International Racing News For KZN Sires

International Racing News For KZN Sires

Plenty of international racing news relating to our local sires has emerged from the last week, involving recent new import Crusade(USA), Visionaire(USA), Just As Well(USA) and the deceased Second Empire(IRE).

On 28 February Clearly Now, by Horse Greeley – himself out of Mr Greeley – won the Group 3 Swale Stakes in the USA over seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park. Mr Greeley is stamping himself as a sire-of-sires, and as the sire of KZN’s new young Gr 1-winning stallion acquisition Crusade(USA) it is exciting times indeed.

Clearly Now, bred by the famed Claiborne Farm, is out of an Arch mare named Bend, in turn out of a Wild Again/Cox’s Ridge mare. A three year old, Clearly Now has also placed third in the Gr 3 Holy Bull Stakes and Display Stakes Listed. He won the race by one and three-quarter lengths from Singanothersong and Undrafted. Crusade will be standing at the Scott Bros to begin his 2013 breeding season.

Visionaire, a big and powerful Group 1 winning chestnut stallion at Summerhill Stud by Grand Slam, has produced an outstanding first crop of foals in South Africa, very much in the image and substance of their sire. Visionaire’s half-sister by Smart Strike named Scarlet Strike placed third in the USA, running in the Gr 1 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita over 8 furlongs on dirt.

Bred by Stonestreet Farms, Scarlet Strike was narrowly defeated by Beholder and Fiftyshadesofhay. Scarlet Strike also placed third in January in the Group 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes again at Santa Anita over 8.5 furlongs and in the Gr 1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes, as well as second in the Gr 1 Chandelier Stakes in 2012.

News to come out of the United Arab Emirates at Meydan saw Star Empire, by the late Second Empire(IRE) who stood at Yellow Star Stud for owners Manny and Mandy Testa (of Midlands Thoroughbreds), run third in the Nad Al Sheba Listed Trophy over 2810m, just missing the win by three-quarters of a length from Ahzeemab(IRE) (by Dubawi) and Certerach(IRE) (by Halling).

Running over turf in good going, Star Empire is trained by Mike De Kock and was riddent to victory by Chris Soumillon. He is out of the mare Lady Maroof by Maroof. Mike De Kock said on his website, mikedekockracing.com, that “Star Empire is a great result for the whole team as he had been off almost two years before his comeback three weeks ago.”

Lastly, Lovely Pass(IRE), a filly by one of Europe’s top young and upcoming sires Raven’s Pass – whose second dam is a full-sister (Ascutney) to the second dam (Words Of War) of local Group 1-winning sire Just As Well(USA) – ran second in the UAE Oaks Listed at Meydan over 1900m on 28 February. The three year old filly ran second to Shuruq (by Elusive Quality) and was ridden by Keiran Fallon. She comes off a Listed win, the UAE 1000 Guineas, earlier in February where she beat Shuruq by half a length over 8 furlongs.

Just As Well, a three-quarter brother to Judpot (both by A.P. Indy out of Nureyev mares) also has his first crop of foals on the ground and they are outstanding individuals with plenty of bone. Just As Well stands at Spring Valley Stud and is owned in partnership by Anton Proctor and Greg Royden-Turner of Roski Stud.

Young stallions in KZN who continue to churn out winners weekly in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Macau include King’s Chapel(AUS) standing at Bush Hill Stud and St Petersburg(AUS), standing at Summerhill Stud. Admire Main(JPN), another young sire at Summerhill continues to have winners from his first and only crop in Japan.