Brimming with confidence, four year old Eightfold Path gelding Beechamwood Boy flew home under Keagan De Melo to win at Hollywoodbets Scottsville for the third time in a row, and his fifth career win to date.

It is a particularly special story for 93 year old Mr Ian Gibson who is always on course to support his gelding, and his son, UK based Peter Gibson, who sourced and managed Eightfold Path during his time in KZN. The gelding is also owned in partnership with Mr Sharkey and long time stable patron Michael Sinnema.

He won over 1200m in impressive fashion, with Keagan peaking over his shoulder as the gelding widened the gap length by length to win clear by almost five. Keagan has been on his back for his last three starts.

Beechamwood Boy is bred by Bruce Le Roux is enjoying excellent form at the moment, continuing to boast a 50% winners to runners percentage (34 runners and 17 winners) and an AEPR of R57,834.

Retired son of Giants Causeway, Eightfold Path, has had 15 runners this season for nine winners.

Bruce Le Roux, under his partnership banner of Blue Sky Thoroughbreds, has 22 yearlings on offer at Nationals in April.

Eightfold Path is amongst the leading sires nationally for his winners to runners percentage, an impressive 43,5% and included two winners over the weekend, and three winners in five days.

The French Gr3 winner over a mile has covered limited books but his results are impressive, with one commentator over the weekend stating that he is a very easy horse to mate in South Africa.

Carrying one of the leading pedigrees nationally, a son of Giants Causeway out of a 5-time Gr1 winning mare, Eightfold Path was relocated to Spring Valley Stud after the Scott Bros began winding down their 50-plus year old breeding operation.

One of the impressive horses on the weekend was the Scotts own Genereight, a filly that has now won and placed from 6 of her 7 starts, and earned her owners, including former Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey, almost R150 000 in stakes.

The second over the weekend was Lady Sharon for trainer Belinda Impey, who had her first win after placing several times. The filly is bred by Seymour Harley and owned by Lady Colleen Glaeser in a partnership.

Spring Valley Stud are offering a handsome colt by Eightfold Path at the upcoming Nationals. He scored a 9 out of 10 on physical inspection and has a very impressive muscular hindquarter. He is out of Discordia by Western Winter, and a half brother to Stakes Winner Just Chaos. This is the damline of Abashiri, Yard Arm and Donya.

Eightfold Path stood for a fee of R10 000 in 2018.

#kznbred Grade 1 winner and Equus Champion Sprinter Talktothestars half-brother by Eightfold Path broke his maiden at the Vaal yesterday.

Sold for just R80 000 at the 2017 Nationals, the gelding is in training with Lucky Houdalakis and owned by Stone Hill Stud (Nom: Mr H C W Rix). Prix Eclipse has had six runs for a win and a place.

Talktothestars (Overlord) has had 57 runs for 10 wins and 14 places and over R2-million in stakes earned, including the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint and awarded Equus Champion Sprinter.

Scott Bros held a dispersal sale last year and the weanling half-sister to the Gr1 champion named Pocketfullofstars  sold for R80 000, purchased by Coenie De Beer, the owner and trainer of Talktothestars.

Tellittothestars sold to Grant Maroun for R25 000 at the Dispersal, in foal to Crusade. The other Black Type to come out of the family is Lady Starlett, a 5-time winner who placed third in a Gr3.

Eightfold Path stands at Spring Valley Stud and currently sports a winners to runners percentage of 34%.

KZN got off on the right foot in 2019 with six winners from nine races carded at Greyville on 1 January.

Louis Goosen came back with a bang, getting a triple on the day – two of the horses were #kznbred.

The Grey Crusader was first up under jockey Jason Gates – who was one of a double for the young apprentice on the day. The son of Crusade in the care of Louis Goosen has gone from strength to strength and been incredibly unlucky in his career – the half-brother to 9-time winner Black Pepper has recorded 10 places previously – six of those in 2nd!!! This time he really impressed, going to the front and winning by over 7 lengths from Noble Tune gelding The Jazz Singer.

The 4yo grey gelding took his earnings to R 211,875 for owner Bobbie Rajhununan.

The next was the beautiful chestnut What A Scorcher, an apt name after a 33 degree day at Greyville. The 6yo St Petersburg gelding collected his 4th career win for trainer Jeff Freedman for owner Mrs A M van der Bank, bred by Hemel ‘n Arde Stud in the Cape. He has also placed 7 times to earn R 255,950.

Sand Path came flying on the outside rail reminiscent of his prior win on the turf for trainer Dennis Bosch. The handsome Eightfold Path chestnut gave Scott Bros a double on the day (first with The Grey Crusader) and produced his second win for owners Messrs Praveen Mohanlall & G R Almanza. Eightfold Path is getting on well, with 32% winners to runners in his 3yo season. He stands at Spring Valley Stud.

Garth Puller’s Toreador gelding has been consistent, the Spring Valley-bred out of a Krusenstern mare collected his 2nd win under Anton Marcus and has placed 6 times from 13 starts, and since September has won or placed in his last five starts. Toreador is a stallion that stood at Bush Hill Stud and he will be missed – his son Matador Man recently won the Christmas Handicap Listed at Greyville on Boxing Day.

Five year old Missibaba also gave Summerhill a double on the day. The full sister to Gr3 winner Royal Pleasure, won again for her owners Mr S Pillay & Mrs U S Pillay and trainer Dennis Bosch. She has tucked away R 314,575 in stakes earned and placed 15 times from 33 starts. For the past year she has been the picture of consistency, only placing out of the money on one occasion from her last 12 starts.

The handsome Bravo Zulu by Brave Tin Soldier completed the double for breeders Summerhill, to win the last race and give Louis the triple on the day after a dry spell, battling a virus in the yard. Owned by Messrs J Carlse & Louis Goosen, Bravo Zulu won over the 1000m trip under Marco Van Rensburg. The 4yo gelding is out of a Muhtafal mare, from the damline of Variety Club, Secret Rites and Son Of A Champ. His dam Londoloza is a half-sister to Fanyana, a 9-time winner who also placed 3rd in the Gr1 Computaform Sprint.

Brave Tin Soldier has relocated to The Fort Stud and Jill Fox has reported that all of his mares received for the season have been confirmed in foal.

Our stallions in KZN stats for the new season up until 30 December 2018:

The Apache 5 wins (11 runners) (36.4% winners to runners)

Crusade – 21 wins (25% winners to runners)

Mambo In Seattle – 35 wins (31.5% winners to runners)

Eightfold Path – 13 wins (31.8% winners to runners)

Noble Tune – 9 wins (25.8% winners to runners)

Curved Ball – 12 wins (33.3% winners to runners)

Just As Well – 9 wins (25% winners to runners, 1 Black Type winner for the season)

The Rising Legend continues to fly the flag for his Spring Valley based sire Eightfold Path, winning a brilliant race at Turffontein this afternoon over 1600m, making it his fourth career win. Geoff Woodruff is excited about his prospects and he is being aimed at the Gr1 Summer Cup for owner LTK Racing & Breeding (Nom: Mr L J van der Vyver).

Originally named Gee Que, The Rising Legend is out of a Jet Master mare Ramp Vamp, who has produced what must be stallion Atso’s best produce – the 8-time winner Cannes. The Rising Legend sold for R200 000 at the 2016 National Yearling Sale, and has earned R300,125 to date – and yet to be out of the money from each of his 8 starts.

This is the family of Star Watch and National Display, as well as Flash Dash and Gr1 winner Steamy Window.

Eightfold Path has had 5 winners this past season and 42 places and R734,488 in stakes for the current season.

He is represented by three horses on the upcoming BSA Ready To Run Sale – including a half-brother to Gr2 placed Daring Diva (Lot 58), Lot 56 (from the family of Signor Amigo) and the first Lot on offer at the sale, Quick Delivery – also out of a Jet Master mare, the same cross that produced The Rising Legend.

The French Group winner produced 42% winners to runners last season for his crop of 3yo’s, with 18 wins and 54 starts from only 28 runners and stakes of R1,548,225. Impeccably bred out of a 5-time Gr1 winning mare, Eightfold Path stands for a fee of R10 000 this season at Bruce Le Roux’s Spring Valley Stud.

Alareef last raced in February 2017 and will open his account at Meydan on Thursday night for the stable of Mike De Kock.

The Stronghold gelding out of Spring Valley resident broodmare Modraj (by Machiavellian) had three wins in Dubai last season, along with six places from 13 starts in the United Arab Emirates.

The handsome dark bay gelding bred by Shadwell Stud and owned by Sheik Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum descends from the blue blooded family of Galileo and Sea The Stars in his immediate damline – his second dam being Allegretta, the dam of Urban Sea.

Alareef produced four wins in South Africa – Gavin Van Zyl races his Just As Well half-brother, who has won three times, named Just Cruised In. He has won almost R250 000 in stakes.

Alareef’s last win came at the end of January 2017 under jockey Jim Crowley, where he won by over two lengths over 1200m.

Stronghold, who died prematurely at Summerhill Stud, has another son performing at the top of his game in Hong Kong, namely Horse Of Fortune for the stable of Tony Millard.

Modraj has an Eightfold Path foal at foot this year, whilst her Curved Ball yearling was sold to Kenya in 2017.

The first juvenile winner for Eightfold Path came this afternoon at Fairview over 800m in the Maiden Juvenile Plate. Born A Bully, bred by Peter and Jenny Blyth of Clifton Stud is a half-brother to Gr3 winner The Plunderer.

In a 1-2 for KZN stallions with Alfeo, a Piemonte-bred by Crusade finishing second, Born A Bully sold for just R20 000 off the 2017 National 2YO Sale to trainer Gavin Smith. The racy looking colt is owned by Messrs G L A Roberts and Morne Struwig.

Eightfold Path had a nose close second at the Vaal yesterday with Brigtnumberten, a horse that has won twice and placed four times. Sand Path was another who impressed to finish third yesterday on debut, in a very strong run in a competitive field.

Born A Bully not only banked the R41 250 first prize but he also grabbed the handsome R40 000 BSA added value bonus, making him already a truly great value for money buy. The half brother to prolific winner, The Plunderer, showed good pace throughout and looks to have a decent future.

Eightfold Path, who won the prestigious G3 Prix Eclipse as a two-year-old, has made a very bright start, despite being represented by a relatively small number of runners.

He has already been represented by 21 first crop runners, who have won or placed, and Eightfold Path’s two-year-old crops the best is yet to come from the son of triple champion US sire Giant’s Causeway.

The sire is out of Kingmambo’s once beaten French champion Divine Proportions, with Eightfold Path’s other notable relatives including the recent deceased top class New Zealand based stallion, and dual G1 winner, Pentire.

Peter and Jenny Blyth’s Clifton Stud, the breeders of Classic Flag, Bezanova and Fort Vogue amongst many others, have produced 10 winners this season. Born A Bully’s dam, Love Leah by Restructure, has not only produced The Plunderer but six other winners including Structured Reply, Crusade winner Weekend Warrior and Leah’s Little Luv. This is the family of Ravishing, Vega, Villandry, Geordoba and Fort Defiance.

Congratulations to all concerned.

After heavy rains had fallen overnight which resulted in a venue change from Scottsville to Greyville, R25 000 purchase Crimean Queen impressed to fly through and win on debut by over two lengths in the first Maiden Plate Juvenile race of the season in KZN.

By Crusade out of unplaced Victoria by Albert Hall, the filly is closely related to Rathmor Stud’s star family of Gypsy’s Warning, Romany Prince and Tales Of Bravery.

Bred by Backworth Stud and sold at their dispersal sale earlier this year, she is trained by Mike Miller and owned in partnership by Messrs Sunil Singh, M D Miller and Miller Racing Syndicate (Nom: Mr Sterling M Miller). She is the second foal for her dam and the first winner – she has a year older sibling by Oratorio that is as yet unraced.

This is Crusade’s 20th individual winner and he had a remarkable day yesterday at Greyville – producing a 1-2 result in the first race, and The Grey Crusader unlucky once again to finish second in the fourth race. The half-brother to mulitiple winner Black Pepper has placed from all of this starts – several finishing second!

Another place for Crusade yesterday was Paul Lafferty’s previous winner, Exquisite Eight, in Race 7 over 1600m.

Eightfold Path produced his seventh individual winner yesterday, when his highest-priced yearling won with ease in her third start.

With three runs in hand and a startling second in her second start where she showed plenty of courage to come back, she won of Louis Goosen and owner Mario Ferreira over 1000m.

Mbali, a half-sister to Gr2 Umkhomazi winner Harry Lime, is bred by Rathmor Stud and sold for R325 000 at the 2016 National Yearling Sale.

Crusade was recently given the KZN Breeders Award for Stallion Prospect.

KZN stallions are leading the way for the first season sires in South Africa so far this season in AEPR and Winners to Runners percentages, and the stats make for interesting reading (from www.nhra.co.za as of 15 November).

The current stats on nhra.co.za show two sons of Giant’s Causeway top the log when it comes to winners to runners percentages of an impressive 33.3% respectively and Average Earnings Per Runner.

As luck would have it, both stallions mentioned below arrived late for their respective breeding seasons in their first year – with Await The Dawn reportedly covering a mare shortly after arrival.

Await The Dawn is indeed a sad loss to breeding in KZN, after being the leading sire of 2yo’s by winners to runners, he is leading by Average Earnings Per Runner and in Winners to Runners percentages – not far behind him is Scott Bros’ Eightfold Path, another son of Giant’s Causeway whose stats are impressive for the limited book of mares he received in his first year.

Await The Dawn has been further thrown into the spotlight with Big Bear’s impressive win in the CTS Ready To Run Cup.

Await The Dawn also made history as a stallion in South Africa as the Summerhill staff were part of his syndicate, along with Piemonte Stud. The CTS Ready To Run Sale takes place today and a filly that should be of interest is Gr1 winner Brave Mary’s chestnut half-sister by Await The Dawn.

Eightfold Path has one of the best pedigrees imported to South Africa, out of 5-time Gr1 winning mare Divine Proportions – and Eightfold Path is a dead-ringer in looks for his speedy dam. On the racetrack, Eightfold Path showed early brilliance for leading French trainer, Pascal Bary, winning on debut and then following up with a third placed effort behind subsequent Group One performers, Buzzword and Siyouni, in the Group Three Prix La Rochette over 1400m.

Eightfold Path closed off his two year old campaign with a stylish victory in the Group Three Prix Eclipse over 1200m.

Racing in the famous Niarchos colours, Eightfold Path was one of Bary’s leading hopes for the 2010 Classic season, but plans had to be shelved when he sustained an injury during the build up to the French 2000 Guineas.

On his return at four years, he won another two races including a Listed mile event at Deauville.

Eightfold Path represents excellent value at this point when comparing stats and services fees – only standing for a fee of R10 000 since his start at stud and a reputable breeder very recently purchased five shares in the stallion based on his performances.

The Crusade’s are clearly coming through and his three year olds are bringing home the winners each week, in particular enjoying a double on the day at Greyville recently and flying winners at Kenilworth such as Wings Of Honor and Velvet Dawn.

There is no doubting Crusade’s pedigree, as his Galileo sister Seventh Heaven is a dual Gr1 winner with his other half-siblings – Cristoforo Columbo and Coat Of Arms both Gr1 and Gr2 placed.

Crusade has produced 18 individual winners to date and Stakes Placed Butchie Boy in Zimbabwe.

The first Maiden Juvenile plate will be run on 1 December – keep a look out for the outstanding progeny of Noble Tune who needs no introduction, and the handsome progeny of Redoute’s Promise – the few that went to sales this year impressed buyers and this is the first South African crop to come from grandsire Redoute’s Choice.

Yellow Star’s grey son of Galileo, The Assayer, will see his first 2yo’s coming through along with Scott Bros homebred international Group winner,  The Apache.

Highlighted below are the KZN sires taken from the current stats www.nhra.co.za as of 15 November 2017.