sire, whose 20 plus G1 winners include the likes of Atlantic Jewel, Amicus, Diamondsandrubies, Fascinating Rock, First Seal, Wanted, and G1 Investec Oaks winner Qualify.
Fastnet Rock is also looking like becoming a top class sire of sires, with his young sires Hinchinbrook and Stryker both having already sired Gr1 winners.
Owned by Klawervlei Stud, Curved Ball stands for a fee of just R8000 at Bush Hill Stud.
Curved Ball will be represented at the Johannesburg CTS Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale:
Lot 26 – a half brother 2 to stakes placed winners, this colt is out of a Goldkeeper daughter from the family of G1 winning sprinter Shoe Shac- who, like the colt on offer, is by a Danzig line horse. Also the family of Mauritian star World Focus and this season’s millionaire 3yo Victorious Jay
Lot 37 – a half brother to 6 winners, this colt is out of a five time winning Badger Land half sister to two top class graded 2yos. The family of champion, July winner and G1 sire and broodmare sire Bush Telegraph
Lot 135 – bred on the successful Fastnet Rock/Sadler’s Wells cross, this filly is out of a seven time and feature race winning daughter of international champion and outstanding sire Singspiel. This well bred filly’s second dam is a Gone West half sister to dual G1 Pacific Classic winner Tinners Way
Lot 142 – a half sister to a winner, this filly (inbred to the great Danzig), is out of a stakes placed daughter of champion sire Captain Al, while her second dam is a G1 2yo, who is by emerging broodmare sire National Emblem
Lot 174 – out of a G3 three parts sister to feature race winner King Neptune (and bred on the potent Danzig/Roberto cross), this filly is from the same family as the G1 winning siblings Stellite and Zirconeum
