Festival Of Fire Wins Gr 3 At Turffontein

Three year old filly Festival Of Fire, by Kahal out of Fuel The Fire by Russian Revival, won the Gr 3 Joburg Spring Fillies & Mares Challenge by almost 1.5 lengths, setting a new course record in the process.

Trained by Mike de Kock and ridden to victory by Derreck David, she is bred and owned by Mr CJ Saunders and Lady O’Reilly, bred and raised at Invermooi Stud.

It is her third victory from just four starts, placing third behind Felix The Cat at Scottsville in September. A very convincing win, she defeated a field that included the likes of Without Malice and Berry Blaze(IRE) – a filly that has placed third behind champion mare Igugu(AUS).

Fuel The Fire has also produced Governor General, who ran second behind Vodacom Durban July winner Pomodoro in the Grade 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes. Governor General, also trained by Mike de Kock has won twice and placed twice. She has produced four foals, two are now winners and both are Bold Black Type.

Fuel The Fire, out of Flame Of Fury by All Fired Up, descends from the damline of the great mulitiple KZN-bred Champion sire Jet Master, her second dam being Jet Lightening. Fuel The Fire has produced a yearling colt by Kahal.

Champion sire Kahal (Machiavellian – Just A Mirage by Green Desert) stands at Bush Hill Stud this season for a fee of R40 000.

As Warwick Render of Bush Hill Stud said so aptly in his speech at this year’s Bush Hill Stallion Day, “Kahal doesn’t need me or anyone else to sell his credentials to you. He finished third on the National Sires Log this last season, beaten by the now-deceased Jet Master and by Silvano [the latter two having stud fees in excess of R100 000], with forty and thirty runners less than these two respectively.

“Your support for Kahal for this season has been outstanding with the only negative being for us not being able to accommodate all the requests for services. This has to be the greatest tribute any horse can receive.”

This year alone Kahal has produced Group winners in Checcetti (Jacaranda Handicap Gr 3, bred by Summerhill Stud), Smanjemanje (Gr 3 London News Stakes winner and runner in this year’s Gr 1 Vodacom Durban July and bred by Summerhill Stud) and Tales Of Bravery (Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes).

Kahal has sired Grade 1 winners such as Bold Ellinore, Desert Links (both bred by Summerhill Stud), Spiced Gold, Noble Heir, and Chocolicious, as well as being the sire of Rathmor’s unusual white yearling with chestnut ears, Gran Blanco.