#kznbreds Enjoyed three wins on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, with Cathy and Jonathan Martin’s Hadlow Stud enjoying a winner and a second place on the day.

Hadlow’s day started off with the handsome Canford Cliffs colts improving over the mile to finish second for owner Mrs Kuhn, The Honorable Justice Kruger and Mr Krishen Naidoo, trained by Duncan Howells. The colt is well bred out of a Jet Master mare, Touch The Clouds. This is the family of Red Ray and Brutal Force.

Hadlow followed with up with Tienie Prinsloo filly Im The Buzz, the first of a double for the Prinsloo stable and a double for sire Flying The Flag. A consistent sort who collected her second career victory for the Prinsloo family, Im The Buzz has also placed eight times previously. The dam All Abuzz is by Bezrin, in turn out of Polonaise who produced 11-time winner Formation. This is the famed family of Kochka, Jay Peg and Whiteline Fever.

Clifton-bred Flag Man won Race 4, another eye catching colt who was purchased by the Gareth Van Zyl stable for owners Messrs Larry Nestadt, Reon Barnard, Dave MacLean and Gary Player. When the race looked sewn up by El Dante, Flag Man showed an impressive turn of foot to win by half a length going away under Athandiwe Magudlwa. Out of a good Brazilian imported mare Irresistable Chris (Mark Of Esteem) with whom the Van Zyl stable has enjoyed success with sibling Admire Me, also owned by Larry Nestadt. Flag Man has now won two races in a row from only four starts and has placed in the rest, relishing a mile trip and looks to be a horse to follow for KZN’s coming Champion Season.

Clifton Stud also had a second place in Race 2 with Oratorio filly, Run To Rio.

The day was concluded with Bush Hill-bred Willow Magic gelding, aptly named Shot Of Courage, winning for trainer Timothy Pretorius and passionate owners Mr C M Zoghby & Mrs T F Zoghby. Out of Lee Danzig, herself a top producer of multiple winners including Graded Stakes Placed Malak El Moolook, multiple front winning sprint filly Magicallee (Willow Magic) and the talented Reign As Kings, the Gr3 winning Qui Danzig mare has produced 8 winners in total, boasting 20 wins between them all!

Shot Of Courage is blind in one eye, but that hasn’t stopped the bay gelding doing his best in every outing and built his confidence in 2023, with 15 runs in that year alone for three career wins and only out of the cheques in three of those starts – the type of horse every owner loves in a stable. He won under Serino Moodley over 1000m by a length and a half. Breeders Warwick and Karin Render of Bush Hill Stud have achieved 14 wins this season and almost R2-million in stakes earned. He has earned R237 000 in stakes for his winning connections.

Congratulations to the winning connections!

Peter and Jenny Blyth’s Clifton Stud continue to fire and they enjoyed a double at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wednesday.

Flag Man kicked off the day for Clifton, trained by Garth Puller for Mr and Mrs Steadman – Flag Man’s half sister Capetown Beauty had finished second to the talented Addabar in the previous race. It was the colts third start and he had earned a cheque in his two previous starts.

Irresistible Chris by Mark Of Esteem, a half sister to Eyeofthetiger, the same broodmare sire as the brilliant Celtic Sea, has produced five winners, three of them with 12 wins between them.

The mare has a ’22 Canford Cliffs to come through, named Lord Wimborne.

Aspoestertjie, meaning Cinderella in Afrikaans, is a well built daughter of Coup De Grace out of Galileo mare Mrs Everest, won her third race for trainer Carl Hewitson and new owner Mr P Foo-Kune, who had just bought the mare and enjoyed a return on his investment.

This is the family of another Galileo mare in South Africa, Grail Maiden – the dam of Gr1 winner Hero’s Honour.

Clifton Stud have nominees in both of KZN Breeders Awards 2YO Categories, with the outstanding Mrs Geriatrix and Gr3 winner Cliff Hanger, respectively.

Well done to all concerned.

Bush Hill Stud are enjoying a tremendous run with four winners in one week.

Roy Magner trained Glitterfox kicked off the streak, with the Vercingetorix filly out of Toreador mare She’s A Stunner breaking her maiden after consistently earning cheques for her owner, particularly in her last four starts. Her dam is a Gr3 winner and this is the family of Run Free and Prince Of Freedom. The filly is owned by Andy Williams.

The next three winners are all by Galileo’s Group winning son Flying The Flag, starting off with a double on the day on Friday. With the weather enforcing a dual race meeting in South Africa, Bush Hill kicked with a double.

Ledell’s Echo out of Ladbroke’s Lass by Silvano won for owners Jithoo, Smith and Govender, trained by Gavin Smith and won emphatically by almost four lengths. It is the third career win for the gelding.

Daddy’s Jet followed up for Nathan Kotzen at Hollywoodbets Greyville. Owned by Messrs Colbourne and Baker, he won by a length under Robert Khathi for his jubilant connections. He is out of Luxurious Jet by Jet Master.

The luck continued on Saturday, as the Peter’s family named filly owned by Hollywood Syndicate came home victorious for the second time, the three year old daughter of William Longsword out of Cassie O’ Malley by Jet Master. She is trained by Peter Muscutt who formed part of a treble for the stable on the day.

It takes Bush Hill bred to R2,500 000 for the season earned to date and 34,6% winners to runners for the season.

Flying The Flag filly Im The Buzz, bred by Cathy and Jonathan Martin of Hadlow Stud, took the feature of the day at Hollywoodbets Scottsville for owner and trainer Tienie Prinsloo.

The Ingobamakhosi Carbineers Plate has been a race etched in the history of the Pietermaritzburg racecourse since the late 1800’s.

The chestnut filly accelerated to a six length finish over 1200m and broke her maiden in the process. Out of a Bezrin mare, she has only been out of the money in one start of her five.

She sold for just R7 000 on the April Online Auction held by Bloodstock South Africa in 2022 and as the saying goes, horses do not know their prices!

She is out of a half sister to Formation, an 11-time winner who won and placed in multiple features. This is the famed family of Kochka, Dash For Gretna and Jay Peg.

From just 17 runners, the Martins who are based in Mooi River, have had 7 wins for the season and a winners to runners percentage of 35%, with Average Earnings Per Runner of R41,579.

A warm up into Champions Season over 1400m saw the stout grey speedy son of Flying The Flag grab the Gr3 Byerley Turk from the respected Cousin Casey and Jimmy Don.

Born and raised at Bush Hill Stud for breeder Ms Giddy, has now won four of his seven starts and gave jockey Tristan Godden his first Graded Stakes winner.

Trained by Michael Miller for owners Sterling Miller and Tony Jelenski, won his penultimate start at Hollywoodbets Scottsville over 1200m and ran a tremendous race at Hollywoodbets Greyville to win by just over half a length.

His pedigree is speed on speed; out of a Captain Al mare in turn out of a Muhtafal mare, from the family of Champion sprinters Nhlavini, Mystery Guest and Arabian Mist. Flying The Flag also carries speed through his grand dam Cassandra Go.

Congratulations to all concerned and certainly a gelding to watch for the coming season!

Watch the race:

The Flying The Flag colt is rumoured to be able to go one better in the next leg of the Triple Crown with the distance possibly suiting him over the 1800m trip, finishing a fast three lengths off the winner coming from behind, over the mile in very soft going.

Former Bush Hill resident sire Flying The Flag, a full brother to English Classic multiple Gr1 winning fillies Rhododendron and Magical who represented the mighty Coolmore Stud, also carries the speed genes of his paternal grand dam Cassandra Go, and looks to have a smart and fast gelding in the form of the grey Strawberry Bear, who happens to carry the same grey colour as his speedy great grandmother.

Trained by Mike Miller and born and raised at Bush Hill for owner Miss Giddy, Strawberry Bear has won three of his six starts and the last at Hollywoodbets Scottsville by a dominating three lengths. He is out of a Captain Al mare in turn out of a Muhtafal mare, from the family of Champion sprinter Nhlavini, Mystery Guest and Arabian Mist.

Owned in partnership by Tony Jelenski and Sterling Miller, the grey gelding tried a mile in the Model Man Listed but it was possibly a stretch too far – he did come back from the race to win a 1400m and relished the 1200m on offer on Sunday, leading from start to finish under Serino Moodley who has ridden him in all of his starts and may be a nice sprinting prospect for the coming KZN season ahead.

The next to follow was part of a double for the stable of Duncan Howells as Mission Rocks, by Crusade out of Gr2 winner Tempted by Jallad, won for owner Mr Lawrence Pillay. Mission Rocks dug deep to win and enjoyed the 1400m on the Polytrack to win by almost a length under Sean Veale, one of his four winners on the day.

Bush Hill Stud, owned by Warwick and Karin Render, are currently on 30% winners to runners for the season and over R1,4-million in stakes earned for their horses connections.

Well done to all concerned.

Karin and Warwick Renders Bush Hill Stud enjoyed two wins on the trot on two different courses over the weekend, with Tabatha Cat winning on Sunday and the smart Electric Gold coming home lonely on Tuesday.

Tabatha Cat, who gave her part owner Mr Sumeshen Moodley his first win as an owner in partnership with Monty Racing, won well under Muzi Yeni – the daughter of The United States out of Kitti Cat has made steady progress, to win in her fifth outing after placing in her three previous starts. The filly sold for R80 000 off the August 2YO Sale and the dam, a Listed winner, hails from the family of sires Bold Fact, Ideal World, Dansili, Leroidesanimaux – the sire of Animal Kingdom.

Recently sold for R700 000 to Suzette and Basie Viljoen, Electric Gold – a talented former charge from the stable of Paul Peter and now racing for Sean Tarry, won at Turffontein, beating consistent #kznbred Flashy Apache by 3,5 lengths – a terrific achievement for Winnie Fourie’s Grace Stables who started both horses in pretraining. The field included Gr2 winner Bold Fortune and Electric Gold looked back to his previous form, where he previously had won three in a row as a two year old, defeating older hard knockers in an easy fashion.

There is excitement surrounding the Bush Hill bred son of Flying The Flag, and decisions will be made whether he heads to the Cape or stays in Gauteng to contest the Triple Crown.

Electric Gold is a big handsome bay who boasts strong features to his world champion paternal grandsire, out of a Goalkeeper mare.

He is certainly a colt to follow for the season!

Bush Hill Stud are currently boasting almost 32% winners to runners for the current season.

Bush Hill’s beautifully bred sire Flying The Flag is in top form, and saw a recent courageous win at Hollywoodbets Scottsville with Hey Bill, a tall handsome gelding bred by Bruce Le Roux and trained by Michael Roberts.

It is the second win for the gelding under a superb ride from star female apprentice Rachel Venniker, and relished the extra ground on offer winning at 1950m.

Roha was another, having earned her third recent win in the care of trainer Paul Peter for Joshua Peter, the filly bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein is out of a Silvano mare. Flying The Flag has plenty of speed in his female line and this is evident in Roha, winning over distances of 1400-1450m and proving the versatility of Flying The Flag.

Another consistent earner, a big dark bay gelding bred by the Late Syd Rosseau is Victory Twist and he has been giving his connections plenty of joy – with two wins and placing five times, three of them in the second box.

Flying The Flag, by Galileo and a full brother to star race fillies Rhododendron and Magical, has had 17 wins for the season and 30% winners to runners.

A strong and hardworking figure behind the scenes of the Thoroughbred breeding industry, Warwick Render of Bush Hill Stud has enjoyed success at the highest levels, breeding the likes of Gr1 winners Zirconeum, Stellite and Dubai resident Wolf Whistle amongst many. Warwick is also a TBA Council Member, a former Chairman of the KZN Breeders Club and currently the Vice-Chairman.

We have a chat to Warwick to find out more about the man behind Bush Hill Stud – a family managed establishment with his wife Karin and son Jason and get his thoughts on what it is like to be a Thoroughbred breeder.

How did you get into horses and the breeding world? 

I was interested in horses from a very young age, and started to ride at about five or six, but growing up only ever really had experience of stock horses used for working with cattle on friends’ farms in Zimbabwe.

After my first year at university I was looking through the Farmer’s Weekly magazine and came across an advert for an assistants job on a thoroughbred stud farm, (I had little idea such opportunities existed for people in the normal world). I phoned to apply for an interview and two days later packed my suitcase, drove for two days to reach Roodefontein Stud in Plettenberg Bay and started work the next day, that was at the beginning of 1990.

How long have you been at Bush Hill Stud? 

We purchased the farm in April 1998, so going on 24 years now.

What motivation about breeding horses makes you get up in the morning?

First and foremost the well-being of the horses in our care.  The positives and the potential of the animals we work so closely with. The reward of walking through a paddock of happy healthy horses, admiring a rewarding new born foal, or a smart youngster developing or seeing an old friend happy in her paddock appreciating the fresh pastures you have provided, there are so many aspects of farming, livestock and nature that I find rewarding – it goes without saying that they all bring their own challenges, hence the need to focus daily on the positives and resolve small issues before they develop into big issues. There is great motivation and reward in seeing an animal that has been critically ill nursed back to full strength, and rehabilitation of racing or other injuries is definitely a highlight of the job.  We are blessed to have many wonderful owners who understand and appreciate the efforts and progress of their horses.  

What is your best achievement to date?  

After some turbulent times in our economy and more specifically the racing and breeding industry as a whole, I feel it an important achievement to still be participating in this unique and special industry.  To survive the tough times not only for ourselves, but for the many longstanding employees who have risen to challenges, learnt and loved the individual mares and avidly follow the progress of progeny, and who are so appreciative that horses are the animals providing for them and their families. This achievement we recognize and are grateful for.

What breeding theory do you have when it comes to matings?    

It is always a challenge to try to strike the balance between breeding what you hope and believe will be a racehorse, and what you think may have commercial appeal. 

Standing stallions for owners and syndicates takes a big dose of commitment, courage and boldness,  especially in these very competitive times when I believe the market tends to pass a stallion by too quickly. To contra this, we always try to send a portion of our mares to more proven commercial options.

In terms of choosing matings we go with the normal practices of going through pedigrees and families and looking for pointers, and making use of some of the computer programmes available has certainly made this easier in recent times, but the physical attributes probably play the biggest part in our thinking – then look for a reason on paper to vindicate your thoughts – you can nearly always find a reason to see why a mating was good once the horse is in the winners box.

Do you have a special story you can share?  

Many many stories  – but these would take a book to relate – not sure if it would be a James Herriot, Wilbur Smith or Monty Python flavour –  probably all of the above.  We have been blessed to share time with many horse people including trainers, farriers, veterinarians, stud masters, owners – it seems horses attract a particular ilk of person – mostly stern, preoccupied, of few words, but when the ties come off, outrageously funny stories abound – roll on the floor, tears kind of stories that keep one giggling for years to come. A common thread runs through horse people – long days, short tempers, hard decisions, and endless nights tending to individuals – patience and fortitude born out of grief after losing a special horse, and gratitude when an animal recovers.   

This horse world is a mixture of salt and sugar, and a wealth of knowledge and wisdom learnt over the years, and many many lump in the throat times.  

Yearlings headed to sales this year, what can buyers look forward to? 

I believe we have a very nice spread of yearlings for the various sales this year and amongst them are individuals with appeal to most sectors of the market.

Naturally we are excited to be taking the first crop of New Predator’s foals to the sales, the first of these will be at the National Yearling sales where we expect him to have some good representation. In addition we have a spread of youngsters by proven sires from around the country including Willow Magic, Querari, Rafeef, Master Of My Fate, Captain Of All, William Longsword and Pomodoro along with some of the new and exciting prospects such as Lancaster Bomber, Heavenly Blue and Hat Puntano.

Any special foals on the ground this season?

 It is always a difficult thing to single out foals and we are thrilled with the crop we have been blessed with this year. The first of Last Winter’s foals arrived and they have been exceptional – one that we really like is a colt from the “Mouse” family that has served us so well [including Gr2 winner The Mouseketeer], this colt being out of Penthouse Mouse.

The second crop of New Predator foals have been just as impressive as his first and it would be hard to single out individuals here, a very smart half sister to this past season’s very promising two year old, the Gr2 placed Remember When, would have to be one of the highlights along with a half sister to the Gr1 placed Neptunes Rain.

A smart full sister to MK’s Pride stands out in what has been a very nice crop of Willow Magic foals born on the farm this year.

We again have a lovely spread of outside proven stallions including foals by the leading sires Gimmethegreenlight, What A Winter, Master Of My Fate and Querari (a cracking colt out of our Zirconeum/Stellite family).

We have several very nice foals by the up and coming Act Of War.  

What makes you proud to breed in KZN? 

Personally I don’t like to regionalise our breeding industry more than necessary, in these times more than ever we need a breeding community that stands together. In saying that I am very proud of the fact that KZN has always managed to punch well above its weight in terms of capital expenditure relative to results, this I believe proves just what a good area, for many reasons, KZN is to breed top class horses.

Bush Hill Stud is the biggest breeding facility in the province of KZN, any comments on the future of the industry? 

Like most breeding operations that are not funded by outside capital we and most of our clients have been forced to be fairly harsh in cutting back numbers and trying to maintain quality.

This has been a country wide trend, but it has now meant that the supply/demand ratio is at a very favourable level for breeders, something that was reflected in general at the sales this past year. In a year where there was every reason for sales to be depressed every sale delivered well above everyone’s most positive expectations, especially the regional level sales.

I believe that now with the positive changes happening in racing and a general commitment to the rebuilding of what racing should be we will see this positive trend continuing. It is great credit to the breeders that through the TBA and BSA we have played a major role in the boosting of stakes for our sales graduates and this is a fine example of what can be achieved with the right people and energy behind things.  

Tell us about New Predator’s first crop that will be going to sales this year?

It is always an exciting time taking the first crop of a stallion to the sales in particular when they are as pleasing as the first foals of New Predator have been. He is a stallion that offers much that should appeal to the South African buyer. He was a tough as teak Gr1 quality sprinter miler , with the speed to have beaten such top notch sprinters as Rafeef and the class to have toppled a horse of the quality of Legislate.

His pedigree backs this up in that he offers many aspects that are so suited to a lot of the dominant lines and families we have in our South African pedigrees, he being by New Approach, probably the son of Galileo who has been the biggest speed influence, out of a mare by the champion Fastnet Rock. We expect he will be well represented at the National sales as he covered a very respectable book of mares in his first crop and we are most grateful for support shown from a wide spread of breeders.

Tell us how it feels to produce a Gr1 winner? 

Exhilaration, pride, a huge sense of achievement and satisfaction once the reality sinks in.  Also enormous gratitude to the owner, and trainer for producing the horse to full potential. Each and every individual involved in the care and training and riding of these horses must be recognized, because all are an integral part of the machinery and excellence it takes to achieve a Gr1 win.

How many mares do you stand and tell us about your stallions?

The number of mares on the farm is always a moving target – we aim for adequate numbers to support the stallions we stand, plus additional mares to support outside stallions and ensure a good spread of what our country has to offer in genetics.

We have discussed New Predator, suffice to add that we, and the breeders in KZN as whole are most appreciative that Laurence Wernars chose to back us with this horse and support KZN in such a big way, and to facilitate the involvement of all in him, we all hope he gets the rewards he deserves.

Willow Magic needs little introduction and the support he received this past season shows that people are recognising just what a start he has got off to in his career, with his three year old crop of the past season he was right up there in the top five active sires with his AEPR index – a fair measure of a sires ability across the board. He was a Gr 1 winning sprinter as a two year old and has thrown this speed in many of his progeny, but his class from Dubawi has come through, resulting in top performers at all distances. 

Though he has had a very good number of winners Flying The Flag has not yet lived up to what we hope for from him and that is for a top level performer or two, he has a pedigree that is as good as it gets and judging by the fact that many of the trainers who have his progeny have returned to buy more this past season we are still of the belief that his class may yet emerge.

Last Winter had his first foals born this season and they were very pleasing.

He is a horse who has perhaps flown a bit below the radar having arrived late in his first season. He was a racehorse with unbelievable ability , ranked by Longines in the top 5 turf horses in the world to race in the first quarter of 2018, after his phenomenal run in the Met –  who can forget the way he finished that day, always worth watching that run again, an unbelievable turn of foot.

Add to this he has the looks to have been a R 3.7m yearling, being by a Champion sire in South Africa in Western Winter, who has already sired champion sires in SA, and he is out of a mare who was a Gr1 winner here and who in turn was by another local champion sire in Silvano.  What more could one want!

We wish Bush Hill Stud all the best for 2022 and look forward to the progeny of New Predator! Bush Hill Stud can be contacted at bushhillstud@futurenet.co.za.

The beautifully-bred Essos out of a Danehill Dancer mare, bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein, won for the second time for owner Mrs Suzette Viljoen in PE with trainer Zietsman Oosthuizen. An eye catching yearling, he has also earned five place cheques for his South African Champion Owner.

Marengo, bred and owned by Mr Justus Van Wyk and trained by Roy Magner won for the third occasion and has been paying his way with 11 place cheques to his record and proves the speed Flying The Flag can apply, winning all three races over 1000m.

Victory Twist, a big handsome dark bay trained by Tony Rivalland has given his owners immense joy, winning twice over 1700m and placing three times. He also carries an international pedigree, being out of a Cape Cross mare bred by the late Syd Rosseau of St Helier Stud.

Bush Hill Bred Guy Fox out of the wonderful mare Miss Andrea, has been unlucky – finding the 2nd placed box in his last three starts for trainer Garth Puller and will no doubt be a winner very soon.

Summerview Stud are breeders of another two second places in the past week for Flying The Flag – again another unlucky horse is Get Carter with three seconds for trainer MJ Odendaal, whilst International Racing Club’s Flag Of Wren has placed second twice – the most recent on Friday evening.

Flying The Flag is a full brother to Gr1 winning full sisters Magical and Rhododendron, both leading European multiple Gr1 winners for Coolmore.