A very proud day for KZN as two of the four Gr1 races were won by #kznbreds – Under Your Spell and Battle Force respectively, both bred by Mick Goss’ Summerhill Stud.
Mick Goss continues to breed on small scale, with his mares based at Spring Valley Stud.
Under Your Spell, a half-sister to Gr3 winning stayer Witchcraft (by Kahal) gave her sire Capetown Noir his first Gr1 winner to take the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship for 2yo fillies.
Capetown Noir resides at Lee Scribante’s Piemonte Stud in Summerveld, and reportedly covered only 3 mares for the 2020 breeding season. His other runner was Gr1 runner up Bohica in the Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint, who finished just three lengths off the winner.
Out of Deceptive Charm by Kingmambo and out of a Sadlers Wells mare, this is the female line of Casey Tibbs. Under Your Spell is also a half-sister to In Cahoots has won four of her five starts – including the Protea Stakes and was also trained by Sean Tarry. In the process the bay filly gave her jockey Calvin Habib his first Gr1 winner!
Congratulations to owners Sean Tarry Racing (Pty) Ltd and Mrs BMA Lahoud and Messrs M A Currie, C N Francis, A Lahoud, Jarryd Lahoud, Allan F Peters, Larry Pogir and Craig Zoghby.
Battle Force gave his exciting sire Act Of War his second individual Gr1 winner in the Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint. Losing a front shoe at the start and then unusually a back shoe, there was a delay but it didn’t stop the 3yo gelding out of a French-bred Elusive City mare from defeating Eden Roc in a close knit finish.
From the first four places of the Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint, three of them were born and bred in KZN – namely Battle Force, MK’s Pride (Willow Magic – Summerhill Stud) and Captain Tatters (Captain Of All – Roski Stud).
Owned by the same combination that own and train and bred War Of Athena, Mr R S Wentzel and Dr R E Waterman-Wentzel and running in the colours of Mr Roy Wentzel from the stable of Paul Matchett, Battle Force sold for R130 000 off the KZN Yearling Sale, with Rathmor Stud acting as agent.
Battle Force has been a force to be reckoned with in his last nine starts – winning six of them and placing second in the others. From 12 starts he has only been out of the money on one occasion!
Jockey Craig Zackey was naturally ecstatic with the result, but especially has he shed 5kgs to ride at the winning weight of 52kgs.
Act Of War has now produced 7 Black Type wins for the season and stands at Henning Pretorius’ Summerhill Equestrian.
From small numbers, KZN has had big results!
Congratulations to all concerned!