Four Winners In Three Days For Cataloochee
| Four Winners In Three Days For Cataloochee |
In what is almost a sad irony of a sire’s premature death, generally comes success from their progeny. Cataloochee has had four KZN-bred winners since 10 May at three different tracks around the country and Stronghold has achieved an incredible 50% winners to runners from just a few of his first progeny to race.
Cataloochee, by Al Mufti(USA) out of Lexington Love by Old Testament/Brigadier Gerard, achieved a top race record with eight starts and five wins and 2 places earning R816 562.
Two of his wins were Grade 1: the Computaform Sprint and the Golden Horse Sprint. He also won the Grade 2 Protea Stakes and Listed Storm Bird Stakes, placed in a Grade 3 and was voted the Equus Champion Sprinter of the 2004/2005 season. With this record, he justified his place at Summerhill Stud where he stood for three seasons before he had an accident in his paddock which resulted in his untimely death.
The first win came from the Vaal, a filly bred by Summerhill Stud. Named Rooi Nooi out of Lady Red by Russian Revival, she won her second start out by one and half lengths under Pierre Strydom.
The second – in a matter of days – came from Fairview on 11 May with the filly She’s Got Gears, out of Gypsey Spirit by Coastal – another from champion breeders’ Summerhill Stud. She was a R160 000 Emperor’s Palace Ready-To-Run graduate in 2010. This is her first win; she has placed three times before.
His most recent winners were both on the same day but different tracks.
Brataloochee, trained by Des Egdes, won at Clairwood on 13 May. Bred Mr and Mrs A Y van der Merwe and raised at Rathmor Stud, she is out of Brave Tina by Model Man. This is her third win from eight starts and she has placed second twice. A R50 000 yearling from the 2010 KZN Yearling Sale, she has now earned over R150 000.
At Arlington, Jella Loochee, out of Jellaba by Rakeen, bred by George Rowles, won for the fourth time from 12 starts and she has placed three times. She has earned almost R180 000.
Cataloochee’s last crop to race came from 2009, and we look forward to more to come from these young horses.
Another son of Al Mufti stands at Scott Bros’ Highdown Stud, The Sheik. He had 6 wins, from 1200-2000m, at age 2 to 5, for stakes of over R1 million including the Gr 1 Cape Derby, Gr 1 SA Guineas and Gr 2 Sharp Juvenile Stakes. He achieved a Merit Rating of 108 and he is a full Brother to Champion sprinter Al Nitak. To date he has sired Stakes Performers such as Sheikitupbaby(Listed), Asian Affair (Gr 3 SP), Carina Coleman (Gr 3 SP) and Main Miracle (LP).
A sire who has been a sad loss in hindsight of his progeny’s early achievements has been the son of Danehill, Stronghold. Stronghold had an impeccable pedigree, being out of a Mr Prospector/Riverman mare. He covered just two seasons at Summerhill Stud prior to his passing.
From an incredible 11 runners from his first crop (2009), he has had five winners to date with his top-earner being Dalalaat. At the 2011 Emperor’s Palace National Yearling sale, his top-seller was the filly Negev out of the mare Haifaa, and half-sister to KZN Breeders Award winning Outstanding Two Year Old Filly, Extra Zero.
His top-selling colt Marino Casino was sold at this years Emperor’s Palace National Yearling Sale and he went for R300 000. Out of the Gallic League mare Winning Glory and consigned by Summerhill Stud, he is a half-brother to 35-time winning Hear The Drums.
