Bush Hill Stud report that they have had 11 winners for the season so far and achieved over a million in earnings for their owners, with two wins this month and seven 2nd places (from 16 places in total), which should convert to wins very soon.

The honest Kahal gelding Aramouse, a full brother to Gr2 winner The Mouseketeer, had his six career win, now in the care of trainer Corrie Lensley and owners Messrs S J Myburgh & P L Olivier & Johan Venter Familie Trust. He has also placed 10 times with stakes of over R430 000.

The Curved Balls continue to the winners box, and Sean Tarry’s Against The Grain won by almost two lengths in his fifth outing, after placing in all four of his previous starts including two seconds, one of them on debut! The three year old is out of Crest Of Pearls by National Emblem.

Against The Grain will be in the starting stalls for the Secretariat Listed at Turffontein tomorrow.

Curved Ball will be flying the flag again in the Gr2 Merchants, as his imposing son – a gentle giant in Hard To Play, goes for the straight 1160m run at Turffontein amongst good company. The Wendy Whitehead trained four year old gelding is owned by Messrs Geoff Perkins, Michael Sinnema & Wendy Whitehead and out of Dr Ian Heyns Kahal mare, La Mascarata.

Hard To Play has won five races and had five places from 12 starts, including winning the KZN Winter Challenge, beating Gr1 filly Dawn Calling last time out by over a length and finishing three lengths off Undercover Agent in the Gr3 Byerley Turk.

He shows enormous heart and grit, reminiscent of his sire, the only son of Fastnet Rock at stud in South Africa.Curved Ball is represented at the KZN Breeders Awards tomorrow night by Seerite, who ran a whisker to Monks Hood in the Gr2 Dingaans.

He has been nominated for Champion 3YO Colt and and Champion Middle Distance Colt.

A resident broodmare of Bush Hill Stud, Vin Fizz is once again prevalent at the awards (she had two nominees last year – Champagne Haze and Belle Rose) as Champagne Haze has been nominated for two Awards, and runs tomorrow in the Gr2 Merchants.

Another from Bush Hill running tomorrow is the smart Toreador Ouro, racing in the Gr3 Magnolia Handicap over the 1160m distance. The four year old filly out of Goldkeeper mare Gold Lass has very consistent form, winning twice and placing in eight of her 11 starts. She is trained by Paul Peter and only been out of the money on one occasion for owner Mr Da Costa.

Wishing all a great day at Turffontein and we look forward to tomorrow night’s KZN Breeders Awards.

Wendy Whitehead’s big and handsome son of Curved Ball, Hard To Play, flew to a phenomenal victory at Greyville on Sunday in the Pinnacle Stakes.

A field littered with Gr1 performed horses and Stakes Winners, #kznbreds London Call and Dawn Calling were the fancied runners and Dawn Calling was unlucky once more, collecting her 11th second place!

Wendy Whitehead scored a back-to-back double with Hard To Play showing a tremendous turn of foot to land the Pinnacles Stakes and Rocking Ruby (out of a Mogok mare) finishing too strongly for the opposition in the next.

Once Stuart Randolph released the brake, Hard To Play sailed past the filly as if he had jumped in at the furlong pole over the 1200m turf.

Hard To Play, a duplicate in looks of his sire Curved Ball who is the first son of Fastnet Rock to stand at stud in South Africa, has an outstanding temperament and truly is a gentle giant. The four year old out of La Mascarata by Kahal is bred by Dr Ian Heyns and has earned R 425,125 in stakes, with five wins and five places from 14 starts.

He is part owned by trainer Wendy Whitehead, along with Messrs Geoff Perkins and Michael Sinnema. Curved Ball had another brilliant winner on Friday evening, with Lola Crawford-trained Miss Twist flying to the finish under jockey Craig Zackey. She has won and placed from five starts.

Curved Ball from small numbers has produced 5 winners this season, and 17 places. He produced 33.3% winners to runners for the 2017 season, including Gr2 2nd placed Seerite in the Dingaans, with over R2-million in stakes from 51 runners.

Curved Ball stands at Bush Hill Stud.

Hadlow Stud will be offering a single lot at the 2018 National Two Year Old Sale –and this is a filly (Lot 207) by the Fastnet Rock sired Dingaans winner Curved Ball.

This Curved Ball daughter is out of a half-sister to seven time stakes winner All Ablaze (like the filly here sired by a Danzig line stallion) and her second dam is a half-sister to former star 2yo and G1 winner Mighty Crystal.

Curved Ball is the sire of the talented 4-time winner Hard To Play and Gr2 2nd placed in the Dingaans – Seerite, as well as Zim champion Knuckleball and brave filly Je Suis Silver, and ended the season on 33.3% winners to runners with 22 wins for the season and over R2-million earned with 80 places.

Hadlow Stud have had previous success with Curved Ball, breeding Dennis Drier’s Ticket Holder and Fast And Rocking.

Arguably South Africa’s best value for money thoroughbred auction, the 2018 National Two Year Old Sale takes place next month at the TBA complex on August 16th and 17th.

After Butchie Boy (Crusade) took the first leg of the Zimbabwean Triple Crown a few weeks ago, Clifton-bred Knuckleball followed up with a win in the Gr3 Zimbabwe 2000 on Saturday.

Trained by Penny Fisher and with Ryan Munger in the irons, the three-year-old gelding has now won four and been placed seven times from 11 starts. He was bred by Clifton Stud and is owned by Mr V. Gappah, Mr R H S and Mrs P Beattie, and Mr D H and Mrs J L Cocksedge.

Israel, Butchie Boy and Bugatti Blue filled the minor places. The going was soft – penetrometer reading 29.

Knuckleball is a son of Curved Ball, the only son of Fastnet Rock at stud in South Africa. He passed through the 2016 KZN Yearling Sales ring as unsold. Out of Bit Of Bizet by Opera King, this is the immediate family of Surveyor and Argentine multiple Gr1 winner and sire, Lord At War.

There is a Bush Hill Stud connection to the Zim Triple Crown to date, as they foaled and raised Butchie Boy for breeder Richard Fitzgerald, and stand Curved Ball at their farm in Mooi River.

Hearty congratulations to the winning connections.

-extract zimracing.com

Photographs by Gavin Macleod

From small numbers in our province, KZN had a great Summer Cup race day with a Gr2 Merchants win, followed up by several places in the feature races of the day including a very close second in the Gr2 Dingaans.

Trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren picked up his maiden Gr2 Merchants success courtesy of the Visionaire gelding, The Thinker. Summerhill Stud are doing KZN proud once again on the seasonal stats, as the current leading breeders of South Africa. Summerhill are having enormous success in particular with the progeny of Await The Dawn leading the way. KZN-bred Big Bear is currently the top earning racehorse of the season in South Africa.

The lightly raced The Thinker showed that he could be a sprinter to follow this season when he stormed through from some lengths off the speed for an impressive victory.

The only winner on the multiple feature programme in the SA champion owner silks of the Mayfair Speculators, The Thinker rewarded those that had seen his hard luck run when under a length off Graduation Day in the Golden Loom Handicap at his last outing.

With Naafer and Romi’s Boy going quickly early on, Donovan Mansour had The Thinker nearer last early on but gradually built him up into contention.

At the 300m marker, Naafer galloping all alone down the inside looked like he could be a serious challenger, but The Thinker had them all ice cold and went on to score by 1,10 lengths over the game 3yo Naafer in second.

Trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren was a relieved man. “After Square The Circle was beaten earlier and Kilauea ran such a bad race in the Magnolia, I was worried. I knew The Thinker would be the watershed – he was the horse putting up good work at home. Thankfully he produced that on the track!”

Bred by Summerhill Stud, The Thinker is a four year old son of Gr1 King’s Bishop Stakes winner Visionaire (Grand Slam) out of the three-time winner Radiant Lass  by Northern Guest.

A R180 0000 CTS Johannesburg Ready To Run Sale graduate, The Thinker has won five races with a place from 11 starts and stakes of R590 050.

Bush Hill Stud-bred son of Curved Ball, Seerite, came close to downing Monks Hood in the Gr2 Dingaans. Seerite has won and placed from just two starts and almost emulated his sire Curved Ball’s win in the Gr2 Dingaans.  Out of Damascus Charmer by Damascus Gate, Seerite is owned by Mr K Wilson and trained by Robbie Sage. He challenged Monks Hood in a flying finish to miss it by a head.

Scott Bros featured on the big day with the full sister to Gr1 winner and Equus Champion Sprinter Talktothestars (the latter finishing fifth in the Gr2 Merchants – a race he had won previously), saw Lady Starlett place third in the Gr3 Magnolia Handicap less than two lengths off the grey winner.

Racing in the familiar orange and white silks and blinkers of Talktothestars owner and trainer Mr Coenie De Beer, the filly with a big heart is a 4-time winner. She is by Overlord out of Tellittothestars, bred by Scott Bros.

Next up for Scott Bros saw the son of Mogok, Pagoda, gallop to a gallant fourth place in the Gr1 Sansui Summer Cup. Trained by Geoff Woodruff and bred by Varsfontein Stud from the former resident broodmare of Scott Bros, Pagoda finished just over two lengths off the winner.

A full brother to Gr1 Gold Cup winner Wild One, Save The Rhino by Mogok finished third in the marathon 3200m Racing Association Listed behind Fortissima. Save The Rhino is trained by Ormond Ferraris and placed under Keagan De Melo.

Paul Peter’s brave filly Fort Ember, a Gr2 winning grand daughter of Kahal, finished second in the Gr1 Sansui Summer Cup. Kahal has had Group success as a broodmare sire and recently produced a Gr3 winner in Australia. We look forward to seeing his Frankel grand daughter debut for owner Shadwell Stud and trainer Mike De Kock.

Congratulations to all concerned.

-extract sportingpost.co.za

Born and raised at Bush Hill Stud for breeders Mr S Fuhri, the handsome Curved Ball colt Bad Attitude won his second start yesterday at Scottsville for trainer Dennis Drier – one of four winners for the conditioner on the day.

He beat a field which included the favourite, a Captain Al colt named Drageda.

Sold for R200 000 at the 2016 CTS March Select Yearling Sale to Mayfair Speculators, Bad Attitude made it look easy to win comfortably by over a length.

The three year old gelding is a half-brother to 8-time winner and Umgeni Listed Placed Mr Whatever, as well as Gr2 placed Storm Bringer.

Out of Goldkeeper / Model Man mare Cool Gold, this is the damline of the brilliant Shoe Shac.

Amongst Curved Ball’s recent winners is Wendy Whitehead’s special unbeaten colt, Hard To Play whilst On The Bounce is looking for a win after placing 6 times from seven starts.

A Curved Ball colt made it look all to easy on debut yesterday at Scottsville, for trainer Wendy Whitehead and owners Geoff Perkins, Michael Sinnema in partnership with Wendy Whitehead.

Purchased off the Klawervlei Farm Sale, the juvenile out of Kahal mare La Mascarata bred by Dr Ian Heyns, sauntered to an easy victory under Craig Zackey over the 1200m comfortably by over a length.

Wendy describes the big colt, named Hard To Play, as having a very gentle and quiet disposition, and had warned Craig not to be put off by his very calm manner, which saw him trotting up the track to the starting stalls in a very relaxed fashion.

Curved Ball’s other progeny attracting attention is the filly Je Suis Silver, a 3-time winner who has also placed four times for trainer Tony Rivalland, and a very exciting filly bred by Anton Procter named On The Bounce, in the care of Charles Laird (the former trainer of Curved Ball), for owner Mayfair Speculators.

On The Bounce has been unlucky to place second in three of her starts from five, yet to be out of the money. She is out of a Captain Al mare, Ribbons For Thee, and has been nominated to run in the Gr1 Thekweni Stakes.

Curved Ball, a Gr2 Dingaans winner, is the only son of Fastnet Rock at stud in South Africa and stands at Warwick and Karin Renders Bush Hill Stud.

Tony Rivalland’s courageous Curved Ball filly, Je Suis Silver, broke the Class record at Greyville on Friday night in a time of 57,94 seconds.

The filly, bred by Backworth Stud and owned by Messrs I M & M G Horsfield, G N Cumming, A S Potts, A J Rivalland & Mrs Mary Liley, has also placed four times from 10 starts, favouring the 1000m at Greyville over the Polytrack.

Out of Announce mare Share The Silver – the dam a five time winner and Listed placed on two occasions, is out of a What A Prospect / Rakeen mare.

She has a Judpot colt coming through named Ricky Bobby, who sold for just R50 000 at the KZN Yearling Sale last year.

This is the evergreen family of Soho Secret, including the likes of Promisefrommyheart, Master Of My Fate, London News, Pluck and so forth.

Gr2 Dingaans winner Curved Ball is the only son of Fastnet Rock standing at stud in South Africa. He stands at Bush Hill Stud for a fee of R 8000. Bush Hill Stud had a productive Friday at the office, accumulating winners by resident sires Toreador and King’s Chapel.

From 19 horses to race, Bush Hill Stud’s Curved Ball produced his sixth winner this afternoon at the Vaal for breeders Cathy and Jonathan Martin of Hadlow Stud – who also bred the first ever winner by Curved Ball, a juvenile filly in the previous season named Fast And Rocking.

Fast And Rocking, out of an Australian import Terrestrial Rose by Archway, sold for R30 000 at the National Two Year Old Sale and has doubled her purchase price in stakes, in the process defeating the consistent Might As Well  (by Just As Well) into second place, a filly that has won twice and placed 10 times – six of those in second place.

Rivers Edge, a three year old gelding trained by Mr S Ferreira and owned by Miss MM Van Wyk, won third time out this afternoon by almost two lengths after placing in his previous at the Vaal, both races over 1600m. Rivers Edge sold for just R40 000 at the 2015 National Two Year Old Sale, and is out of Badger Land mare River Maiden. This is the dam-line of champions Jeppe’s Reef, Freedom Fortune and Studio Fify Four as well as Disco Al.

Curved Ball is a winner of the Gr2 Dingaans and the only son of the sensational Coolmore sire Fastnet Rock, to stand at stud in South Africa. Fastnet Rock was crowned Champion sire in Australia 2011/12 & 2014/15, a Champion 3-y-o colt and Champion Sprinter in Australia 2004/05.

His top European performers include Fascinating Rock (Champion Stakes-Gr.1, Tattersalls Gold Cup-Gr.1), Intricately (Moyglare Stud Stakes-Gr.1), Qualify (Oaks-Gr.1), Diamondsandrubies (Pretty Polly Stakes-Gr.1), Rivet (Racing Post Trophy-Gr.1, Champagne Stakes-Gr.2), One Foot In Heaven (Grand Prix de Chantilly-Gr.2 & Prix du Conseil de Paris-Gr.2), Cougar Mountain (Joel Stakes-Gr.2), Turret Rocks (May Hill Stakes-Gr.2).

The most striking point to come from Fastnet Rock’s title is the class of stallions he bested – champions such as Lonhro, Redoute’s Choice and More Than Ready.

Curved Ball had three wins from only seven starts in South Africa, taking the Gr2 Dingaans as well as the Sea Cottage Listed. Curved Ball was probably best over a mile like many top sires, scoring his biggest victory in the G2 Dingaans. He met and defeated such top-class performers as Bulsara, Exhilaration, Smanjemanje, Club Victor and Galileo’s Galaxy.

Described as one of the best horses Charles Laird had ever trained, Curved Ball stood for a fee of only R8 000 this breeding season. We will be hearing more from his three year old’s this season!

Warwick and Karin Render’s Bush Hill Stud have had four winners in seven days at Greyville, the Vaal and Scottsville racecourses by resident sires King’s Chapel, Kahal (sadly deceased) and Curved Ball.

Kali’s King by King’s Chapel began the winnings streak at Greyville on the 18th, the Duncan Howell’s trained four year old colt has now won and placed three times for owner Mr J Sarkis. Out of Kali Dancer by Joshua Dancer, Kali’s King does enjoy longer and has won and placed over distances of 1900 – 2000m. Kali’s King is a half-brother to four-time winner Elegant Bay. King’s Chapel has notched up three winners in the past ten days, with 11 places.

Weiho Marwing-trained Aramouse, a full brother to Gr2 and Gr3 and nine-time winning The Mouseketeer, captured his third victory at Greyville from eight starts by a quarter of a length. The son of Kahal sold for R240 000 at the 2014 National Yearling Sale and is owned by Mr Hassan Adams and D Chinsammy. He has placed three times – including a very close second last time out by a nose from Big Si. Aramouse is out of Northern Guest mare Look Sharp – herself a winner at three, who is being covered by Flying The Flag this season. Look Sharp also produced Lt Jerry Mouse, a five-time winner including the East Cape Nursery Listed. This is the immediate dam line of The Sheik, Shoe Express and Al Nitak, as well as Top Seller.

Light House Lady, a daughter of Curved Ball had her first win for Mr WJ Laird and trainer Lucky Houdalakis. The filly who sold for just R10 000 off the National 2YO Sale in 2015 has also placed previously from only five starts. She is out of Jua by Silvano. This was the fourth winner for young sire Curved Ball, an imposing Gr2 winning son and the only of his sire Fastnet Rock to stand in South Africa. Fastnet Rock was Champion Sire in Australia in the seasons of 2011/12 and 2014/15.

His top European performers include Fascinating Rock (Champion Stakes-Gr.1, Tattersalls Gold Cup-Gr.1), Intricately (Moyglare Stud Stakes-Gr.1), Qualify (Oaks-Gr.1), Diamondsandrubies (Pretty Polly Stakes-Gr.1), Rivet (bred by Des Scott and the winner of the Champagne Stakes-Gr.2), One Foot In Heaven (Grand Prix de Chantilly-Gr.2), Cougar Mountain (Joel Stakes-Gr.2), Turret Rocks (May Hill Stakes-Gr.2) etc. In 2015 his European yearlings have sold for €875,000, €600,000, €455,000. We will see more of the Curved Ball’s emerging as three year olds, Curved Ball stands for just R8000 this season.

After Aramouse, Bush Hill Stud had a very exciting win with a handsome son of Kahal out of Miss Andrea by Restructure at Scottsville. Trained by Duncan Howells, the good looking three year old gelding has placed twice in both his previous starts, and went on to win over 1200m under Grant Van Niekerk for owners Miss Trinisha Pillay & Messrs D C Howells, P B Hosking, P J Maujean & R R Naidoo.

An exciting racing prospect named Amazon King, he sold at the 2015 National Yearling Sale for R375 000. His dam has produced a filly by Irish Flame (Dynasty) this season – a clever mating which has seen the successful cross of Dynasty and Restructure produce the likes of Gr1 Vodacom Durban July winner, Legislate. Miss Andrea will be visiting Bush Hill’s exciting young Galileo sire this season, Flying The Flag. Miss Andrea has produced four winners to date – this is the immediate damline of Count Du Barry, Rebel King and Uncle Tommy. Kahal is currently lying third on the National Sires Log behind Silvano and Trippi, with a winners to runners percentage of 21.3% early in the new season.

Another Bush Hill resident sire, Toreador captured a winner yesterday at Scottsville as Enlightenment had her second win in a row.

KZN Breeders have announced the 2016 KZN Breeders Awards nominees, and amongst them several nominees are by our former resident sire Kahal (with six horses in total), Toreador and King’s Chapel: