Independant Newspapers And Gold Circle Tour Yellow Star Stud

Gold Circle’s Raceday Promotions team invited the Independent Newspapers Marketing and Promotions team to join them for a visit and lunch to Koos and Lorraine De Klerk’s Yellow Star Stud on Wednesday.

[ Click here to check out the gallery from the tour ]

Fortunately the weather held up well after starting the day at a very wet Makaranga Lodge for breakfast in Kloof. The tour arrived at Yellow Star and were greeted with two of Yellow Star’s resident stallions of six – Kildonan and Spectrum – covering their morning allocation of mares. Yellow Star Stud is one of the few farms in KZN that offers the complete experience of breeding a racehorse – from conception and birth to racing.

Yellow Star Stud also stand Tropical Empire (his second season), Icelander, Lion Tamer and Damage Is Done, who had another winner recently on 26 November with Shiver ‘n Shake. An interesting piece of information that Koos De Klerk passed on – Kildonan holds the Course record at Scottsville over 1200m, while Tropical Empire holds the Class Record.

Kildonan is making the headlines as a young stallion with plenty of potential, having produced four winners from just six runners already. Spectrum has made a significant impact on the Thoroughbred Stud book the world over as a broodmare sire – at one stage being 84th in the world – and having produced a number of Gr 1 winners overseas including the recent likes of Moonlight Cloud and Winchester. He is also the broodmare sire of Gr 1 winning Dutch Art, who is himself becoming a leading sire in the UK.

They also paid a visit to the mares and foals, and racing yard at Yellow Star Stud – Chris Erasmus operates a satellite yard from Yellow Star Stud and the racehorses travel to each meeting from Mooi River. Assisted by Ivan van Wyk, there is a string of about 50 horses in training.

Monica Holman of Gold Circle, who heads up the Raceday Promotions team, thanked Yellow Star for a great day: “This was truly an outstanding day. Everyone just loved every minute of it and we all thought that Yellow Star was just superb. What amazingly hospitable people and what a glorious farm!”

The names are as follows from left – right bottom row Shabnum Moosa, Tashni Bridgmohan, Precious Mbatha (Gold Circle), Phillida Ellis, Leanne Pillay (Gold Circle) – Top row: Monica Holman (Gold Circle), Bronwyn Fynn, Vikash Doorgapershad (Gold Circle), Vanessa Brisset.

Thank you to all concerned for hosting a memorable day!