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.

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.

Eight Cities, a three year old son of Eightfold Path bred by Scott Bros gave his sire his fourth winner for the season this afternoon at the Vaal Classic track over 1500m.

Winning comfortably going away by over a length, he sold for just R30 000 at the 2016 National 2YO Sale, Eight Cities has in addition to his win placed six times for owner Dr M Taljaardt, two of those occasions finishing in second place.

Trained by Paul Matchett and out of an imported Thunder Gulch mare Blue Eyed Queen, Eight Cities descends from the dam line of Var’s sire, Forest Wildcat. His fourth dam Queen Alexandra is a 19-time winner, including two Gr2’s and Gr3 races.

Eightfold Path, a French Gr3 and Listed winner by Giant’s Causeway is impeccably-bred out of the 5-time Gr1 winner Divine Proportions, stands at Scott Bros’ Highdown Stud.

The only son of Giant’s Causeway standing at stud in SA at the moment, a 4-time winner including the Gr3 Prix Eclipse. Eightfold Path is out of a 5x Gr1 winning mare.

The first foal of Divine Proportions, Eightfold Path bears a remarkable resemblance to his brilliant mother who hails from a sire producing female line, the likes of Shirley Heights and Pentire Champion Sires in their own right – with Konigstiger and Whipper also featuring prominently in sires lists in Europe.

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 stands for R10 000 this season. Eight Cities is the first winner for his dam. Well done to all concerned.

Giant’s Causeway, the sire of Scott Bros’ sire Eightfold Path and the now deceased Await The Dawn from Summerhill Stud, produced the sales topper at Keeneland last night when Take Charge Brandi sold for $6 million. Eightfold Path and Await The Dawn will have their first crop of yearlings on offer in 2016.

Champion Take Charge Brandi became the new Keeneland November breeding stock sale topper when with Hill ‘n’ Dale’s John Sikura signing the ticket. She was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales on behalf of owner Willis Horton.

The 3-year-old daughter of Giant’s Causeway was champion 2-year-old filly of 2014 after she won the 14 Hands Winery Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Gr1 for Horton and trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Lukas and Horton were sitting together at the sale. Lukas said Horton agonized over the decision before opting to sell the filly.

“We’re glad it went the way it did. I had no idea where it’d all end up. She’s special and you just can’t buy that family; it’s a broodmare of the year,” Lukas said. “The horse industry is very good right now.”

Sikura said the price ended up where he expected.

“I thought that mare was a $5 million to $6 million mare,” Sikura said. “She’s a champion, has a unique pedigree, is a beautiful individual, and you saw a weanling filly from the immediate family bring $3.2 million, so it’s a highly coveted family in the marketplace.

“So, top to bottom on any metric of the way you want to measure value, she had it: pedigree, performance, champion, temperament, active family, by the right sire, everything.”

Eightfold Path is a French Gr3 winner of the Prix Eclipse over 1200m. The stallion is producing outstanding foals with great size and substance, as is Await The Dawn whose last crop are being foaled this year – leaving just two crops before his untimely death.

A common denominator amongst the foals from both stallions are their size and substance, with really good bone beneath the knees – a trait from their sire, the “iron horse” Giant’s Causeway, a Champion son of Storm Cat. He is also the sire of a top stallion in Sharmadal.

The first yearlings from Eightfold Path and Await The Dawn will fall under the auction hammer in 2016.

– extract bloodhorse.com