Toreador’s outstanding sprinting son and dual Gr1 winner this season, Bull Valley bred by Ambiance Stud (and trained by Champion Sean Tarry), won the the Cape Breeders Award last night for Champion Sprinter.

A strong contender for the upcoming Equus Awards (the previous year currently held by KZN-bred Talktothestars) Bull Valley gave his Bush Hill Stud resident sire, his third career Gr1 win victory in the process.

Bull Valley held off stiff competition in both the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint and Mercury Sprint, to win going away. It was the sixth career win for him, with his outstanding race record showing the four year old gelding to be only out of the money on one occasion from ten starts.

Toreador has had a fabulous season once again; his son Matador Man a winner of the KZN Breeders Million Mile and placing third in the Gr1 Champions Cup in a very strong field, after standing in the stalls and losing approximately five lengths at the start.

Both Bull Valley and Matador Man share similar ownership, with Jonathan Nassif enjoying a tremendous Champions Season with both.

Toreador will be represented by four Lots at the upcoming National 2YO Sale. The sire of numerous Graded Stakes winners, he stands for a fee of R20 000 this season at Bush Hill Stud.

Bush Hill Stud’s son of Danehill, Toreador, secured his third career Gr1 win at stud, and the second for the handsome Bull Valley of the season in yesterday’s Gr1 Mercury Sprint.

Bred by Marianne Thompson of Ambiance Stud who celebrated her birthday yesterday, Bull Valley is owned in partnership by PCS (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mr P Botha) & Messrs G L Blank, Z L Nassif & J Sarkis – three of the syndicate and their trainer Sean Tarry have also had recent success with Secretariat Stakes and Million Mile winner, Matador Man – another son of Toreador bred by Scott Bros.

This was the sixth career win for Bull Valley who is a previous winner of the Gr3 Man O’ War Sprint, and put his name in lights when he galloped to an emphatic victory in the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint, where Gr2 winner Search Party has now finished second to him twice in both Gr1 victories. Bull Valley has also placed second in the Gr2 Merchants, and winner of the Golden Loom Handicap.

Bull Valley is likely to be the winner of the Equus Champion Sprinter Award in August – a title currently lying with KZN-bred Talktothestars.

Bull Valley is out of Star Of Liberty by Saumarez, he sold for R180 000 on the BSA National Yearling Sale and took his earnings to R1 611 125 with his sixth win and three places from just 10 starts.

The ever consistent Toreador is on 30% winners to runners, and must be one of the most value-for-money sires in the country.

He stood for R20 000 last season, and has produced Gr1 winner Link Man, the brilliantly fast filly  and 7-time winner Lazer Star, Jackodore, Deliver The Power, She’s A Stunner, Rikitikitana and Hong Kong-based Misty Birnam, amongst many others.

Toreador is the most successful son of Danehill to have stood his stud career in South Africa.

Three of our KZN resident sires flew the flag high for our small province with three winners from the four Gr1 races on the day – two of them from from sires Brave Tin Soldier and Toreador, and the other from broodmare sire Spectrum with Sand And Sea.

Not only at Scottsville did we make an impression –  two of trainer Greg Ennion’s charges had success, with Crusade producing his fourth winner at Kenilworth whilst Just As Well’s handsome son Zodiac Jack placed in the Gr3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery Stakes, just a length off the winner.

Jockey Gunther Wrogemann might well have been singing “Brave Mary keep on rolling” when the Brave Tin Soldier filly burst away from the opposition to win the R750 000, Grade 1 Allan Robertson Championship at Scottsville on Saturday.

Carrying the action name given to the American Indian activist Mary Brave Bird in the 70’s, and costing a mere R40 000, Brave Mary stunned the large crowd at Scottsville and, even more so, the fancied runners Call To Account, Green Plains and Neptune’s Rain when she tore away to post a time of 68.3 secs, a fraction faster than the smart Dennis Drier-trained Twice Over colt Sand And Sea (and grandson of Spectrum), that impressively won the Gr1  Tsogo Sun Medallion.

Trainer Paul Matchett did not appear that surprised in the interview after Brave Mary, a daughter of the Rich Man’s Gold mare Mary Lou that he had trained to win six races, skated clear of the field. A former Zimbabwean top trainer and for years very competitive on the Highveld, Paul obviously had a good idea of what he had in his care to travel from Gauteng to Scottsville for just one runner on the day.

That confidence will have come from the filly’s last race over 1 000m at the Vaal where she bolted away from the maiden field to win by 6.5 lengths in the cracking time for a juvenile of 56.79 secs. Saturday’s performance will have strengthened his belief in her talent and she looks a very exciting prospect for the future. Brave Mary was passed through the 2016 National Yearling Sales ring as unsold; and offered at the CTS Ready To Run Sale later that year under Summerhill’s banner for Rupert Plersch, where she sold for just R40 000 to Greenstreet Bloodstock’s Justin Vermaak. Thinking it may be difficult to syndicate her – he sold her on to Paul Matchett.

This is the second Gr1 winner for sire Brave Tin Soldier and his third Gr1 victory to date – after Rabada won the Gr1 Premiers Champions Stakes and the Gr1 Daily News 2000. Brave Tin Soldier currently sits on an impressive winners to runners percentage of 36%.

Following up in the R750 000, Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Medallion, Sand And Sea was awesomely impressive in pulverising a field that included some very exciting young colts and geldings to give KZN-based Dennis Drier his seventh victory in the prestigious race and his sixth in eight years. Strongly fancied to beat the Mike de Kock-trained favourite Naafer, his supporter’s hearts will have dropped when he virtually walked out of the pens at the start and trailed the field in the early stages.

But when Anton Marcus said giddy up boy the colt quickened and before long it was race over as he skipped clear to win by 2.25 lengths relieving what was no doubt a few seconds of tension for his conditioner. Spectrum is a leading broodmare sire internationally and a sire of sires – his notable international Gr1 winners as a broodmare sire include Up, her half-brother and successful sire Dutch Art as well as Moonlight Cloud, who came close to demolishing Black Caviar’s squeaky clean record in her only British start.

For Sean Tarry there were big smiles when the Toreador gelding Bull Valley, that he had taken over from retired trainer Dom Zaki a year ago, demolished a strong sprinting field to win the top race of the day, the R1-million, Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint, giving Tarry a Grade 1 double for the day and pushing his stake earnings in the season to a record high which cemented his place at the top of the trainer log.

Steered to victory by champion jockey S’Manga Khumalo, he was tucked four lengths off the leaders early on, Bull Valley defied his 15 draw to score an emphatic win in one of South Africa’s top sprints.
Asked for his effort with 500m left to run, Bull Valley showed a breathtaking turn of foot to tear into the lead. From there, the gelding went on to post a one and a half length win over former Merchants winner Search Party, with Barbosa filling the third sport, just ahead of former Gr1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship winner Gulf Storm.
Owned by PCS (Pty) Ltd and Messrs Blank, Nassif, Nichas and Sarkis, Bull Valley was a R180 000 purchase from the 2014 National Yearling Sale.

South Africa’s latest equine millionaire, Bull Valley’s win on Saturday pushed his tally to five victories from just nine outings, with his previous wins including a score in the 2016 Gr3 Man O’War Sprint.

Toreador is on 30% winners to runners percentage. Whilst Bull Valley is bred by Ambiance Stud in the Cape, Bull Valley’s sire stands at Bush Hill Stud and has produced the likes of Lazer Star, Rikitikitana, Hong Kong export Misty Birnam, Matador Man and plenty more in recent times.

Reverting back to Kenilworth’s Saturday results, congratulations to Jenny and Peter Blyth who bred the fourth winner for sire Crusade, Weekend Warrior.

The juvenile gelding is out of Restructure mare Love Leah, the dam of Spectrum’ Gr3 winning son The Plunderer. Owned in partnership by Mr O Schoeman and Braam Van Huyssteen (the same owner-trainer combination own Zodiac Jack), the Greg Ennion trained horse has placed from his three previous starts.

Zodiac Jack, the well-bred son of Just As Well gave his sire more Black Type after finishing just over a length in the Gr3 feature on the day. Out of 10-time winning mare Pisces Star by Kahal, Zodiac Jack has won and placed five times from his six starts – his biggest margin by six lengths going away to break his maiden.

The colt is bred by Roski Stud, and sold for just R100 000 at the 2016 National Yearling Sale. He has earned back his sales price with extra to date. The under estimated Just As Well is still sitting on an impressive winners to runners percentage of 44% for the season.

With big results from small numbers, it pays to buy KZN-bred!

The often shoeless champion Talktothestars (pictured winning last year’s Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint) will have a fine chance of defending his crown in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville on Saturday.

The current KZN-bred Equus Champion Sprinter’s last run in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m where he flew home for second in much the same manner as he had when runner up last year, should see him on song for the Gr1 double. The strapping son of Overlord who didnt attract a single bid at the National 2YO Sale and left the ring unsold, went on to win the Tsogo Sun last year off a merit rating of 116, so has a fine chance this year off a 113 merit rating. Chase Maujean retains the ride for owner and trainer Coenie De Beer.

Spring Valley’s London Call, unbeaten in four starts this season, was beautifully relaxed in the running when winning a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1100m at Scottsville last time out and he then showed an effortless turn of foot in a quality field of horses consisting of several Gr1 winners.

This lightly raced six-year-old Kahal gelding out of Fancy Fantasy has improved and has a chance for trainer Mark Dixon and his connections (pictured above), despite having to run off a 111. London Call is certainly deserving of a Gr1 win and relishes the course and distance with an outstanding turn of foot.

Toreador’s Bull Valley will be a massive runner at his best as he has class as well as a good cruising speed and a fine turn of foot. Last November he finished just 0,3 lengths behind Trip To Heaven in the Merchants over 1160m at Turffontein when receiving 3,5 kg a and he was 2,1 lengths clear of Talktothestars, but will now be 4kg worse off.  He is a previous winner of the Gr3 Man O’ War Sprint over 1100m at Turffontein.

Jane Trotter’s consistent son of Captain Al, seven-year-old Barbosa loves the Scottsville straight. The 10-time winner trained by Dennis Drier and owned in partnership by his breeder, RE Alexander, Bruce Campbell and The Apache Syndicate (Nom: Mr JW Trotter)  has been four lengths off the likes of Red Ray and Carry On Alice previously and could be up there with them at the finish.

Keep  a look out for the 3rd leg (of four) of the KZN Breeders “Level The Playing Fields” Series, with the penultimate pools to be run on Saturday in the 2nd and 3rd race of the big Gr1 sprinting card. The recently engaged Billy Jacobson will be seeking a third win to secure his already dominant lead towards the jockey prize of the R50 000 (each for the winning trainer, jockey, owner and breeder).

Billy is aboard Paul Gadsby’s Roy’s Power in the second pool of the day (3rd race) – a winner who has placed nine times and finished just two lengths off over the last two starts of 1200m. Roy’s Power has yet to attempt the distance of 1600m and it will be a brilliant race to follow on the day. Previous winner Putchini who is on the leaderboard of the series will be in the same pool (3rd race), ridden by Jarred Samuel.

The second race (1st pool of two on the day) will see the three previous winners contesting each other – The Poet, Brave And Bold and Royal Agree. Sean Veale has been drawn to ride Wendy Whitehead’s filly Brave And Bold, previous winning jockey Morne Winnaar will be on Glen Kotzen’s Mogok filly Royal Agree whilst The Poet will be ridden by Craig Zackey – who finished second a very close second aboard Putchini in an exciting dual between The Poet (Billy Jacobson) and Putchini last time out.

The previous winning jockey aboard Royal Agree, Athandiwe Magudlwa will be aboard Charles Laird’s entry of Storm Outgoing. A stable Athandiwe is familiar with riding for, the son of Visionaire has won at Grevyille over 1600m previously in February and finished four lengths off over the coming course and distance in May.

This third leg will be thrilling to follow, as the outcome of both races will indicate the final field for the final leg of a stake of R200 000 on KZN Breeders Race Day (R1-million overall for the series), to be run over 1400m on the turf. Thereafter, the prizegiving for the overall winning jockey, trainer, breeder and winner will take place.

Be there on Saturday at Scottsville to select your winners for the KZN Breeders “Level The Playing Fields” Series and see who will be through to the final!

The current log below of the Level The Playing Fields Series.

– extract goldcircle.co.za

KZN-breds had significant success at Turffontein yesterday, with sons of Admire Main, Just As Well and Toreador all winning on the big day.

The Elmo Effect won the Java Handicap Listed at Turffontein, and is a five year old son of Admire Main out of Dream Starling. Ridden by Craig Zackey to a quarter of a length victory over 2450m, the Summerhill-bred gelding is a half-brother to Gr2 winner Heaps Of Fun, out of Dream Starling by Northern Guest, owned by Messrs Pravin Chetty & H B Odendaal and trained by Gary Alexander. This is his fourth career win to date, with 10 places earned and over R350 000 in the bank.

The Elmo Effect sold in 2013 for R225 000 at the BSA Ready To Run Sale. Dream Starling is a three parts sister to First Arrival, the dam of In The Fast Lane. Second dam is the speedy Clifton Queen, whilst The Elmo Effect’s half-brother includes Gr3 placed Cookie Monster.

The Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup presented by CTS threw a surprise when Michael Leaf’s Just As Well three year old gelding, swooped to victory ahead of Africa Rising in the R2,5million race. Chili Con Carne jumped from draw one under Gavin Lerena to win by over a length from Sean Tarry’s KZN-bred son of Visionaire, Africa Rising. The good looking Chilli Con Carne, trained by Lucky Houdalakis, is out of Windrush mare Wonder Glow, an unraced dam of three foals from the damline of sire Ribofolio, Champion Filly Up The Creek and Valley Dancer.

From limited books of mares, Just As Well has impressed with his progeny winning and placing consistently from small numbers. Just As Well, first past the winners post in a Canadian Gr1 and a consistent globe-trotting money earner, finished on a winners to runners percentage of 40.7% last season from 27 runners.  Just As Well, by AP Indy out of a Gr1 winning mare by Nureyev, stands at Spring Valley Stud and is owned in partnership with majority shareholder Roski Stud. Affectionately known as Jaws, Just As Well descends from the female line of sires E Dubai and Raven’s Pass.

Ever consistent Bush Hill sire Toreador saw his Gr3 winning son Bull Valley take the accolades in the Golden Loom Listed Handicap over 1000m. Jumping from draw 13 under S’manga Khumalo, the gelding notched up his fourth career win from just six starts (including a win previously in the Gr3 Man O’ War Sprint), defeating Tar Heel (Var) and Africa Rising (Trippi) in the process. A R180 000 National Yearling Sales graduate who has doubled his sales price in stakes, he is owned by PCS (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mr P Botha) & Messrs G L Blank, Z L Nassif, G Nichas & J Sarkis and trained by national champion trainer, Sean Tarry.

Well done to all concerned, and a very successful racing day for KZN.

What has to be the most value for money sire in South Africa, Toreador notched up yet another Gr3 winner to add to his accolades, with Bull Valley galloping home to an almost two length victory in the Man ‘O War Sprint at Turffontein yesterday, over 1100m, from African Ruler (Trippi) and Isca (Var).

Out of Saumarez mare Star Of Liberty, the Sean Tarry-trained three year old gelding is owned in partnership by PCS (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mr P Botha) & Messrs G L Blank, Z L Nassif, G Nichas & J Sarkis.

This was the third career victory for Bull Valley, and his first Graded Stakes win to date from five starts.

He has also placed once behind Noa From Goa over 1450m.

Toreador will be represented at the upcoming National Yearling Sale by seven progeny, two of them half-siblings each to Equus Horse Of The Year, Irish Flame – consigned by Bush Hill Stud who also stand Irish Flame, and Clifton Stud have a half-brother to Bezanova.

The son of Danehill continues to be in fine form, with his brilliantly fast daughter Lazer Star recently taking home yet another Gr2 victory, and placing two close seconds in two subsequent Gr2’s, the last chasing Talktothestars to the line by a head, and previously a nose off Captain Aldo.

Her incredible race record reads as 11 starts, seven wins and three seconds – only out of the money on one occasion.

Since 1 March this year, Toreador has produced 10 winners and 24 places from his runners and produces above average prices at sales. He stands for just R15 000 at Bush Hill Stud.