The bright bay son of Danzig has had a slew of winners recently, with his winners to runners percentage soaring to an impressive 41.7% with 6 wins from just 12 runners, still relatively early in the season.

Always a consistent stallion that produced multiple Black Type winners from 1000m to 3200m, Bezrin was no slouch at stud but as with most stallion careers dictated by commercial value, the 21 year old stallion proves he still has what it takes with St John who is currently lying 3rd on the National Trainers Log and produced Gr1 winner Ronnie’s Candy last season – amongst many others.

His best performed son, Clifton-bred Bezanova, won two Gr2’s and the KZN Breeders Million Mile, and is currently enjoying retirement at Heversham Park Stud. He also produced the likes of Celtic Fire, Tetelestai, Thunder Flash, Jimmi Choo and the more recent Too Phat To Fly.

Another ultra consistent is the chestnut gelding Putchini – sound as a bell at 9 years old and his owner saying he has been the perfect racehorse to own having never needed a vet for an emergency or any unsoundness issues, he has had over 100 runs for 11 wins – and most recent with his last win coming on 23 August, following up with a place in his last start.

Amongst St John’s 3yo Bezrin crop is the 2-time winner After Hours (out of a Miesque’s Approval mare), Break The Silence is a winner and placed from all starts (out of an Announce mare), Lets Talk – also out of an Announce mare is a winner and placed from all but one start.

It is the start of the Gauteng season – be prepared to see more from St John’s horses in the coming months!

Enquiries for Bezrin can be made to Cathy Martin – cathym@futurenet.co.za.

St John Gray of Graystone Stud, based in KZN, has made a miraculous achievement of 1000 wins this afternoon at the Vaal with his now 11-time winner and #kznbred Dawn Assault.

Appropriately, Gavin Lerena, who has ridden several of St John’s top horses to Gr1 success including the likes of 5-time Gr1 winner Dancewiththedevil, was in the irons at the finish line in the familiar green and white ringed colours.

St John maintains his breeding operation at Cathy and Jonathan Martin’s Hadlow Stud – and has enjoyed enormous success at the top level with what would be considered non commercial pedigrees, and his favourite being his chestnut stallion with whom he has had great success, Announce (who shares a damline with Danehill, Machiavellian and Northern Dancer). Amongst his current broodmare band are the likes of his star racemare Dancewiththedevil who was exported to England, but had to return after an injury to her pelvis.

St John also won the Gr1 SA Classic with Jam Alley, an Australian horse he bred by Pientre Celebre and who stood at Hadlow before his retirement. He also has the star chestnut mare Engagement, who during her time with St John defeated Gr1 stars Igugu and The Apache.

The wheel turns, and The Apache now stands at Hadlow Stud alongside her.

St John took home the KZN Breeders Achievement Award, for his outstanding season which saw Dawn Assault and Ronnie’s Candy stamping themselves repeatedly among the nominees, and Dawn Assault taking home Champion Middle Distance Male and Champion Older Male.

Ronnie’s Candy added the recent Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge to her already impressive record this past November.

Graystone Stud for this season has 33.3% winners to runners, and AEPR of over R60 000.

This was the 11th win for Dawn Assault, his sire Call To Combat also bred and raced by St John. Dawn Assault has earned over R1,-6-million in stakes. St John has earned a lifetime stakes of over R79-million, and R5,182,725 alone last season.

Gavin Lerena in the post race interview today praised St John’s achievement, saying “He has supported me so much, he is a great trainer and a horseman, so well done to him and his team!”

St John commented in his interview whilst cracking open a bottle of Moet & Chandon, “it feels fantastic as you can imagine, its fantastic too for Gavin as he has ridden some of my top horses and Dancewiththedevil in particular. Im feeling quite emotional about this and fantastic that I could do this with Gavin.”

Congratulations to Graystone Stud.

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.

The #kznbred King Of Kings chestnut Ronnie’s Candy is making a habit of producing the surprises on the big days.

Last season the St John Gray bred, owned and trained galloper won the Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery as a twice raced maiden at any price on Champions Day.

On Saturday at Turffontein, having her first run as a 3yo, she scythed through the middle from off the pace to register an impressive victory in the R250 000 Gr3 Starling Stakes.

With five lengths to make up at the 350m marker, the racy chestnut grew wings under Corne Orffer to put 2,20 lengths between herself and the 10-1 Nafaayes, with the runner-up’s stablemate Ghaalla (a R5-million graduate off the National Yearling Sale) staying on for third.

The winner’s time was 83,23 secs.

A Graystone Stud home-bred, Ronnie’s Candy is by the ill-fated King Of Kings (Sadler’s Wells ) out of the three-time winner Bennie And the Jets (Jet Master). Ronnie’s Candy is a half-sister to winner and Gr3 and Listed Placed Mogok Master.

Her record now stands at 2 wins with 2 places from 6 starts and stakes of R437 500.

Her dam Bennie And The Jets was purchased by St John at the 2015 KZN Mare & Weanling Sale for just R40 000.

Cathy Martin has welcomed a smart Bezrin filly half-sister to Ronnie’s Candy this season for breeder St John Gray. Ronnie’s Candy is a nominee in the Champion 2YO Filly category of the upcoming KZN Breeders Awards, taking place 1 December at Fordoun.

St John has had phenomenal success over the years as a breeder, owner and trainer, his biggest success with five time Gr1 winning Dancewiththedevil.

Congratulations to all concerned.

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Amongst KZN’s broodmare band for 2018 is #kznbred five-time Gr1 winner Dancewiththedevil at Cathy and Jonathan Martin’s Hadlow Stud, for owner-trainer and breeder St John Gray.

Having produced two Silvano’s previously, her first foal now a quality two year old growing out at Hadlow Stud, Dancewiththedevil is due to foal to Querari this season.

Dancewiththedevil was voted Equus Champion Older Female in 2011 and St John earned Equus Breeder Of The Year. She was also voted KZN Breeders Horse Of The Year on two occasions.

By Modus Vivendi, she has an interesting damline that includes Vodacom Durban July winner Do It Again, his Hong Kong based multiple winning half brother Horse Of Fortune, as well as Folk Dance and sire War Lord.

Retiring a 9-time winner and returned from the UK, she won R3,938,425 from age 3 to 5 over 1160 – 2000m, including the Horse Chestnut Stakes, Gr.1 on two occasions, Empress Club Stakes Gr1, Gold Challenge Gr1, Summer Cup Gr1, Acacia Handicap Gr3 and placed 5 times, second in the Joburg Spring F & M Challenge Gr3. 

Gauteng based owner-trainer and breeder in KZN, St John Gray had plenty of cause to celebrate at Turffontein on Saturday.

His stallion Call To Combat marked his first stakes winner courtesy of a gutsy victory by Dawn Assault in the R150 000 Listed Drum Star Handicap.

More of a boutique sire for his gentleman breeder, Call To Combat has not covered many mares in his six seasons at stud, but his 4yo son Dawn Assault – still a colt – looks capable of going on to improve on his current record.

Raymond Danielson took the 1800m handicap by the scruff of the neck and had Pilou six lengths ahead of the pack turning into the home straight.

Anthony Delpech had the favourite Secret Captain relaxed in midfield and he made his move at the 400m as Dawn Assault accelerated.

With the pacemaker fading out, it was left to Bela-Bela’s half-brother Secret Captain and Dawn Assault to slog things out.

As Secret Captain lugged out on to Dawn Assault and dragged him outwards, Marco van Rensburg kept his head and his mount proved the stronger, despite the interference.

Dawn Assault beat Secret Captain by 0,40 lengths in a time of 111, 65 secs.

The bridesmaid Secret Captain remains a two-time winner and a difficult horse to risk the rent money on. His record shows a maiden victory on debut and an administrative first in the Gr2 KZN Guineas, courtesy of the disqualification of Janoobi.

Kilrain produced a strong late run from some way off, but appeared to run on to Dawn Assault’s heels and finished a head away in third.

Dawn Assault was bred by Graystone Stud and is a son of Call To Combat (Announce) out of the two-time winner Cayman Ridge (Al Mufti). St John’s Graystone Stud operates from Cathy and Jonathan Martin’s Hadlow Stud in Mooi River.

He went through the ring at the 2015 KZN Yearling Sale but was bought back by Hadlow Stud.

Dawn Assault has won 5 races with 14 places from 31 starts for stakes of R512 925.

Call To Combat was trained and bred by St John Gray who stood him as a stallion for Graystone Stud at Hadlow Stud. Call To Combat has moved on to Cash Truter in Kroonstad.

Call To Combat achieved seven wins, with a peak victory in the 2011 Listed Wolf Power 1600. He ran fourth in the Listed Drum Star in 2010 behind Golden Chariot.

Dawn Assault is a half-brother to Caymen Island, who ran third in the Gr2 Peninsula Handicap and was a 5-time winner.

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Devil’s Peak, a chestnut juvenile full brother to five time-Gr1 winning Dancewiththedevil, won his second start for breeder / owner/ trainer St John Gray at the Vaal this afternoon.

Born and raised at Hadlow Stud which stands St John Gray’s Graystone Stud horses, including stallions Modus Vivendi, Announce and Bezrin, the chestnut colt won at the Vaal over 1400m by half a length. He finished two lengths off on debut over the same course and distance just a few weeks ago.  Interestingly, Cathy and Jonathan Martin’s Crusade, Gonnafly, finished a deadheat third in the same race behind Devil’s Peak.

His full sister Dancewiththedevil stands at Maine Chance for owner St John Gray. Her Silvano yearling is at Hadlow Stud growing out, and Dancewiththedevil is back in foal to the German-born Champion sire once again at Maine Chance.

Their Caesour dam Emperor’s Dance foaled a colt to Modus Vivendi for the 2016 season, and is now a weanling at Hadlow Stud. Emperor’s Dance is back in foal to Modus Vivendi for the season.

Dancewiththedevil was voted Equus Champion Older Filly/Mare in 2011 as well as KZN Breeders Award for Horse-Of-The-Year, twice in a row.

She had nine wins including six stakes wins – of which five of those are Gr1 status – as well as five places including a second in the Joburg Spring F & M Challenge Gr3, and placing in the L Jaffee Empress Club Stakes Gr1.
She has earned a total of R3, 903 425 in stakes from age three to five.

Her scintillating wins include the Sansui Summer Cup Gr1, Gold Challenge Gr1, Empress Club Stakes Gr1, Horse Chestnut Stakes Gr1 twice in a row, as well as the Acacia Handicap Grade 3.

Dancewiththedevil was exported to the UK and placed in the care of Roger Varian, but sadly an injury prevented her from achieving her South African form and St John brought her home.

Congratulations to St John Gray on an outstanding achievement!

The St John Gray bred, trained and raced Call To Combat has got his stud career off to a start with a winner at Greyville.

The Julie Dittmer trained three year old Commandtoconquer won by almost a length over 1600m from Putchini and Nuntius respectively from a sixth draw. The colt has come close twice before, finishing fifth from a handful of starts and knocking on the door for a win.

Commandtoconquer is out of All Fired Up mare Silent Heat, and owned by Mr MD Brown and Mrs CRA Kingham. The third dam is Aquasarto, the dam of amongst others Argonaut, Simply Salmon and Marine Sands.

Call To Combat, a son of Announce out of Rakeen mare Gamaliya, is in turn out of a Flirting Around/Janus mare and had 22 starts at the track to win seven times and earn seven places.  His wins included the Wolf Power Listed over 1600m, as well as the placing in the Drum Star Handicap Listed and a place in the Gr2 Victory Moon Stakes.

With only six runners to date, eight of them have placed collectively.

Call To Combat stands alongside his sire Announce at Hadlow Stud for owner St John Gray.

Call To Combat’s service fee was R15 000 for the 2015 season.

The win by Commandetoconquer: