New Predator stood his first season at stud in 2019, the first son of New Approach at stud in South Africa. He covered 82 mares in his first season, amongst them the likes of African Goshawk – a half-sister to Halve The Deficit from the family of Arabian Lass, and Alinga (Rock Of Gibraltar) – the dam of Gr2 placed Broadway Trip.

Thursday’s third meeting of the 2020 Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan Racecourse, which was sponsored by Azizi Developments, was highlighted by the Gr2 $250,000 Cape Verdi, a 1600m turf feature for fillies and mares, as well as the $175,000 Listed Zabeel Turf.

The Cape Verdi was won in thrilling fashion by Godolphin’s blue-blooded Magic Lily, a daughter of classic winners New Approach and Dancing Rain, who produced to lead right on the line by James Doyle for trainer Charlie Appleby.

It was a third win in the race for both trainer and jockey and produced a stakes and track record-setting time of 1:34.84.

Second by a nose was a game Nisreen, who shipped in for Team Valor International from France and was piloted beautifully between by Pierre-Charles Boudot. Beyond Reason, with William Buick up for the winner’s connections, was third, 2½ lengths astern the top pair.

Victorious on her juvenile debut, she was then third in the Gr1 Fillies’ Mile behind Laurens and September, while finishing ahead of Magical. Laurens would go on to win six Group 1s, September finished third in the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) one race later and Magical became one of the world’s top middle-distance horses. Magic Lily then missed her entire sophomore and most of her 4-year-old season with injury.

She returned with a second in Listed company in France in the autumn before a poor performance last out after a bad barrier draw in Listed Lingfield company.

“I had my head down to ride and didn’t think we’d got up (to win), but she’s tough and very game,” Doyle said. “It didn’t go entirely our way. The plan was to lead or if not be very close, which is what happened. When (Dubai Blue) went by me (on the backstretch), it sort of set her alight. She was over-racing a little bit. She’ll definitely be better going another furlong. We think she’s a nine or ten-furlong filly.” She’s a filly we have always liked, with a lovely pedigree and plenty of ability. Hopefully we can build on this, as she has very few miles on the clock.”

Thursday’s win was the 5-year-old’s second from just five career starts.

“She ran very well,” Boudot said. “The pace was very strong and the way was open just at the turn and she came in really easy. She was very courageous.”

Buick added: “She ran well. She would be better back to seven furlongs.”

-extract sportingpost.co.za

Raised at Cathy and Jonathan Martin’s Hadlow Stud in Mooi River for St John’s Graystone Stud, the chestnut is out of Jet Master mare Bennie And the Jets. Ronnie’s Candy has a Mogok half-sister (2yo) who has just entered pretraining, and her dam has a yearling by Bezrin.

Cathy reports that unfortunately Bennie and the Jets didn’t have a foal this year, but she is in foal to Potala Palace for the 2020 season.

Ronnies Candy is a nominee at the KZN Breeders upcoming annual Awards, where she is in the category for Champion 3YO Filly and Champion Middle Distance Filly.

Her Race Record is 4 wins and 7 places – including the Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery where she beat Celtic Sea, the Gr3 Starling Stakes where she again beat Celtic Sea and Running Brave, a win at the Vaal before her Gr2 yesterday.

She has also placed in three other Graded Stakes races and has earned R842,775 in stakes.

Congratulations to all concerned!

In other KZN related news, young Klawervlei sire Captain Of All is making a name for himself.

The Gr1 winning son of Captain Al looks to be taking the baton from his champion sire. He is out of a #kznbred Fard mare Serious Side, who was bred by Robert Smith. His son Shango won the Gr2 Dingaans yesterday for trainer Sean Tarry. Captain Of All was the leading juvenile sire this past season by Stakes Earned.

Summerhill-bred Visionaire filly Takingthepeace has once again stamped KZN Breeders in Gauteng, with a dominating run in the Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas (the first leg of the Triple Tiara), a race previously won by the likes of Heaps Of Fun (a Summerhill-bred daughter of Visionaire).

Under Callan Murray, the Mike De Kock-trained Takingthepeace is owned in partnership by the maestro trainer himself, Michael Shea (a son of jockey Kevin Shea) and Mr Makepeace. The three year old filly sold for R280 000 at the CTS Ready To Run Sale under the name Sagana as Lot 121.

The bay filly is out of Lisa Anne by Rambo Dancer, in turn out of a Complete Warrior mare. This is the damline of Well Dressed and African Appeal.

Summerhill Stud have produced 85 winners this season, and are currently on an equal footing with Klawervlei in the winners to runners percentages. Klawervlei are the current National Log Leaders of leading breeders by Stakes Earned with Summerhill following hot  on their heels.

This is the fourth win for Takingthepeace, who has earned R 800,125 in stakes from eight starts. She has yet to be out of the money from all of her starts with four wins and four places.

A big congratulations to all concerned and well done to the breeders, Summerhill Stud.

KZN-breds and horses by KZN sires won four of the nine race card at Turffontein yesterday, including three of the days features – the Oaks Trial Listed, the Derby Trial and the Gr2 Senor Santa Stakes, whilst Rabada’s grey half-brother won over 2000m on debut in the last race.

KZN produces less than 20% of the racing stock annually in South Africa and yesterday’s performances at Turffontein are not to be ignored.

Golden Sword’s daughter, who gave him his first winner two year ago – Belle Rose, also gave her sire his first Stakes winner and provided the first of a Stake winning double on the day for her sensational dam, Vin Fizz (Champagne Haze winning the Gr2 Senor Santa later in the day).

Mike De Kock trained High Chaparral’s outstanding son Golden Sword in the latter part of his career, and labelled the Summerhill sire the best horse of a classy generation in his overseas string.  Golden Sword still holds the record for the fastest 2000m at Meydan.

Callan Murray had Belle Rose relaxed about five lengths off pacesetter Emily Jay in the sixteen horse charge that moved into the long Turffontein home straight.

Belle Rose glided up hard against the steel in the centre at the 400m marker, closely tracked by Wind Chill.

Under a beautifully balanced left handed ride, the Callan Murray kept Belle Rose to her task and she stayed on doggedly to hold the determined Wind Chill by a head in a time of 124,46 secs.

The Woodruff runner Parabola came on steadily to get third ahead of Scott Bros’Costa Da Sol. The latter ran a gutsy race from her wide draw.

Belle Rose was purchased by Form Bloodstock for R475 000 at the 2015 CTS Johannesburg Ready To Run Sale.

SA champion breeders Summerhill Stud also produced Gr2 Senor Santa winner Champagne Haze and the last race 2000m debut winner, Glider Pilot – the latter an AP Arrow half-brother to dual Gr1 winner, Rabada.

Glider Pilot sold initially for R475 000 off the CTS Ready To Run Sale to Adriaan Van Vuuren, and resold for only R65 000 off the 2016 November Mixed Sale – trained by Tyrone Zackey and owned by Mr K P & Mrs N M Backos & Mr S F G Habib. His grey dam Jordie has an outstanding foal by Trippi this year at Summerhill.

Belle Rose is by Golden Sword out of the versatile four-time winning Qui Danzig mare, Vin Fizz – dam of the day’s Gr2 1160m winner, Champagne Haze. She also produced the brilliant Pierre Jourdan and 7-time winner Dakiwe, definitely thrown her name into the hat as KZN Breeders Broodmare Of The Year.

The high – class Pierre Jourdan’s half-brother Champagne Haze is a previous winner of the 2015 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup and produced a sensational victory in the R400 000 Gr2 Senor Santa Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday.

While he has won up to a mile, Champagne Haze’ best recent form has been over the sprints – yet he was easy to back when lining up in the 1160m Gr2 feature against some serious speed merchants. Champagne Haze won by two lengths in a time of 65,49s.

Champagne Haze has won five races with six places from his 15 starts for stakes of a healthy R2 065 050.

The winner, astutely purchased at the CTS Johannesburg RTR Sale for R280 000, is by Kahal.

Ever consistent sire Mogok added yet another Stakes winner to his list with Varsfontein-bred Pagoda taking the Derby Trial.

Pagoda collected his second win on the trot, making it the three year old Mogok gelding’s third career win. Pagoda – out of Pascha by Wolfhound – had previously placed three times including the Sea Cottage Stakes Listed.

Trained by Geoff Woodruff and owned in partnership by Messrs Kuben Gengan, Rajen Devan, G V Woodruff & Mrs S E M Louw, Pagoda sold for R100 000 off the 2015 Val De Vie Cape Yearling Sale, and has earned almost R400 000 including the BSA Value Added Stakes bonus of R77 500.

This is the immediate damline of Do You Remember, Festive Occasion and KZN-bred Sarasota.

Congratulations to Summerhill Stud and all the winning connections!

– extract sportingpost.co.za

KZN’s recently crowned 2016 Stallion Of The Year Kahal, saw his dual Gr1 placed daughter, an impeccably Summerhill-bred grand-daughter of the great Galileo, secure her first much deserved first Graded Stakes win in the Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge.

Intergalactic was one of five winners for the Sean Tarry stable on Sansui Summer Cup day. A R360 000 CTS Ready To Run Sales graduate, the daughter of Najoom is owned by Chris Van Niekerk and has now won over R700 000, after winning four times and placing 10 times.

Named in honour of a champion of the turf (who has a KZN connection, as the Scott Bros imported Ipi Tombe’s dam to South Africa before she was sold on), the Gr2 mile boasted an eleven strong line-up and after Intergalactic was slow out,  the pace was on from the jump with Fort Ember showing the way.

When the favourite Negroamaro came forward with Polyphonic at the 500m to challenge Fort Ember, the race was on.

With the action down the middle, Polyphonic looked a likely winner as Negroamaro went one-paced and Tahini arrived on the scene.

It was anybody’s to win at the 200m.  Despite taking forever to get going down the inside, Intergalactic found her best finish to hold off the persistent Polyphonic by 0,40 lengths in a time of 99,50 secs.

Intergalactic was nominated for two categories at the KZN Breeders Awards evening on Saturday night, and as Master Of Ceremonies Graeme Hawkins pointed out, “has thrown her name into the hat for next year,” with her scintillating performance.

The liver chestnut filly has placed twice just a length off Inara in the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes and Garden Province Stakes, and three lengths off No Worries in the KZN Breeders Million Mile.

Her half-brother by Visionaire sold on Friday evening at the CTS Johannesburg Ready To Run Sale for R340 000, purchased by Rainbow Beach Trading. This is the dam line of American super stars and sires amongst them Go For Gin, Pleasant Tap and Dont Say Halo. Intergalactic is certain to be an asset to stud whens he retires based on the strength of her pedigree.

Her sire, the deceased Kahal, is currently fourth on the sires log with a winners to runners percentage of 28.8%, lying behind sires Silvano, Captain Al and Trippi. Dynasty follows behind Kahal along with Jet Master, Var and Western Winter, by stakes earned.

Our National Champion Breeders, Summerhill Stud, collected their 10th KZN Breeders Award for Leading Breeder.

Other KZN news on Summer Cup day included Bull Valley (Toreador) and newly crowned KZN Breeders Horse Of The Year, Talktothestars (Overlord), placing second and third behind Trip To Heaven in the Gr2 Merchants.

Congratulations to all concerned.

– extract sportingpost.co.za

Clifton Stud-bred Bezanova, the 2014 Charity Mile and 2015 KZN Breeders Million Mile winner and his connections had the last laugh when the gelding got the better of the younger Liege in the final strides of the rain delayed Gr2 Victory Moon Stakes, to register his first win in close on seventeen months of knocking about between KZN and Gauteng.

His win brought back memories of that lovely story dating back to the National 2yo Sale of 2012 where, after buying him for R150 000, owner Chris Gerber was told by a sales official that things were ‘going so well – there were even clowns paying R150 000 for the Bezrins!’

Close to R2 million in stakes earned later, Gerber doesn’t have any issues with the clown tag, and he and trainer Alec Laird must have been motivated by the maxim that horses only lose form – they don’t lose ability.

Between that and the fact that the soldier owes them nothing, they have persevered with Bezanova racing off an MR of 96 on Sunday, having achieved a career high of 107 once.

In the run for home the gutsy chestnut gelding was angled out for a run as Liege challenged Arctica, with Amsterdam and Bankable Teddy also looking dangerous.

Despite all the action down the centre, the 9-1 shot Bezanova was the one finishing best as he came home on the wide outside to grab Liege and win by 0,50 lengths in a time of 112,06 secs.

Simons celebrated a feature double on the afternoon and had time to do a quiet ‘pump salute’ two strides before the line.

A R150 000 National Two Year Old Sale graduate, Bezanova has won six races with 10 places from 34 starts and took his career bank to R1 966 775.

The winner was bred by Clifton Stud and is by the recently relocated Bezrin out of the thrice winning London News mare, Ananova. Peter Blyth of Clifton Stud has always been a fan of Danzig (the sire of his previous Durban July producer, Allied Flag), the sire of Bezrin.

Bezrin, the versatile and consistent sire of a multitude of Graded Stakes winner from sprinters to stayers is now standing at Hadlow Stud in KZN.

Ananova’s last recorded foal is a 2014 Toreador filly named Anador, again from the paternal line of Danzig through Danehill. This is the damline of the brilliant Wendywood and Vodacom Durban July winner, Power King.

The two year old full sister to Flying The Flag showed plenty of speed to win courageously over 1400m.

The O’Brien-trained Rhodedendron led home a 1-2 for Galileo in the G2 Debutante Stakes when holding off stablemate Hydrangea, who shares a sire and broodmare sire with Rhodedendron – both out of Pivotal mares. Sent off the 11-8 favourite, Rhododendron was taking a substantial step up in class after winning a maiden at Goodwood and scored by a head after keeping on well.

Seamie Heffernan, who earlier struck on Churchill and was making it a Group 2 double on the day, said: “She learned a bit at Goodwood and Ryan [Moore] told me to get there late on her. He said she was the best of Aidan’s three runners in the race.” The rider picked up a one-day ban for using his whip with excessive force on Rhododendron and not giving his mount time to respond.

O’Brien reported: “Both fillies ran very well and gave the impression they´ll stay further. We thought Rhododendron had come forward from her Goodwood maiden win while Hydrangea, too, is progressive and she rallied well when the other filly headed her. They´ll probably both come back here for the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes next month.”

Rhododendron was trimmed with most bookmakers for next year’s 1,000 Guineas and is now available between 10-1 and 16-1.

Flying The Flag will be standing his first season at Bush Hill Stud this year. The son of Galileo is a 3-time winner as well as Gr1 placed in Dubai, Gr2 runner-up at two, and a Gr3 winner at age three in Ireland. He also lined up in the French 2000 Guineas, Irish 2000 Guineas and Epsom Derby in a career that saw him racing in the UK, Ireland, France, United Arab Emirates and South Africa – where he placed in the Gr3 London News.

His dam is three-time Gr1 winner Halfway To Heaven by Pivotal, in turn out of 6-time winning speed machine and multiple Group Winner, Cassandra Go. This is the family of top sires Stravinsky and Verglas.

Flying The Flag has attracted a top class book of mares – including Look Sharp – the dam of Gr2 winning The Mouseketeer, Plutonium (the dam of Orion Quest and King Neptune), a Gr2 and Gr3 winning full sister to sire Biarritz named Countess Corlia amongst others.

Flying The Flag will stand for a fee of R20 000 in his first season and a fantastic incentive bonus of R100 000 is on offer to the breeder who produces the first Graded Stakes winner by Flying The Flag.