Triple Gr1 winning sire Capetown Noir is off the mark, a very pleasing start for the Summerhill sire by Western Winter. Brandina, out of Var mare Bedouin from the family of Fair Brutus and Grand Format, won impressively on debut this afternoon in Fairview in one of the first juvenile races of the season.

Bred by Piemonte Stud and bought back for R20 000 from the 2018 KZN Yearling Sale, Lee Scribante races the filly in partnership with his brother and trainer Alan Greef. In the process, she also won the #bsa Maiden Juvenile Plate bonus of R50 000 for her connections.

Brandina won over 800m by a length.

Capetown Noir impressed at the recent BSA Ready To Run Sale and his progeny were snapped up eagerly for    the top price for R500 000 to Princess Diana’s cousin in Kenya, Michael Spencer. He bought a particularly special and handsome colt – a half-brother to Gr1 winner Hero’s Honour and Gr1 2nd placed Railtrip. Overall, Capetown Noir averaged over R190 000 for 13 yearlings sold.

Their dam Grail Maiden, by Galileo, was recently crowned KZN Breeders Broodmare Of The Year.

Summerhill describe Capetown Noir as equine royalty, being out of the emperor Western Winter and in turn out of a Broodmare of the Year from a Guineas-winning daughter of the leading broodmare sire of all time – Fort Wood.

“He was the best 2YO Anton Marcus ever sat on, and became a Dual Group One Classic winner and Champion Miler at three. He won the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and defeated the likes of Gr1 performers Jackson, Yorker, King Of Pain, No Worries, Jet Explorer, Whiteline Fever and Red Ray.”

After the early loss of what has been a leading sire in Await The Dawn, it looks as if Capetown Noir may just be stepping into those shoes!

Congratulations to Piemonte and Summerhill Stud.

Scott Bros are off to a smashing start at Vaal today, producing three winners from the first four races on the card all by their resident sires which include Miesque’s Approval and Mogok, however Crusade’s first time filly impressed in the fourth race on the card.

Pretty Ballerina, sold by The Alchemy for R60 000 at the 2016 KZN Yearling Sale, flew up to win her debut for trainer Ormond Ferraris over 1400m under Keagan De Melo. The three year old filly is owned by Mrs T Josef and Messrs L M Nestadt and J Shill, and this is Crusade’s third winner this season. In his first year he produced seven winners, with 62 places.

The filly is out of Hollywood Strip by Tiger Hill, and this is the Australian mare’s first foal. Hollywood Strip is an unraced half-sister to 5-time (and twice Gr3) winner Hollywoodboulevard (by Street Cry).

Crusade, a Gr1 Middle Park Stakes winner, is a half-brother to dual Gr1 Oaks winner Seventh Heaven who contested the  Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on the weekend, won by Enable. Seventh Heaven, a daughter of Galileo also ran fourth in the Gr1 Breeders Cup Fillies And Mares on Turf, as well as a second by a nose in the Gr1 Dubai Sheema Classic where she was the only female contesting the race.

The Crusade’s are going a bit further and enjoy a mile. Crusade certainly stamps his stock, who tend to black with no markings.

Well done to all concerned.

Glen Kotzen’s chestnut Crusade filly impressed on debut at Kenilworth on the weekend to win her debut powerfully from Runaway Rebel by almost half a length over 1000m.

The daughter of Crusade dominated most of the running, with Runaway Rebel looking to be a threat but Wings Of Honor fought doggedly to the finish with plenty of determination.

The filly out of a Jet Master mare bred by Scott Bros, is owned by Chrigor Stud (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mrs S Hattingh) and purchased for R250 000 at the 2016 KZN Yearling Sale. Wings Of Honor has an interesting pedigree in that her broodmares grandsire is the South African export and American sire Hawaii. The female line has produced amongst many, sire Doulab.

Crusade’s Galileo half-brother finished fourth yesterday in the Gr1 Curragh National Stakes. The full brother to dual Gr1 Oaks winner Seventh Heaven is a lightly raced juvenile named Coat Of Arms. He has placed four times from five starts for Aiden O’Brien.

Crusade is a winner of the Gr1 Middle Park Stakes and stands for a fee of R20 000 this season. To date all of his siblings are Group Winners / Group performed.

Magical, a 2YO sister to Gr1 Fillies’ Mile winner and English 1,000 Guineas & English Oaks placegetter Rhododendron and Bush Hill Stud’s resident sire Flying The Flag, got off the mark when scoring by a head over Mary Tudor & Active Approach in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden (8 furlongs) at Cork in Ireland on Tuesday.

“She was going to go to Goodwood during the week, but it got very bad there,” Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O’Brien said. “She is babyish and green still and won’t mind anything from seven to a mile.”

Magical, Flying The Flag and Rhododendron are both by Galileo out of the Pivotal mare Halfway To Heaven, winner of the Gr1 Nassau Stakes, Gr1 Irish One Thousand Guineas, and Gr1 Sun Chariot Stakes.

This is also the family of former West Australian shuttler Verglas (IRE).

International Group winner and globe-trotter Flying The Flag will have his first foals on the ground this season. Flying The Flag is also closely related to dual Gr1 winner Photo Call Photo Call (also by Galileo out of Theann – a daughter of Flying The Flag’s second dam Cassandra Go), a $3million purchase in 2015 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale.

Mares due to foal to Flying The Flag include the dam of Gr1 placed Misty Burnam (herself by Verglas), sisters to Jet Master and Vercingetorix, Plutonium (the dam of Orion Quest, Stella Mia and King Neptune) and Graded Stakes producing mares Look Sharp (The Mouseketeer), Clock The Rock (Irish Flame), Ananova (Bezanova) to name but a few.

Flying The Flag stands at Bush Hill Stud for  a fee of R20 000 this season.

– extract www.breedingracing.com

Await The Dawn, a prematurely deceased son of Giant’s Causeway that stood at Summerhill Stud, grabbed his first winner early in the season at Kenilworth with an impressive debut win for trainer Joey Ramsden, and owners Mayfair Speculators (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mr D L Brugman), Miss S Grentell and breeders Mrs Vanashree and Mr Anant Singh.

The colt named Morning Catch, is out of Catch The Wind by Jet Master, sold for R200 000 off the 2016 CTS Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale – his half-brother is a Visionaire 3-time winner, Mr Wise Guy. Dam Catch The Wind is a three parts sister to Gr1 Mercury Sprint winner, Fly By Night; also the family of The Eliminator.

Await The Dawn was a 6-time winner over 1600m – 2400m and is a Gr2 and Gr3 winner, as well as placing in the upper echelons in Dubai. Await The Dawn left only two crops behind – the stalllion was owned in partnership with Lee Scribante and Summerhill, and the first stallion in South Africa to have the Summerhill farm staff involved in the partnership.

Await The Dawn has got off to a positive start at stud after an impressive performance by Sean Tarry’s Big Bear at Turffontein, who finished two lengths off the winner to place on debut.

His most expensive yearling to date was sold at the 2016 CTS Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale, where the half-brother to dual Gr1 winner Rabada sold for R650 000 to Rainbow Beach Trading.

The dam of Rabada and impressive debut winner Glider Pilot (AP Arrow), grey mare Jordie (by Fard) will go on sale as Lot 99 at Summerhill’s upcoming Mare and Weanling Sale, taking place on 14 May at the School Of Excellence. She has an outstanding colt by Trippi this year and is currently in foal to Act Of War, a Gr1 winning son of Dynasty expecting his first crop later this year.

Miss Millionaire galloped home to an easy victory for her sire Crusade, winning her debut impressively by over a length from trainer Belinda Impey and owners Messrs P Gounden, J Jacobs & E H Seedat.

The filly, bred by Bruce Le Roux of Spring Valley Stud, sold for just R70 000 at the 2016 KZN Yearling Sale that took place at Sibaya.

She is out of Really Rich by Only A Pound, the latter a former sire of Scott Bros, who currently stand the Gr1 Middle Park Stakes winner, Crusade. Winning over 1000m on the Polytrack at Greyville, Miss Millionaire is a half-sibling to six winners.

Crusade’s pedigree was further catapulted into the limelight in 2016 when his Galileo half-sister, the beautifully named Seventh Heaven, won two European Gr1’s for trainer Aiden O’ Brien – her victories including the Gr1 Irish Oaks and Gr1 York Oaks, including the defeat of the brilliant filly and Arc winner, Found. Their dam La Traviata also produced Gr2 and Gr1 Middle Park Stakes placed son of Henrythenavigator, Cristoforo Columbo.

Crusade stamps his progeny in no uncertain terms – all carrying their sires black coats and little to no markings, and his athleticsm and substance.

Their good looks did no go unnoticed at sales this year, and at the Nationals in April 2016, his 18 yearlings averaged a very impressive price of R160 000 each.

His top priced colt sold for R350 000 at the National Yearling Sale, a magnificent yearling from Clifton Stud. The colt not only topped the National sale for his sire, but at the CTS Ready To Run Sale later in the year Wheels Are Up again achieved the top price for Crusade, the handsome individual purchased by Mayfair Speculators for R700 000.  His dam is a three parts sister to Gr1 winner, Captain America.

Crusade is owned by the KZN Breeders in a syndicate and he has been very well supported each year with full books since his arrival in South Africa. The Coolmore-owned colt by Mr Greeley had his career cut short due to a back injury, and he was Timeform Rated 114. His dam La Traviata is by Johannesburg, and in turn he is out of an Unbridled/Devil’s Bag mare.

Crusade’s first runners have been knocking on the door, with his first nine out having placed eight times – three of them in second place.

Congratulations to all concerned and it is exciting times ahead indeed for KZN!

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