Clifton, the breeders of current Equus Champion 2YO filly Mrs Geriatrix, presented another classy draft at the final sale of the year, and their beautiful and appropriately named What A Winter filly sold for R375 000 to Scott Gaskell, a great supporter of the Rosetta based farm owned by Peter and Jenny Blyth. This was the top price for a #kznbred at the sale and for the top priced filly from the province.

Winter Miracle was presented as Lot 77, by What A Winter out of Crusade’s 2-time multiple Listed winner (4 wins in total), Covered In Snow. Incredibly, the two year old bay filly was born during the heavy snowfall of that year at Clifton Stud which attracted much social media attention.

She descends from a Clifton family that has stood the farm in good stead, that of Glenrossal, Marygold and Joshua’s Crown.

Blue Sky Thoroughbreds presented another sterling draft, and their top selling colt of the province was Lot 35, sold to Fabian Habib for R340 000. Named Rafa’s Choice, the juvenile colt is out of a Stratum mare from the family of Singapore champion Better Than Ever and sire Parade Leader.

Blue Sky Thoroughbreds topped the KZN Breeders at the sale overall, averaging R151 250 for all 16 Lots consigned, of which 100% were sold.

Congratulations to the buyers and thank you to the underbidders for their support.

Blue Sky Thoroughbreds’ sire Hat Puntano got off to a start last year with Givers Grace (bred by Wynnholme Stud) winning second time out for Carl Hewitson, and from very limited representation on the track, he has produced his second winner for Glen Kotzen at Hollywoodbets Durbanville.

Owned by Mr Jaime and Mariza Vilela, who also own the bay-almost-black stallion Hat Puntano, Hat’s Pride out of a Mambo In Seattle mare also gave Donald Geerthsen his first Cape win.

From six runners, the son of Hat Trick (Sunday Silence) has had two wins and five cheques earned for his progeny’s connections.

A beautiful stallion with boundless energy in his paddock, Hat Puntano arrived in South Africa a dual Gr1 winner from Argentina. His wins include the countries major feature, the Gr1 GP Gran Criterium (1600m) at age 2, and at age three he won the Gr1 Argentine Guineas (1600m).

After his arrival in South Africa and raced in partnership between Drakenstein Stud and Jaime and Mariza Vilela, at age 4 he won the Gr2 Charity Mile, where he beat the likes of French Navy, recently deceased New Predator, Mac De Lago, Tilbury Fort and Bezanova.

His most expensive yearlings and two year olds have yet to race. Givers Grace, from the female line of Badger’s Coast and Surfing Home, was a R30 000 graduate of the 2022 KZN Yearling Sale and earned her connections the BSA Bonus of R100 000 when she won, whilst the aforementioned winner Hat’s Pride was passed out unsold at the 2022 November 2YO Sale.

At the most recent August 2YO Sale, a lovely colt out of Frederico’s Dream (Gimmethegreenlight) sold to Jane Thomas for R180 000, consigned by Blue Sky Thoroughbreds.

Hat Puntano is out of a Bernstein / Egg Toss mare.

By Hat Trick, who produced eight wins in Japan and Hong Kong including the Gr1 Mile Championship, Gr1 Hong Kong Mile, Gr3 Shimbun Hai, Gr3 Sho Kyoto; earning the JRA Award at 4 for Best Sprinter/Miler and stood at stud in the USA, Australia, Argentina. He was champion sire of 2yo’s in France in 2011.

Hat Puntano stands for a fee of R6000 + Vat.

Blue Sky Thoroughbreds presented a draft that had something for everyone, and saw their outstanding Legislate colt sold as Lot 213 to Snaith Racing for R450 000.

A handsome and spirited bay colt, he is a half brother to 5-time winner Luna Wish, from the family of American Graffiti.

The top selling filly also came from Bruce Le Roux and Tinus Gericke’s Blue Sky Thoroughbreds, with Red Sparrow, an Act Of War half sister to Gr2 winner Gimme A Shot bred by the late Mr Kevin Seal, knocked down for R300 000 to Triple 8 Clothing. This is the family of Loofah, Light Of The Moon and Lucky Find.

Gary and Colleen De Klerk’s Summerview Stud sold a balanced and attractive filly Miss Munroe for R200 000 to Bobby Rajhununan. A daughter of Lancaster Bomber, the late son of War Front who enjoyed a double at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday, this is the family of Hidden Beauty, Sunset Tripp, Victory Moon and Imperious Star.

In form sire Rabada sold one Lot, a daughter of Listed and 5-time winner Just Chaos, for R140 000.

Blue Sky sold all 14 of their Lots presented for sale for an aggregate of R2-million.

Winnie Fourie’s Grace Stables top price saw a Potala Palace filly sell for R90 000 from the family of Horse Chestnut, destined for Zimbabwe’s Debbie Swanson.

KZN’s Jane Thomas was active at the sale as a buyer, listed in the top 3 after purchasing 10 Lots for an average of R419 000 each.

Following the general trend of strong prices and a solid middle market which has been felt in South Africa this year, the August Two Year Old Sale showed marked increases in both aggregate and average, while just 12 horses failed to find new homes at the sale.

The aggregate rose from R48 975 000 in 2023 to R59 690 000 this year, with the average increasing from R220 608 to R244 631, and the median rose accordingly from R140 000 to R160 000.

Congratulations to all.

A newborn New Predator out of Guide You Home by Gimmethegreenlight pictured to the left.

This mare, Guide You Home, has a fantastic Varsfontein pedigree, out of Gr2 winner Princess Of Light (Var), this is the immediate family of Arcola, Fiorella and Ash Cloud.

The mare is a half sister to Gentleman’s Wager who won 9 races including the Michael Roberts Listed.

This pedigree also combines international sensational sires More Than Ready, Galileo and Fastnet Rock.

Blue Sky have welcomed another ‘Chimi’ for the season. This super foal by Chimichuri Run out of The Angelus by Windrush is displaying his sires speedy conformation and strength. 

The dam, a 7-time winner including a Listed race, has produced three runners and three winners, including smart debut winner, Calling All Angels.

This is the family of 11-time winner Simonside, Jet Goddess and Pimp My Ride. The New Predator half-brother to this foal sold at the National Yearling Sale in April earlier this year for R375 000.

Chimichuri Run, a Gr1 winner who raced consistently and soundly to win 8 races including a Gr1 and two Gr3’s and placing in 11 Graded Stakes races at the highest level.

A Gr1 winning son of Trippi out of Gr1 winning Kahal mare Spiced Gold, he stands for a very accessible fee of R8000 + Vat Live foal.

Blue Sky ended their previous season on a high 47% winners to runners and R55 000 Average Earnings Per Runner, and have 80 mares remaining to foal for the current season.

They stand stallions Chimichuri Run, Willow Magic, Hat Puntano and Byword.

Images: Candiese Lenferna

Blue Sky Thoroughbreds Trippi sire Chimichuri Run has got off the mark with his first foal on the ground, an impressive filly pictured at less than week old, of grey BSA Ready To Run Sales Cup winner, Spiritofthegroove.

Both Chimichuri Run and Spiritofthegroove (Visionaire) were trained by Sean Tarry, with the grey mare winning twice and placing second in the Gr2 Debutante Stakes, fourth in the Gr3 Three Troikas Stakes from only 9 starts. 

The second dam is British import Grey Angel, multiple Stakes Placed including two Gr1’s and family of General Charge.

Chimichuri Run is a Gr1 winning son of Trippi, out of Gr1 winning Kahal mare Spiced Gold.

Chimichuri Run enjoyed a long and sound, consistent career, winning and placing in many Graded Stakes races including the Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint and won eight races, Merit Rated 126.

Contact Bruce Le Roux at svaccounts@bundunet.com to make your mare booking.

Classy filly Gimme A Shot showed tremendous promise early in her career, winning or finishing in the first three in her first six starts. She was particularly impressive when romping home to claim the 2022 G2 Betway Ipi Tombe Stakes when pulverizing such high-class fillies as Under Your Spell, Feather Boa and Marigold Hotel. Also, runner up in the G2 Prosport International Debutante at two, Gimme A Shot has earned nearly R500 000 in prize money.

Blue Sky Thoroughbreds are in the fortuitous position of being able to offer a half-sister (Lot 45) to Gimme A Shot at the 2023 August Two Year Old Sale.

A daughter of a proven G1 sire in the form of Act Of War, the filly in question also hails from the same family as champions Jay Peg and Kochka, as well as such high-class fillies as Cat And The Moon, Light Of The Moon and Shoot The Booze.

Act Of War, whose progeny also include champion War Of Athena and fellow G1 winner Battle Force, is also represented here by Casus Belli (144), a colt out of classy racemare Comme-Ci-Comme-Ca, and a half-brother (Lot 195) to Listed Bauhinia Handicap runner up Linear.

Other appealing lots on offer include Snow Moon (Lot 23), a Last Winter half-brother to G3 Umzimkhulu Stakes third African Dream, Barry Du Grond (Lot 72) a Last Winter colt out of G2 winner Tempted, and the New Predator half-brother (Lot 127) to speedy filly Chilly Winter.

This draft can be viewed from Block C at the TBA Complex in Germiston.

Tinus Gericke and Bruce Le Roux’s Blue Sky Thoroughbreds continue to rake in their success, reflective on the www.nhra.co.za stats of 50% winners to runners – an amazing statistic to achieve from 18 runners with over R1-million in stakes earned.

Their beautifully bred daughter of Dynasty grabbed the Listed Syringa Handicap for owner Suzette Viljoen, who enjoyed a treble at Turffontein on Sunday.

Tipsy Tarragon relocated to Tony Peter from the Cape and it is her third career win to date. She has produced three seconds since relocating north won the Syringa Listed emphatically, by over three lengths under Denis Schwarz. In the process she defeated Emirate Gina, Homely Girl and Supreme Quest amongst the field.

Out of Chartreuse by Gimmethegreenlight, Tipsy Tarragon sold for R750 000 off the National Yearling Sale. Blue Sky have continued the Dynasty trend with the well bred dam they purchased as yearling for R525 000 off the 2015 Nationals.

Lucky Houdalakis has a 2yo filly in training by Act Of War, her Act Of War colt sold at Nationals in April for R200 000 and Chartreuse is currently in foal to Legislate. It is the fantastic family of Kochka, Lucky Find, Leopard Strike, Garibondy and Dash For Gretna.

Blue Sky got their weekend off to a start on Saturday, with the handsome Rafa’s Boy opening up the start of a double for current leading owners Hollywood Syndicate. The son of Rafeef out of Flame Cat is a half brother to 4-time winning filly Rapid Fire.

Flame Cat (AUS), an import by Tale Of The Cat out of a Flying Spur mare and covered by Rafeef again last season, descends from the family of 18-time winner Strike Oil and 14-time winner, Border Rebel. The handsome Rafa’s Boy looks to be useful, having never been out of the money in his first three starts including his latest win over 1200m for trainer Gareth Van Zyl.

Blue Sky will present another sales draft at the coming KZN Yearling Sale, and includes yearlings on offer by Erupt, Talk Of The Town, Willow Magic, Oratorio, Hat Puntano, Rabada, Act Of War, New Predator and Global View.

Congratulations to the Blue Sky team!

Tinus and Liz Gericke celebrated a fine double on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Greyville, the official opening race meeting of Champions Season with a powerful finish from Blue Sky-bred Var filly, She Can, and following up with an incredible 5th win in a row with Rafeef filly, Our Emily.

She Can, a powerfully built Var filly out of Bedloe’s Island bred by Tinus Gericke and Bruce Le Roux in partnership, sold for R160 000 at Nationals and is raced in partnership with Tinus Gericke and Sterling Miller – Sterling also enjoying a double on the day and a 1-2 result in subject race, trained by Mike Miller. She races in Tinus’s blue and orange diamond colours.

She Can has raced four times now for a win and two place cheques. She is a half sister to Kahula, whose Gimmethegreenlight colt sold last month at the Nationals for R700 000, and a half sister to multiple winner Freedom’s Fire. This is the immediate family of Bruce Le Roux’s own bred Gr1 winners, Count The Money and Buy And Sell.

Our Emily is owned by Liz Gericke and runs in the familiar white and red cross colours. A smart Rafeef filly who carries the name of the Gericke’s grand daughter, she has had six career wins with the fifth one in a row on Saturday!

Beautifully bred out of a Captain Al mare, there is no doubt that she has earned a future place in the Mooi River paddocks of Blue Sky Thoroughbreds and the filly has developed a great rapport with jockey Rachel Venniker, who has ridden all of her wins for trainer Michael Roberts. She has won over 1200m previously, however her five wins have all been over 1000m on Polytrack and Turf.

This is the female line of Evening Attire and Undercover Agent, and her half brother is Only Him – a winner of the Listed Zimbabwe Derby.

Blue Sky Thoroughbreds continue their winning momentum, boasting 47% winners to runners and stakes earned of R928,375, from just 17 runners who have produced 11 wins amongst them.

Congratulations!

KZN Breeders enjoyed a very successful sale at Nationals, which achieved outstanding results in a tumultous current economy.

Bloodstock South Africa hailed the sale a “resounding triumph.”

“An outstanding catalogue and some spirited bidding saw the 2023 National Yearling Sale come to a triumphant conclusion late on Saturday afternoon. The two day auction saw gains in aggregate, and average and median prices, while the clearance rate at the sale improved off results seen last year.”

“The sale’s aggregate rose by more than R16 million, with the 2023 National Sale’s gross aggregate reaching R153.8 million, while the average and median rose to R443 228 and R300 000 respectively. The average rose from R357 454 a year ago, while the median price increased from R250 000 from 2022.”

Rathmor Stud took the leading accolades for the top priced colt of KZN, with a smashing colt by Danon Platina knocked down to Form Bloodstock for R725 000.

The colts groom, Zakhele Biyase, echoed the sentiments of the fantastic price and showed his jubilation as he lead the colt out of the ring with a big smile and a fist in the air!

Sold as Lot 325 and out of the beautifully bred Jane S Piddy, this is the family of Nexus, Lady In Black, Lizarre and The Merry Widow. Rathmor’s acquisition of mares from leading families is paying off, and they brought four quality yearlings to the sale to average an impressive R537 500 for each of them – snapped up by the likes of Glen Kotzen, Form Bloodstock, Hollywood Syndicate and Greg Bortz. The balance of the yearlings sold included a Vercingetorix sibling to Gr1 winner Missisippi Burning and Black Type, Mercury Rising.

Tinus Gericke and Bruce Le Roux’s Blue Sky Thoroughbreds brought a draft that they described as “having something for everyone” – and their impressive sales topper for R700 000 was a magnificent flashy bay colt by Gimmethegreenlight out of Kahal mare, Kahula.

After enthusiastic bidding, he was knocked down to the IRC & Krishnan Nagendran. A second produce for the 5-time winning mare, this is a family that has excelled for Bruce Le Roux’s previous Spring Valley farm in the form of Count The Money and Buy And Sell, as well as Bedloe’s Island. Blue Sky sold 14 yearlings for an impressive average of R280 357 each. Blue Sky consistently bring a well made yearling to the sales each year and its paying off in the sales ring and winners box.

Their draft presented on behalf of Agents yielded seven sold for clients for an average of R185 000. Many of them were by two year sire sensation New Predator, which saw 9 sold under the Blue Sky banner for an average of R216 667 each.

Others sold by Blue Sky sires included one by Willow Magic for R170 000, and the other by Hat Puntano for R180 000.

Peter and Jenny Blyth’s Clifton Stud brought another fantastic draft to Germiston; all well grown and well related yearlings who consistently earn their owners cheques and accumulate black type, their top price was for a colt named Hair Trigger, by in form sire Fire Away out of Aziza, sold to Peter Moor for R600 000. Clifton sold the highest priced #kznbred filly of the sale – the workmanlike Mai Sensation – a daughter of Rafeef out of Mai Tai by Vercingetorix. She sold for R500 000 to Greg Bortz.

Clifton achieved an average of R336 429 for seven yearlings sold.

Brett Van Laun of Camargue Stud debuted his Caversham-based farm at Nationals this year, and paid off with a smashing What A Winter colt out of Magic Penny knocked down to Greg Bortz for R600 000. The colts full sister to Black Type and 4-time winner Pretty Penny, whilst the second dam is Lady Lexington.

Brett also sold a super Querari colt, a three parts brother to Gr2 winner Ameena for R300 000 to Alyson Wright, and a beautiful sibling to American Grafitti for R250 000, snapped up by Corne Spies. Whilst it can take a while for new farms to establish themselves in the market, Camargue impressed with eight lots selling for R245 625 each.

Colleen and Gary De Klerk’s draft saw their New Predator out of Lady Carter sell for R180 000; they unfortunately had to withdraw their smashing Lancaster Bomber filly from the Nationals, but keep a look out in the catalogues later this year for Miss Munroe – her fourth dam is Imperious Sue and this is the family of Victory Moon.

Summerhill Equestrian and Gr1 producing sire Act Of War saw four lots sold for an average of R295 000 each. The top priced Act Of War, a colt from Clifton Stud named Peace Treaty, sold for R375 000 to Sean Tarry. This quality colt out of a Gimmethegreenlight mare hails from the Varsfontein family of Kochka, Kissable, Dash For Gretna and Moneycantbuymelove.

Well done to the KZN Breeders and thank you to the buyers and underbidders for their appreciated support!

Blue Sky Thoroughbreds will be offering a well-balanced and exciting consignment at this year’s National Yearling Sale.

From proven stallions such as Act Of War, Futura, Master Of My Fate, Querari and champion sire Gimmethegreenlight to exciting younger sires such as Danon Platina and New Predator, Blue Sky Thoroughbreds’ National Sale draft has something for every buyer.

Champion sire Gimmethegreenlight is represented here by a colt (Lot 333) whose five-time winning dam is a daughter of G2 SA Oaks winner Bedloe’s Island, and a half-sister (Lot 344) to G3 Cape Classic victor Captain Tatters.

Another top sire represented in Blue Sky Thoroughbreds’s string is Querari, with the latter sire of a three-parts brother (Lot 172) to the Querari sired G1 Thekwini Stakes winner Querari Falcon.

Lacewing (Lot 74) is a filly by the very promising Danon Platina out of G3 Strelitzia Stakes queen She’s A Stunner, while The Lodge (Lot 114) is a Master Of My Fate colt is a colt from the family of G1 Computaform Sprint winning sire sensation Rafeef and the latter’s champion dam National Colour, as well as the Master Of My Fate sired G2 winner Basadi Faith.

Former G2 Charity Mile/G2 Drill Hall Stakes winner New Predator has made a sensational start to his stud career and the son of Derby winner New Approach has no fewer than nine yearlings on offer in this draft. New Predator yearlings on sale include a colt (Lot 113) out of a stakes winning daughter of top-class broodmare sire Windrush, a half-sister (Lot 140) to G3 Strelitzia Stakes heroine Neptune’s Rain, a filly (Lot 144) out of Var’s stakes winning daughter Winter Passion, and a half-sister (Lot 263) to this season’s smart three-year-old filly Raratonga Rose.

The aforementioned draft can be viewed from Blocks C and E at the TBA complex in Germiston.