Foaling season each year brings a mixed bag of emotions for breeders, whilst the hours of selecting pedigrees come to fruition from August each year with the hopes of a safe foaling and a good sort delivered, as with any animal husbandry there can also be setbacks.

The highs equal the lows and every breeding season has its challenges, but for two foals at Hadlow Stud who have overcome difficulty, the future looks bright indeed.

Cathy Martin, Chairman of the KZN Breeders Club, tells the story of taking care of two orphan filly foals.

“We have a chestnut filly by first season sire Chimichuri Run, out of Shuffles. The mare died during foaling, and Doug Campbell lost his Var mare Val La Ree at Sugar Hill Stud in Richmond, not long after due to post foaling colic complications; she produced a Willow Magic filly. This foal belongs to Doug Campbell with clients.”

It has come full circle for the little Willow Magic foal, as her deceased dam Val-La-Ree was born and raised at Hadlow Stud.

Shuffles is a Sarge mare who has produced two winners, and Val-Le-Ree had a promising start to her racing career, winning three starts in quick succession.

“We would normally try and foster the foals onto a mare who had recently lost her own foal. These days, with new knowledge, it is a fairly quick and easy process as opposed to the time it could take in previous years.  This way the foster mare raises and feeds the foal as she would her own – it’s  a win-win situation. Unfortunately at the time there were no foster mares available.  I contacted Doug and proposed teaming them up as friends.  There is nothing more gut wrenching than looking at a little orphan foal lying alone in a stable. They also need to be fed hourly so it is quite an intensive process.” 

“Doug sent his filly the next day and they became firm friends very quickly, which is quite a warming moment to watch after a heavy heart. We moved them together into a small paddock and they have never looked back!”

“We were fortunate to be able to get a ‘dry nanny’ to keep them company.  A lovely cross-breed mare, Nanny Mcfie was rescued by the Coastal Horse Care unit a few years back and went to Bush Hill Stud to keep an orphan company.  She has done her job year after year with great love and care ever since.”

“Last year she did duties at Blue Sky Thoroughbreds and I was very lucky to be able to use her this year.  Her job is to keep them company and teach them manners, which is important for orphan foals.  On arriving here she took to them immediately, what a star nanny she has been.”  

“They are starting to go into a bigger paddock together in the day.  The end result will be to integrate Nanny and her two babies into a small herd of mares and foals to allow the orphans to grow up as naturally as possible.”

Cathy says the two babies are going from strength to strength and growing beautifully. 

She advises that they are currently fed every two hours and each drink 24 litres of milk replacer a day, certainly a case of “drinking for the team”. 

“Being involved in this gives you renewed respect for the mares, who have to produce this quantity themselves on a daily basis – incredibly, it is  approximately 3% of her body weight per day for the first 3 months.”

Feeding wise, the two are starting to eat some hay and concentrates so while the quantity of milk stays as is, the regularity of their feeding will decrease until they are getting milk replacer four times per day.

The KZN Breeders Club consists of a tight knit group of Thoroughbred breeders, who via a Whatsapp forum assist each other when the need for foster mares are sought. The mares are then returned to their respective farms after the foals are weaned.

There are many success stories the world over of orphan foals going on to win Group races, and the most recent local success story of a foal going onto Graded Stakes winning success was Visionaire filly Emirate Gina, winning the Gr3 Tab4Racing Fillies Mile.

Cathy concludes that she hopes by giving the foals a well balanced diet and good paddock discipline from Nanny McFie and other horses, the play and company of other foals, they will grow up as normally as possible.

“We look forward to seeing them developing into the athletes they were born to be!”

Images: Cathy Martin

A newborn New Predator out of Guide You Home by Gimmethegreenlight pictured to the left.

This mare, Guide You Home, has a fantastic Varsfontein pedigree, out of Gr2 winner Princess Of Light (Var), this is the immediate family of Arcola, Fiorella and Ash Cloud.

The mare is a half sister to Gentleman’s Wager who won 9 races including the Michael Roberts Listed.

This pedigree also combines international sensational sires More Than Ready, Galileo and Fastnet Rock.

Blue Sky have welcomed another ‘Chimi’ for the season. This super foal by Chimichuri Run out of The Angelus by Windrush is displaying his sires speedy conformation and strength. 

The dam, a 7-time winner including a Listed race, has produced three runners and three winners, including smart debut winner, Calling All Angels.

This is the family of 11-time winner Simonside, Jet Goddess and Pimp My Ride. The New Predator half-brother to this foal sold at the National Yearling Sale in April earlier this year for R375 000.

Chimichuri Run, a Gr1 winner who raced consistently and soundly to win 8 races including a Gr1 and two Gr3’s and placing in 11 Graded Stakes races at the highest level.

A Gr1 winning son of Trippi out of Gr1 winning Kahal mare Spiced Gold, he stands for a very accessible fee of R8000 + Vat Live foal.

Blue Sky ended their previous season on a high 47% winners to runners and R55 000 Average Earnings Per Runner, and have 80 mares remaining to foal for the current season.

They stand stallions Chimichuri Run, Willow Magic, Hat Puntano and Byword.

Images: Candiese Lenferna

In a foaling record for the farm in one day, five mares welcomed five fillies at `Macrath Stud for Rathmor Stud on Thursday.

Mystery Dame (Jet Master), the dam of Gr1 winner Lady In Black and Gr2 winner and KZN Mile winner Nexus, produced a filly by Declarationofpeace.

Others to foal included Fiftyshadesdarker (Gimmethegreenlight), a full sister to Gr1 winner Gunnar, by Declarationofpeace as well as Clarion Call (Kabool) – the dam of Hollywood Syndicate’s multiple winning full siblings Spyda’s Corner and Purple Powahouse.

Last but not least were Seeking Venus (Trippi) and the last Noble Tune foal to be born came from Spice Girl (Var).

Declarationofpeace (War Front) covered a full book last season and has once again received maximum support for the current season.

He stands for a fee of R20 000 live foal. He won three times including the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (L).

Blue Sky Thoroughbreds sold their first R1-million plus colt at Nationals this year.

The farm also stands the likes of stallions Chimichuri Run who has got down to business in his first season with 50 mares as well as New Predator, Willow Magic, Hat Puntano and Byword.

Images: Candiese Lenferna

Bush Hill sprinting sire New Predator (AUS) has his first yearlings which will be heading for sales next year, and based on the top quality of the individuals, many farms have returned mares to the son of New Approach who ticks all the boxes with his physical looks and pedigree, making him an easy stallion to match for any breeder.

He is producing good-looking predominately bay foals, with good bone, quality and his stamp of a very good well muscled hindquarter.

Warwick Render of Bush Hill reiterates the statement above, “He has enjoyed good support in his first two seasons and this has seen him get some quality mares and not just quantity – a vital factor in trying to get a young horse off to a good start.”

“So far this season a couple of the stand outs so far have been a smart strong half sister to Gr1 performer Neptune’s Rain, a quality racy colt out of the stakes winning Cold Cash, a big scopey filly out of stakes performer Winter Passion, a big strong colt out of the stakes winning Singspiel mare Polzeath [a mare that has produced multiple winners including the recent Lord Minver].

“We are still looking forward to foals out of mares such as Tracy’s Legacy (her first foal is “Remember When” this season’s juvenile Gr2 second placed performer), the winner of the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes – Temple Grafin, and Gr2 Fillies Guineas winner Go Indigo [dam of three winners including the recent back to back winner Varvacious] as a couple of examples. The quality of the mares he covered in the second season is largely credit to how impressive his first foals were.”

“Even though he is in the notoriously difficult third season he will again get some quality mares from the stud and from the shareholders in the horse. Some of the aforementioned mares will return to him on the strength of the foals that they have thrown. New Predator has proven to have excellent fertility – he has had an exceptional conception rate of well above 90%.”

“New Predator offers so much of what we as South African breeders look for in terms of pedigree, looks and racing performance. Having been a Gr1 quality sprinter miler, that we really believe he has all the attributes of a horse with a bright future. We are looking forward to his first crop attending the National Yearling Sales next year where we expect him to be well represented at the sale.”

Trained by Johan Janse Van Vuuren during his career, his Gr1 form line was exceptional over 1200m – 1600m, having defeated in Graded Stakes races all of Vodacom Durban July winners The Conglomerate and Legislate, as well as Gr1 sprint masters Rafeef, Will Pays, Attenborough, Talktothestars and the likes of multiple Gr1 winners Abashiri, Rabada and Deo Juvente.

Warwick ends off with, “New Predator looks the picture of health with a lovely coat despite the late cold weather – he always loves his job and is an absolute pleasure to work with.”

New Predator stands for a fee of R10 000 for the season Live Foal.

Bush Hill Stud, who stand the handsome Last Winter have welcomed a super colt out of Frosty Friday.

The dam, bred by the Late Greg Royden Turner of Roski Stud, imported her own dam who was a half-sister to the late and great KZN sire Kahal.

It is also the family of #kznbred export Showmetheway, who won 19 times including racing successfully in Britain over 1400m – 2000m, and it is also the family of successful sire Reprimand.

The foal is inbred to Western Winter, the broodmare sire of Frosty Friday. The mare won three times and placed in the Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Guineas, and defeated Intergalactic in a previous start – winner of the Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge.

Last Winter, standing at Bush Hill Stud, won 4 races from 6 starts – and remained unbeaten in his first 4 starts over 1200m-1600m. He was exported to the UK where he ran twice in two features, and placed in the Floodlit Stakes over 2400m – however it was his blinding fast finish in the Gr1 Sun Met that really put Last Winter on the map when he placed a close 2nd, with the fastest 400m finish on the day in a race that needs to be seen.

Last Winter is out of Silvano mare Field Flower – this is also the family of Inverroche, Hashtag Strat and Origami (’97 f) and sire Fools Holme, and his 4th dam is a full sister to Champion sire Bold Ruler – the sire of amongst others Secretariat.

Last Winter stands on behalf of Piemonte Stud at Bush Hill Stud for a live foal fee of R7 500. Take advantage of it now!

Bush Hill Stud have introduced the first foals of Flying The Flag. The superbly-bred handsome chestnut son of Galileo has impressed, with his offspring throwing his presence, substance and quality.

Flying The Flag, an international Group Winner who performed at the highest level, is out of a triple Gr1 winning Pivotal mare and a three parts brother to Gr1 winner, Photo Call. His full sisters include twice Gr1 winner Rhododendron, named Cartier 2YO Filly Of The Year in Ireland, and their juvenile Gr2 winning full sister, Magical.

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

Images: Warwick Render

Hadlow Stud stand the stallions Bezrin, Announce and Modus Vivendi, as well as amongst many, the family of Dancewiththedevil for Graystone Stud.

Hadlow Stud have bred the likes of Celtic Fire, Thunderflash, Jimmi Choo and more recently, Gonnafly.