Lee Scribante of Piemonte Stud has been purchasing choicely-bred fillies from various sales across South Africa over the past few years,  with the view to racing them and returning them to KZN to stand at their flourishing Piemonte Stud – a farm that due to the expansion of the quality broodmare band now has two ‘branches’ –  in Summerveld and the other in Mooi River.

Lee and his brother with whom he races in partnership with, dominated the juvenile category at the recent Eastern Cape Racing Awards, winning with Queen Forever (pictured left in the sales ring) in the fillies category and the smart Kimberley Star the colt / gelding award.

Queen Forever, a Varsfontein-bred daughter of Gimmethegreenlight out of Rathmor-bred Queen Of All – a daughter of the great KZN matron Gypsy Queen who passed away recently, has had two wins from three starts, including the Listed Ladies Slipper Stakes.

It didnt stop there – impeccably-bred Beataboutthebush secured the Champion 3YO Filly for the Scribantes, another daughter of Gimmethegreenlight from the immediate damline of True Master, KZN-bred 5-time Gr1 winner Dancewiththedevil and Smart As Paint. Beataboutthebush is now a 5-time winner, including the Breeders Guineas Listed and East Cape Paddock Stakes Listed. 

In Piemonte’s short history, they have bred the likes of Eastern Cape champions Kalamain and the sadly deceased Gr3 and 4-time winner filly O Tamara, as well as the smart Sean Tarry inmate – Kahal Gr3 placed filly – Celestina.

Lee Scribante, current vice Chairman of the KZN Breeders Club and the current TBA Chairman, as a rule sell every horse they produce at auction – however if the horses are not sold in the ring, they are retained and sent to training.

It has been most warming to see the significant success to come from Piemonte Stud in a short space of time – last season saw the farm producing 14 winners from 32 runners for an admirable statistic of almost 32% for the season and several emerging youngsters such as Fillipo throwing their names forward as ones to watch this coming season.

Foals born so far this season from Piemonte Stud include:

-An Oratorio colt out of Scripture by Requiem (dam a 9-time winner and black type).

-A Soft Falling Rain filly out of Winter Fantasy by Western Winter (the dam is a 5-time winner and also black type.) Winter Fantasy was also voted East Cape Champion Filly.

-A very exciting arrival indeed from the mare Tapdance by Tapit, her sire needing no introduction! She has produced a Judpot colt.

-Lunar Lee by Victory Moon has produced a Global View colt. Lee comments that the dam is an 8-time winner and “its exciting to see Galileo progeny run – I cannot wait for my first Flying The Flag foal!”

-Lunar Blue by outstanding broodmare sire Fort Wood, has produced a lovely colt by Soft Falling Rain.

“These are just a few of ours on the ground so far,” Lee advises. The fillies retiring to Piemonte this year include Kanara (by Silvano) and Hurricane Shelley.

“Kanara is Black Type and a 5-time winner with about 10 places. She has definitely earned her place at stud!” Out of Danehill mare Kimberley Coast, this American imported damline includes dual Gr1 winner, Copper Parade.

The next is home-grown Hurricane Shelley by Argonaut. Lee says of the filly: “If you can recall she was not sold at the last sale we had at Sun Coast [KZN Yearling Sale]. I lost her mother Tanzania by Black Sam Bellamy (family of Galileo) so I had to keep her as a replacement for the loss.

She and O Tamara were not sold so we raced them both – and both daughters of Argonaut were very successful. She ran for us a total of eight times for four wins and four places, and we had to retire her to stud because of an injury she sustained.”

Congratulations to Lee and Dino Scribante on an outstanding achievement.

Two KZN-breds featured in the recent Eastern Cape Racing Awards, with Piemonte Stud-bred O Tamara and Summerhill’s Muhtafal filly Chili Chocolate each a winner.

Lee and Dino Scribante’s Piemonte Stud have left the ground running in the breeding arena, producing two Eastern Cape Champions in just four years of breeding – firstly Kalamain and this year the juvenile O Tamara. The speedy daughter of Argonaut out of a Spectrum mare Syncopate has sizzling form in training with Alan Greef – earning stakes of R358 725 with four wins and four places from only eight starts which saw her being crowned Champion Two Year Old Filly on 27 August. O Tamara was purchased for just R30 000 at the 2015 KZN Yearling Sale.

Included in her wins is the Lady’s Slipper Stakes (Listed) and Gr3 Champion Juvenile Cup, comfortably by over three lengths clear. Keep an eye out for her (now) juvenile half-brother by Toreador named Greta, who sold for R150 000 at the 2016 National Yearling Sale. Piemonte Stud ended the 2015/2016 season with 40% winners to runners, 10% of those Black Type.

Greg Bortz’ Muhtafal filly out of Heliantha by Count Du Bois is a five-time winner (including the Walmer Handicap) for trainer Grant Paddock, crowned Champion Polytrack Filly/Mare of the season. Earlier in her career, Chili Chocolate finished three lengths off Rich Girl in the Ready To Run Cup, and a length off Enchanted Silk in the KZN Breeders 1900. Chili Chocolate sold for R100 000 off the TBA Ready To Run Sale in 2013, she has earned almost R300 000 in stakes. Summerhill Stud have been crowned Equus national Leading Breeder for 2015/2016 for the 10th year, and were winners once more at the recent provincial KZN Racing Awards. Well done to Summerhill Stud on an outstanding achievement!

Well done to the winning connections!