Clifton Stud enjoyed another tremendous meeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wednesday, with a smart double and a 1-2 finish in Race 7, and continuing on to Thursday at the Vaal where Crusade’s thrice Stakes Winning daughter produced her first winner.

Recently licenced Stuart Ferrie is off to a great start and Proud Master (Master Of My Fate – Star Silvano by Silvano) came home a winner for the fifth time for owners Mr and Mrs D J Steyn and Mr E W Buhr under Sean Veale. In the same race, Clifton-bred Prince Of Taranto (Crusade – Caseys Dance by Mullins Bay) finished a close second, almost looking for galloping room in the finish.

Petite Verdot, a What A Winter half sister to Hong Kong Gr3 winner Chefano (out of Valdovino by Al Mufti), won again for trainer Garth Puller, owned in partnership with Peter Blyth of Clifton Stud is trainer Garth Puller, Miss T Roussos and Mr and Mrs A M Da C Quintas. The filly was ridden by Serino Moodley.

Thursday saw Clifton-bred Mount Pilatus go off at long odds to win on debut. The handsome Pomodoro colt is trained by Paul Matchett for the Spong family. He won very smartly on debut and arguably, gave Crusade, a former resident of Clifton, his first winner as a broodmare sire.

Clifton Stud boasting 39% winners to runners for the season with an Average Earnings Per Runner of R47,044 and three stakes winners this season.

Don’t miss Cliftons yearlings catalogued for the KZN Yearling Sale, including an Act Of War half brother to Gr3 winner Cliff Hanger.

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!

Clifton Stud’s daughter of Gr3 winner Glenrossal, aptly by Flower Alley, was a fast finishing second for major Clifton supporter and owner Peter White, in the Gr1 Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 SA Fillies Classic.

The race was won by Mauritzfontein’s Summer Pudding, who has now nabbed two legs of the Triple Tiara and will need to see out the 2450m on 4 April in the Gr2 SA Oaks.

Mary Slack of Wilgerbosdrift acknowledged in the presentation that she was very pleased that Flower Alley had produced the second place in the race. Mary has had associated success with Clifton – as her smart Gr2 winner Montreal Mist, by Soft Falling Rain, was crowned KZN Breeders Champion 2YO last season.

The Alec Laird trained filly Marygold won on debut and has placed 3 more times from 6 starts – 2 of them Graded Stakes races. She has earned R299,375 in stakes in the process.

Clifton Stud have a smart draft of yearlings headed to the 2020 National Yearling Sale in April – including an Act Of War half-brother to Spiritofthegroove, and a Kildonan half-brother to Gr2 winner, Montreal Mist and a full brother to 4-time winner Highland Hero. They also have yearlings on offer by young sires William Longsword, Act Of War, Willow Magic, Flying The Flag and Red Ray.

Clifton Stud did KZN proud when their magnificent daughter of first season sire, Soft Falling Rain, was knocked down to Form Bloodstock for R700 000. Rathmor Stud also had a great day, their best with Lot 68 In Auro who sold to Eight Mile Lodge for R500 000, whilst Roski’s eyecatching grey son of Captain Of All sold for R325 000.

Bush Hill sold two each for R300 000 – first Lot 71, a very imposing colt half-brother to Gr3 winner Neptune’s Rain, whilst their athletic Crusade half-sister to Gr1 winner and sire Irish Flame sold for R300 000.

Clifton Stud’s filly, who had a great pedigree update on Sunday when her Crusade 2yo brother won impressively on debut, is out of Var mare Esterel. She sold as Lot 148, named Montreal Mist, her dam has now produced two winners from three runners. Esterel herself was speedy, winning four races including the Bauhinia Listed.

Rathmor have brought a superb draft once again to Nationals, and their Lot 68 In Auro by Silvano sold for R500 000. Out of Victory Garden, a half-brother to mulitiple winner Victory Trip, this is the outstanding family of Mahubo, Imbongi, Oracle News, Kelly, Victory Moon and William Longsword.

Juli Santini of Roski Stud sold her eyecatching Captain Of All grey colt for R325 000. The first foal of the very fast Gr2 winner Go Indigo, this is the first crop of Captain Of All and the first Lot to be sold at Nationals. The athletic grey was knocked downt to Ralphs Racing. Go Indigo is a half-sister to 4-time winner Tar Heel.

Roski have brought an outstanding draft to the sales, including progeny by Gimmethegreenlight and Oratorio from an outstanding band of young Black Type mares – whose first foals have all won and have  Black Type.

Bush Hill Stud offered Neptune’s Rain half-brother as Lot 71, Treading Water, and he sold for R300 000 to P Sonasundrum. By Pathfork, the imposing colt is the picture of strength from the incredible damline of First Arrival – with the likes of In The Fast Lane, Pack Leader, Trademark, and Morisco in the family. Bush Hill’s other, a beautiful athletic filly was knocked down for R300 000 as Lot 118. She is a half-sister to Irish Flame, a Gr1 winner and sire.

Scott Bros sold their Crusade filly Dune Dance to Dennis Drier, who trained the dam Sahara (by Mogok) and her first produce, Desert Fighter to 4 wins. Dune Dance is a full sibling to 2-time winner Subtropical, but more importantly a half-sister to July entry, Matador Man. Matador Man is a Listed Winner, and placed in the Gr1 Champions Cup as well taking the KZN Breeders Million Mile.

Overall, the sale was very impressive – with 121 Lots selling for an average of R555 620 each, and the top Lot knocked down for R4,750 000 from Mauritzfontein for a Captain Al colt out of Cherry On The Top.

Visit www.bsa.co.za to view the sale live.

Crusade has produced two winners in a week, the first with Roski’s Onamission for Mike De Kock at Turffontein, the other with Romantic Crusade at Durbanville yesterday for July winning trainer Candice Bass-Robinson. Glen Kotzen’s debut winning Crusade, Wings Of Honor, followed up with a third place yesterday at the same course.

Romantic Crusade, owned by Messrs M W Bass, Peter De Beyer & Wehann Smith, has placed four times previously and knocking on the door for her Maiden win, which she won over 1400m.

Bred by Clifton Stud and sold for R100 000 at the 2016 National Yearling Sale, she hails from the damline of O Caesour and National Currency. She is a half-sister to the handsome Dante’s Legacy (originally named Tom’s Legacy), who placed in the Derby Trial (Listed).

Crusade, a winner of the Gr1 Middle Park Stakes, is a half-brother to twice Gr1 winner Seventh Heaven. The Oaks filly has also placed in the Gr1 Breeders Cup for Fillies and Mares, and placed second in the Gr1 Dubai Sheema against the boys.

Crusade stands for a fee of R20 000 at Scott Bros.

It was a typical winter day in Mooi River with visibility interrupted after the neighbouring farm chose to burn their fire breaks for the season, but a big thank you to Bruce and Delia Le Roux for hosting the BSA KZN Mare Sale, with plenty of steak rolls, coffee and wine to keep everyone warm!

Backworth consigned three mares to the KZN Mare Sale held at Spring Valley Stud on Monday and all three topped the price list on Monday. The leading purchase was the eyecatching chestnut mare  – Lot 6 November Sky, who sold for R150 000 to Clifton Stud. Her oldest foal is a yearling by Var.

Peter Blyth of Clifton Stud commented that she was a lovely big mare with a leading pedigree, and a bonus of being in foal to Var who is a difficult stallion to access.

A half-sister to August Rush and Miss October, she is in foal to Var and descends from the female line of She’s On Fire, She’s A Pippa and Cream Of The Crop.

Jane Thomas purchased Hargraves Bell as Lot 20 on behalf of a client for R110 000 – the Royal Academy mare out of Bellhouse by Danehill is in foal to Querari.

Her Australian pedigree includes the current top family in South Africa, none other than the great Mystic Spring (herself by Royal Academy), the dam of Bela-Bela and the family of Rabiya and All Is Secret amongst others.

Syd and Shirley Rosseau of St Helier Stud purchased Lot 14 Ballad For Annie, for R90 000. The Rakeen mare is in foal to Oratorio, and is a half-sister to Ice Cube, Jagged Ice and descends from the damline of Grand Emporium.

The Rosseau’s had two runners on Vodacom Durban July day, with Varimax (a three parts brother to Rivarine by Var from the damline of Pocket Power) in the Gr2 Golden Horseshoe and Ryker in the KZN Yearling Sale Million.

The top priced weanling was Lot 32 which sold to Michael Roberts for R50 000.

The Visionaire colt out of Vanity by Jallad is a half-brother to two winners, from the family of Australian Gr1 winner, Dracula.

32 of the 40 Lots consigned were sold, at an average of R18 000 each, R4000 more than last year.

Well done to all concerned.

View the Gallery of the KZN Mare Sale pictures on Facebook at the following link.

View the price list.