First Winner For Noble Tune

With only five runners on the track, Rathmor Stud stallion Noble Tune got off the mark at Scottsville on Wednesday when the Kumaran Naidoo trained Awesomely Tuned won at her third start.

Mike McHardy of Rathmor Stud commented that he is “so pleased to see Noble Tune’s first winner – hopefully the first of many!!”

Very pleasantly surprised, Mike went on to say “It is a little unexpected as Awesomely Tuned is out of a stout mare, which shows that Noble Tune is adding plenty of speed.”

The good looking filly was bred by Mr Shakthi Bunwarie and is out of the three-time winning Cataloochee mare, Gr3 placed Awesome Beauty – who has got her stud career off to a cracking start with two runners and two winners to date, the other being Awesome Angel One.

Awesomely Tuned was born and raised at the McHardy’s Rathmor Stud.

She had improved steadily from fourth on her polytrack debut to third at her last start, before bounding home to register a good win over the turf 1200m in a time of 70,36 seecs.

The first son of Unbridled’s Song to stand at stud in South Africa, Noble Tune is a half-brother to dual Gr1 winner Honor Code, and stood his first season in 2014. His first crop are now two year olds. Unbridled’s Song, albeit deceased is a leading sire and broodmare sire in America, and amongst his recent champions are Arrogate, Liam’s Map and very recent Eclipse Award winner, Unbridled Forever.

The first foal for Noble Tune’s dam and Stakes winner Serena’s Cat – her progeny have been in demand since the arrival of Noble Tune and Honor Code (whose first foals fetched up to $370,000 in 2017), and Lynton Ryan explained at a Stallion Day to the audience that “the cream” of the world’s Thoroughbred breeding establishments had all rallied to secure progeny from the daughter of Storm Cat and a grand-daughter of the great Serena’s Song – including Lane’s End and Coolmore – to which Lynton added “Rathmor Stud is in good company!”

In 2014 their Tapit half-sister named Serena’s Harmony set a world record when she was knocked down at the Keeneland weanling sale for $3million. A year later, their War Front half brother, Declarationofpeace, sold for $2,6million – and went on to win the Juvenile Turf Sprint at the 2017 Breeders’ Cup meeting.

Bred on the proven cross of Fappiano x Storm Cat that has produced amongst many champions 2015 Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah, Noble Tune’s sire-line is  unique to the South African studbook as Fappiano is now considered a new branch of the Mr Prospector sire-line.

Noble Tune was bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm, who acquired Serena’s Cat–a grand-daughter of US champion Serena’s Song (Rahy)–for $1.4 million as a weanling at the 2003 Keeneland November sale. Trained by Chad Brown, Noble Tune was a leading turf horse of his generation in 2012, and was sourced to stand in South Africa the following year by Alistair Brown’s Equarius Bloodstock. He retired with four wins from seven starts and earnings of $491,682.

Noble Tune placed second in the Gr1 Breeders Cup Juvenile on turf, and won a Gr2 and Gr3 amongst his outstanding efforts. Amongst his damline is the likes of European champion filly Rizeena, Sophisticat and Puissance De Lune.

Rathmor Stud have purchased an outstanding band of broodmares to supplement Noble Tune’s book, including two mares that have topped the two previous CTS Premier Mare Sales – for a price of R2,4-million and R2,6-million respectively. Rathmor also have amongst their band the dams of Lady In Black, Eventual Angel (a resident broodmare herself) and African Love to name but a few.

Rathmor Stud have the following yearlings going to the BSA National Yearling Sale in April by Noble Tune:

Testimony – filly out of Verbatim

Leading Lyric – filly out of Approach Me

Helluva  Ride – colt out of Time And Tide

Ghost Note – colt out of Silent Nights (AUS)

Manhattan Melody – colt out of Big On Broadway

Unnamed – colt out of Mythical Model (acting as Agent)

Noble Tune has had full books each year with substantial support from leading Cape farms, and stands at Rathmor for a fee of R25 000.