Rathmor Stud’s beautiful grey-almost white Witblits has won three races in a row since her relocation to Gauteng to the stable of Tony Peter and relishing the extra distance on offer.

The beautifully-bred daughter of Danon Platina, out of Galileo mare Untoward is bred on the same cross that produced Gr1 Epsom Derby winner Auguste Rodin, and the connections are excited for her future, toying with thoughts of having a tilt at the Oaks in the coming months.

Owned by Suzette and Basie Viljoen, the grey filly sold for R720 000 at the 2022 August 2YO Sale, consigned by Millstream Farm.

This is the family of Eliza and Hong Kong Black Type 6-time winner, Absolute Fantasy.

Untoward has a Lancaster Bomber for her 2021 year, and has since visited Rathmor’s stallion Declarationofpeace (War Front), who has a yearling named Chaos Queen.

Congratulations to all concerned.

Rathmor Stud enjoyed a double at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wednesday.

Both horses are owned by Mario Ferreria, trained by Louis Goosen and ridden by Chase Maujean, and both celebrated their fifth career win respectively.

Rodriguez (Twice Over – Jane S Piddy) has now won twice in a row over 1950m and a mile respectively.

His dam, Jane S Piddy, is a very well related daughter of Trippi from the immediate family of another Rathmor Gr1 producing mare, Mystery Dame. It’s the family of Nexus who has several nominations in Decembers KZN Breeders Awards, as well as Lady In Black, Solid Speed and Lizarre.

William Longsword mare Crazy Blues, out of Bristol Blue by Western Winter, descends from another leading family of Russian Sage, Smiling Blue Eyes, Cerulean Blue and Grey Sun. Crazy Blues has won over 1200m – 1900m and Wednesdays victory was particularly impressive by two lengths from Gr1 placed Magical Flight.

Rathmor Stud are on a 27% winners to runners percentage and stand the son of War Front, Declarationofpeace, at stud.

Rathmor Stud’s son of War Front is preparing for his second season at stud in South Africa. He is the third son of his Storm Cat dam Serena’s Cat to stand at stud – his older brothers being Gr1 winner Honor Code (AP Indy) and Noble Tune (Unbridled’s Song). Sold for $2,6-million as a weanling, Declarationofpeace has a great temperament and amongst his three wins is the Del Mar Breeders Cup Qatar Juvenile Turf Sprint Stakes Listed. 

Declarationofpeace arrived late from America for the breeding season in 2021 with a full book of mares of 82 mares with an 86% fertility rate. A decision was made not to market the stallion in 2021 due to his full book. A limited number of shares will be sold on a first come first basis. 

Amongst the mares Declarationofpeace covered in his first season were Mystery Dame, dam of Gr 1 winner Lady In Black, Wysiwyg – dam of Gr 1 winner Bohica and Gr1 runner up Bartholdi, Earth’s Orbit – dam of Veronica Mars and Mercury Rising, Queen of Spain – the dam of feature winner Hasta Manana and a host of well performed mares that were acquired especially for his arrival. Declarationofpeace has not only enjoyed support from the breeders in KZN but also from the Cape.

His book for 2022 is filling up, please contact Mike McHardy on 083 447 5315 to book a Service ( R20 000 LFF) for the upcoming Season.

Declarationofpeace has got off to a cracking start at stud which includes an outstanding quality of broodmares.

Notably amongst them is Jet Master mare Mystery Dame – the dam of Gr1 winner Lady In Black and Gr2 Snaith-trained winner, Nexus.

Covering a full book of 86 in his first season, amongst the mares is the likes of Mile High (Captain Al), Clifton Sunset (an imported mare by Canford Cliffs from the immediate family of sire Philanthropist), and Galileo mare Untoward, who is the dam of Captain Who.

Gr3 winner Queens Command (by Commands) is an interesting pedigree. She is out of an Unbridled’s Song mare which will suit Declarationofpeace very well.

There is also the very well bred Trippi mare Jane S Piddy, the dam of winner Rodriguez – which is also the female line of Mystery Dame mentioned above, as well as South African-bred Singapore champion Lizarre and the family of Dance With Al.

Mike McHardy of Rathmor Stud has described Declarationofpeace as “a really good looking horse who is very well put together.”

The son of War Front covered his first mare soon after arrival and has reportedly taken to his stud career with ease.

A $2,6-million dollar weanling from the exceptional female line of Serena’s Song and a half-brother to Gr1 winner and producer Honor Code and Noble Tune, Declarationofpeace was a precocious 2yo.

His book for 2021 is full and special dispensation has been given to select approved mares who qualify for Rathmor’s “Come For The Ride” incentive.

Noble Tune’s War Front juvenile half-brother, the handsome $2,6million weanling purchase owned by Coolmore, followed his half-brothers Honor Code and Noble Tune’s racing style to come from behind and push his way through to the front to win the Qatar Juvenile Sprint over 1000m on the turf.

Noble Tune’s sire the grey Unbridled’s Song, was represented with a winner when Gr1 winner Forever Unbridled took the Breeders Cup Distaff.

She is a full sister to Gr1 winner, Unbridled Forever, and not forgetting other recent Breeders Cup winners in Arrogate and Liam’s Map.

Declarationofpeace is trained by Aiden O’Brien and participated in the curtain raiser to the Breeders Cup after winning in Ireland just under a month ago. He won his debut by six lengths.

Noble Tune’s first crop of two year olds will be hitting the racetracks soon in South Africa, whilst Lane’s End have announced that their AP Indy half-brother, twice Gr1 winner Honor Code will again stand for a fee of $40 000 this season.

Crusade’s half-sister Seventh Heaven was given the tough ask against the boys in the Gr1 Breeders Cup Turf over 2400m on firm going where she finished in fifth place – Highland Reel was third, whilst Flower Alley’s son finished behind her.

She finished fourth in the Breeders Cup last year – the twice Gr1 winning filly who defeated the great Found also ran second in Dubai this year, where she finished second in the Gr1 Dubai Sheema Classic and the only filly in the race.

Flying The Flag’s full sister, Irish 2YO Champion Filly of her year and recent Gr1 winner at Chantilly on Arc Day, Rhododendron was courageous to finish second in the Gr1 Breeders Cup Filly And Mare Turf over 1800m after encountering traffic.

She was beaten by half a length to a daughter who shares a sire with Summerhill resident sire Willow Magic, Wuheida by Dubawi. Lady Eli finished towards the end of the field.

Miesque’s Approval’s grey half-brother, the gelding World Approval emulated his half-brother by winning the Gr1 Breeders Cup Mile on Turf. Miesque’s Approval is well related – himself America’s Turf Horse Of The Year, his other grey half-brother is Gr3 winner Za Approval and Gr2 winner, Revved Up.

This is the fourth Gr1 win for World Approval to date. Miesque’s Approval, the sire of Gr2 winners J’s Outsider and Judicial, exported Gr1 placed and Gr3 winner Eton Square, as well as the likes of Putney Flyer and Approval Rating.

On the international news front, Golden Sword will be represented by his full brother at the race that stops the nation [Australia], the Melbourne Cup. Kindling currently has odds of 10/1.

In a thrilling finish Declarationofpeace, a War Front half-brother to Rathmor sire Noble Tune, under a rousing ride by jockey Ryan Moore forged to the front in the final strides to shade 3-1 favored Sound And Silence and win the $200,000 Qatar Juvenile Turf Sprint Stakes (LIST ED), the final stage-setter before nine consecutive Breeders’ Cup championship contests at Del Mar.

Declarationofpeace scored by a head over Sound And Silence who appeared home free under William Buick until collared late by the winner. Sound And Silence was a half-length in front of Out of the Flames, with Corinthia Knight fourth in the field of a dozen two-year-olds. Thus, European-based runners swept the first four positions in the five furlong grass sprint.

The War Front Coolmore-owned half-brother to Noble Tune and Honor Code is making waves in Ireland after a six length victory for trainer Aiden O’Brien at Dandalk in Ireland.

The $2,6million (weanling) War Front colt named Declarationofpeace achieved TDN Rising Star status April 24.

Descended from the Hall of Famer Serena’s Song, the bay who has grown into an imposing type was a must-have for Mr MV Magnier who said at the time, “We’ve had a lot of luck with Serena’s Song in the past. He’s a nice horse and comes from a great farm.”

Sent off the 13-8 favourite for his debut over six furlongs at Navan Apr. 24, he was third there behind the Ken Condon trainee Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and began this Polytrack bow at 1-4 to have made the necessary progression in the interim.

Stalking the leading duo throughout the early stages, the half-brother to the Gr2 American Turf S. and Gr3 Pilgrim S. winner and Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Noble Tune (Unbridled’s Song), MGSW & GISP-US, $492,222, and to the GI Metropolitan H. and Gr1 Whitney S.-winning sire Honor Code (A.P. Indy), Ch. Older Horse & MGISW-US, $2,518,260, took control with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining.

Drawing away under hand riding from Seamie Heffernan, Declarationofpeace finished off powerfully to score by six lengths from Qatar Racing’s newcomer Treasuring (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}).

Aidan O’Brien is planning a trip to the Royal meeting next month. “He’s a fine big fellow. He has a lot of speed,” he told Irish Racing.com. “We’d be thinking of Ascot and if we could get another run into him it would be a help. We could look at the [Listed] Marble Hill [S. at The Curragh May 27] or the [Listed] Rochestown [S. at Naas May 21] for him.”

Aside from boasting Noble Tune and Honor Code as her first two foals, Serena’s Cat has also thrown the stakes-placed Lady Serena (Bernardini). Her triple stakes-winning dam Serena’s Tune also produced the G3 Tetrarch S. and G3 Greenham S. winner Vocalised who stands at Jim Bolger’s Redmondstown Stud and has two classy mares to his name now in Steip Amach (Ire) and Vociferous Marina (Ire).

Serena’s Song’s legendary status was assured with a remarkable 11 Gr1 victories under the tutelage of D. Wayne Lukas, including the Haskell Invitational and Mother Goose S. and her exploits as a broodmare are also highly significant.

Her Grand Reward built on a solid campaign at Ballydoyle to capture the GII Oaklawn H., with fellow graded-stakes winning sires Schramsberg and Harlington complementing Sophisticat (Storm Cat), the impressive winner of the G1 Coronation S. who later produced the listed-winning and graded-stakes placed Sefroua (Kingmambo) and the G1 Cheveley Park S. third Pursuit of Glory (Ire) (Fusaichi Pegasus).

Serena’s Cat was also responsible for the then record-breaking $3 million weanling Tapit filly at Keeneland November later named Serena’s Harmony and who remained unraced for Bridlewood Farm.

Her 2016 colt also by Tapit was bought by Baccari Bloodstock for $1,050,000 six months ago and she has been bred back to that Gainesway resident.

Noble Tune’s first yearlings averaged over R233 333 for six sold at the National Yearling Sale. The top price was R350 000 for an outstanding colt from Piemonte Stud.

Noble Tune’s Stallion Day takes place 2 July at Rathmor Stud – Save The Date!

– extract Thoroughbred Daily News