Brett Van Laun is over the moon with Camargue Stud’s draft for the 2023 November Two Year Old Sale. Camargue will be offering buyers the chance to buy two-year-olds sired by the likes of Act Of War, Captain Of All, Erupt and Querari to name but four.

Brett is particularly keen on Captain’s Dynasty (Lot 84), a colt by Captain Of All out of the twice winning Dynasty mare Desroches. This colt, who is from the immediate family of G1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes winner MK’s Pride, is “a smart colt who walks like a cat”.

The Querari filly (Lot 102) out of the smart racemare Felicity Flyer is certainly bred to be precocious. A daughter of a twice leading sire of two-year-olds, this “is a precocious filly whose mother won the first baby race of the season and she could follow in her steps!”

Camargue will also be offering a choicely bred colt (Lot 137) by Cape Guineas winner Act Of War out of former Equus Champion, and G1 Allan Robertson Fillies Championship winner Legally Blonde, with this colt a three-parts brother to the smart Act Of War sired gelding Blonde Act.

Buyers can find Camargue’s draft for this year’s November Sale in Block E at the TBA Complex in Germiston.

Camargue Stud will bringing a draft packed full of quality to the upcoming KZN Yearling Sale, with this consignment not only including yearlings sired by the likes of Act Of War, Erupt, Global View, Last Winter and What A Winter, but also horses hailing from some outstanding families.

Sire sensation What A Winter, whose flagbearers this season include G1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint winner Isivunguvungu among others, is represented here by Summer Heat (Lot 43), a half-sister to five winners including G1 Tsogo Sun Medallion winner Guiness. Camargue’s Brett Van Laun is understandably very high on this filly, and says of her, “She is a strong, powerful filly who looks quick in the paddocks, and is a half-sister to a G1 horse.”

Global View, whose son Dave The King ran a blinder when second in the recent G1 Daily News 2000, is the sire of a colt (Lot 20), whose dam is a winning full-sister to G1 SA Nursery runner up Ziparana and half-sister to G3 UAE 2000 Guineas second place finisher Zanzamar, and this is also the family of French classic winner Zalaiyka.

He is a “smashing colt, from a great international family. Out of a daughter of Trippi, this colt is an absolute eye-opener!”

Other attractive lots to be found in this draft include the Erupt filly (Lot 106) whose dam is a stakes placed daughter of Jet Master, the Captain Of All colt whose immediate relatives include G1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes victor MK’s Pride, and the Act Of War colt (Lot 167) whose dam is a three-parts sister to Listed Irridescence Stakes winner Anglet.

This draft can be viewed from Block A at Durban’s Suncoast Casino.

Camargue will be offering yearlings sired by such successful stallions as Master Of My Fate, Querari and What A Winter, as well as by the ill-fated Lancaster Bomber, who has made such an impressive start with his first two-year-olds this season.

The farm’s Brett van Laun is particularly keen on the What A Winter colt (Lot 358) out of Silvano’s Off To Stud Handicap winning daughter Magic Penny, and calls this well bred yearling a “a definite standout”.

Promising two-year-old American Graffiti, winner of the Listed Storm Bird Stakes this season, has a Querari half-sister (Lot 180) on offer, of whom Brett says is a “quality filly who should attract a lot of attention.

He also likes the Captain Of All filly (Lot 285) out of Listed Spook Express Handicap winner Forest Express, describing her as “an absolute belter”.

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

In a coup for breeding in KZN, five-time Gr1 winner Got The Greenlight has been purchased and will be standing at Brett Van Laun’s Camargue Stud in Caversham.

Brett Van Laun commented, “Got The Greenlight will change the KZN Breeders landscape. He is the real deal!”

The son of champion sire Gimmethegreenlight will be the first to retire to stud in South Africa, whilst Yulong Prince (Surcharge) takes up stud duties in Australia.

The outstanding colt with a Merit Rating of 126, achieved the rare feat of winning Equus Awards at ages two, three and four years old.

Winning over distances of 1200-2000 meters, Got The Greenlight defeated amongst others the likes of Gr1 winners Summer Pudding, Malmoos, Eden Roc, exported Marshall and Golden Ducat, Rainbow Bridge and Do It Again.

Amongst his Gr1 wins was the Gr1 Premiers Champions Stakes (1600m – age 2), Gr1 Horse Chestnut Stakes (1600m), Gr1 Champions Challenge (2000m), Gr1 SA Classic (1800m), Gr1 Daily News 2000 (2000m). 

He placed second to Belgarion in the Gr1 Vodacom Durban July, and third in the 2021 running of Africa’s greatest horse race behind Kommetdieding.

Trained by Joey Soma and sporting a kind temperament with an impeccable race record and earnings of R3,410,500 (eight wins and 10 places), Got The Greenlight is out of an imported mare Command Chi (AUS) by Commands, and carries a versatile pedigree that will be easy to pair with mares in South Africa going back to Danzig and Mr Prospector.

His dam Command Chi, a 2013 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale graduate who sold for AUS$100,000, won over 1600m at Kenilworth and only produced one foal at stud, being Got The Greenlight.

His broodmare sire Commands is by Danehill out of a Fusaichi Pegasus mare, and a full brother to a five-time Gr1 winner, Danewin. Commands retired from stallion duties in 2013 and was renowned for siring tough, durable stock.

He produced a 14-time Gr1 winner named Melody Belle and 13 individual Gr1 winners. He was Australia’s Leading Sire by Winners on three consecutive occasions.

Commands had four sons standing at stud including multiple G1 winner Epaulette and G1 Champagne Stakes winner Skilled, both of whom stood at Darley.

The third dam, Giovana (NZ), was crowned Champion Older Female Stayer in New Zealand with 8 wins – four of those Grade 1.

Sire Gimmethegreenlight (AUS) needs little introduction. A Gr1 winner in South Africa and Champion sire in 2020/2021, he has produced 41 Stakes Winners (www.arion.co.nz) including Yulong Prince, Cosmic Highway, Gunner, Barahin, She’s A Keeper, National Park, Ecstatic Green, Hack Green, Green Pepper and Gimme Dat amongst many.

One of the most exciting stallion prospects ever to retire to stud in KZN, a limited amount of shares remain available. Please contact Brett Van Laun on 083 659 5666 to book your share.

Noble Tune, who recently relocated to Camargue Stud, has passed away unexpectedly.

The sire of Gr3 Gold Cup winner Paths Of Victory was humanely euthanised on the operating table after vets did their best to assist the son of Unbridled’s Song.

Noble Tune with a purple pedigree, a Gr2 and Gr3 winner in America as well as finishing second in the Gr1 Breeders Cup Juvenile on Turf, is a half-brother to Gr1 winner and producer in America, Honor Code.

He also shares a dam with newly acquired Rathmor sire Declarationofpeace (War Front), standing at Rathmor Stud which was Noble Tune’s prior home.

Noble Tune, out of a Storm Cat mare from the female line of Serena’s Song, saw his best on the track with Gold Cup winner Paths Of Victory and Copper Mountain, second by half a length to Got The Greenlight in the H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes (Grade 1).

Noble Tune was the only son of Unbridled’s Song to stand at stud in South Africa.

The KZN Breeders Club recently held their AGM at the Nottingham Road Hotel.

The well supported meeting saw the KZN Breeders Club Breeders Premium Scheme discussed. The format for the scheme has changed, with breeders no longer receiving a cash claim, but a voucher to use against stallion shares, services, purchasing of mares and fillies for stud nationally.

There will also be totals set aside each year, towards the purchase of a new stallion.

In order to qualify for the scheme and for progeny to be considered #kznbred, mares need to be resident in KZN and need to return each year from out of province by 31 March.

The new Rules of the scheme are available at the following link.

Warwick Render and Cathy Martin were thanked for their extensive work on the KZN Breeders Premium Scheme and implementing the changes.

Cathy Martin remains as Chairman, with Bush Hill Stud’s Warwick Render elected as Vice Chairman. Peter Blyth of Clifton Stud has resigned as a Director, and Cathy Martin thanked Peter for his work on the Board and his experience will be missed.

Camargue Stud’s Brett Van Laun, an active breeder and owner, has purchased a farm in the beautiful area of Caversham and was elected as a Director of the KZN Breeders Club. Congratulations to Brett and we look forward to the future!

The current Board is Cathy Martin (Chairman), Warwick Render (Vice Chairman), Bruce Le Roux, Ted Hughes, Mike McHardy and Brett Van Laun.

Gr1 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf 2nd placed Noble Tune has returned to KZN where he is standing at Brett Van Laun’s Camargue Stud.

The son of Unbridled’s Song and the sire of Gold Cup winner Paths Of Victory, is currently on an impressive statistic of 36% winners to runners according to the latest nhra.co.za stats.

Initially starting his career at Rathmor Stud in KZN, he relocated to Millstream Farm and made his return today back to Kwazulu Natal.

His other feature horses include Noble Joshua, White Lightning, Abelie and Play Another Tune.

He is a half-brother to Gr1 winner Honor Code and to Declarationofpeace (War Front), standing his first season at Rathmor Stud in Nottingham Road with a full book of mares.

This is the phenomenal family of Serena’s Song, with the likes of Rizeena, Harlington, Made You Look, Sophisticat in the female line.

Please enquire with Brett Van Laun at gm@cstud.co.za for bookings.

A breath of fresh air to have such positivity in trying times!

When many other farms are reducing stock and even dispersing in these tough economic times which hasn’t been helped with the arrival of Covid19, Brett Van Laun is in the process of re-establishing Camargue Stud which formerly stood in Mooi River.

Brett has revived his families legacy, this time in the picturesque Caversham Valley in the KZN Midlands, which is situated in the vicinity between Lidgetton and that of the famed Michaelhouse school.

This particular area of the KZN Midlands, just south of Nottingham Road is no stranger to producing a good horse, with the likes of Gr1 winner Spiced Gold (the dam of Gr1 winner Chimichuri Run), Dubai winner Journeyman and even the recent Captain Tatters born and grazed on its lush mountainous lands with good water frontage and plenty of grazing.

When asked about how does he feel about the future of the Thoroughbred in South Africa, Brett replies: “I always swim upstream and see this as a huge opportunity to invest in the industry at rock bottom prices. I’m also hugely optimistic about the [Thoroughbred] industry and believe “I’m buying a share in the trough!”

An enthusiastic Brett says he loves the area and believes the results speak for themselves, “especially when you look at the Breeders titles and stats from small numbers in this province! Horses are in my blood and my younger years were spent growing up on a stud farm in Mooi River named Camargue Stud. I have continued my late Dad’s legacy and have kept the name Camargue Stud.”

Brett says he currently has accumulated 23 mares for the farm, “and still looking for more but we are concentrating on quality not quantity. We are boarding for clients and are honoured to have the owners of #kznbred Gr1 winners War Of Athena And Battle Force [both by Act of War], owned by Dr Rose Waterman-Wenzel and Roy Wenzel, Allan Mellor, the Step aside Syndicate as well as the Buffalo Syndicate all supporting us.

“Ive bought shares in Act of War, Captain of All and a service to Futura and Oratorio on the Cape Breeders auction. We are however still doing matings, so we are looking for shares in more stallions.”

When asked what foals were expected for their first breeding season, Brett replies that he is focusing on Stakes Winners or Stakes Producers. “We currently have three mares in foal to Querari – all Stakes Winners or Stakes producers – two in foal to Captain of All [the sire of Gr1 winner Linebacker], again out of Stakes winners, two Black Type mares in foal to What A Winter, three mares in foal to Act Of War and a Jet Master mare in foal to Erupt. We have a National Assembly Stakes Winner in foal to Canford Cliffs who is producing Group winners overseas.”

A farm rich in racing and breeding history, Brett provides a successful background into the Camargue Stud of old. “We started Camargue Stud in the 1980’s at our peak we had 120 brood mares and bred some great horses such as ARCSA award winning filly Special Key, and Gr1 winner Shoe Express for the Late Roy Eckstein. We also bred Lupine Lady who broke the 13 year old course record at Newmarket over 1000 meters. We produced two Broodmares Of The Year with KZN Breeders, namely Secret Key and Forewarned. 

Brett concludes, “We are passionate about horses and will be focused on individual attention whilst doing boarding of mares, yearling preparations, spelling, pre-training, backing of horses and working with problematic race horses.

In todays day and age with the modernisation of farms and the ability to provide immediate communication and experiences online, which has never been more prominent than it is now, Brett says that he wants their clients to feel part of the whole breeding experience and have provided for it.

“We have set up Webcams to watch live foalings, and will send regular videos of horses to our owners. Clients also have the opportunity to come and stay in our guest cottages so that they can be part of the great life a horse enjoys and thrives on at Camargue Stud!”

Congratulations to Brett and we wish him many winners in the future!

Brett can be contacted on brett@prop247.co.za