Bush Hill Stud report that they have had 11 winners for the season so far and achieved over a million in earnings for their owners, with two wins this month and seven 2nd places (from 16 places in total), which should convert to wins very soon.

The honest Kahal gelding Aramouse, a full brother to Gr2 winner The Mouseketeer, had his six career win, now in the care of trainer Corrie Lensley and owners Messrs S J Myburgh & P L Olivier & Johan Venter Familie Trust. He has also placed 10 times with stakes of over R430 000.

The Curved Balls continue to the winners box, and Sean Tarry’s Against The Grain won by almost two lengths in his fifth outing, after placing in all four of his previous starts including two seconds, one of them on debut! The three year old is out of Crest Of Pearls by National Emblem.

Against The Grain will be in the starting stalls for the Secretariat Listed at Turffontein tomorrow.

Curved Ball will be flying the flag again in the Gr2 Merchants, as his imposing son – a gentle giant in Hard To Play, goes for the straight 1160m run at Turffontein amongst good company. The Wendy Whitehead trained four year old gelding is owned by Messrs Geoff Perkins, Michael Sinnema & Wendy Whitehead and out of Dr Ian Heyns Kahal mare, La Mascarata.

Hard To Play has won five races and had five places from 12 starts, including winning the KZN Winter Challenge, beating Gr1 filly Dawn Calling last time out by over a length and finishing three lengths off Undercover Agent in the Gr3 Byerley Turk.

He shows enormous heart and grit, reminiscent of his sire, the only son of Fastnet Rock at stud in South Africa.Curved Ball is represented at the KZN Breeders Awards tomorrow night by Seerite, who ran a whisker to Monks Hood in the Gr2 Dingaans.

He has been nominated for Champion 3YO Colt and and Champion Middle Distance Colt.

A resident broodmare of Bush Hill Stud, Vin Fizz is once again prevalent at the awards (she had two nominees last year – Champagne Haze and Belle Rose) as Champagne Haze has been nominated for two Awards, and runs tomorrow in the Gr2 Merchants.

Another from Bush Hill running tomorrow is the smart Toreador Ouro, racing in the Gr3 Magnolia Handicap over the 1160m distance. The four year old filly out of Goldkeeper mare Gold Lass has very consistent form, winning twice and placing in eight of her 11 starts. She is trained by Paul Peter and only been out of the money on one occasion for owner Mr Da Costa.

Wishing all a great day at Turffontein and we look forward to tomorrow night’s KZN Breeders Awards.

Wendy Whitehead’s big and handsome son of Curved Ball, Hard To Play, flew to a phenomenal victory at Greyville on Sunday in the Pinnacle Stakes.

A field littered with Gr1 performed horses and Stakes Winners, #kznbreds London Call and Dawn Calling were the fancied runners and Dawn Calling was unlucky once more, collecting her 11th second place!

Wendy Whitehead scored a back-to-back double with Hard To Play showing a tremendous turn of foot to land the Pinnacles Stakes and Rocking Ruby (out of a Mogok mare) finishing too strongly for the opposition in the next.

Once Stuart Randolph released the brake, Hard To Play sailed past the filly as if he had jumped in at the furlong pole over the 1200m turf.

Hard To Play, a duplicate in looks of his sire Curved Ball who is the first son of Fastnet Rock to stand at stud in South Africa, has an outstanding temperament and truly is a gentle giant. The four year old out of La Mascarata by Kahal is bred by Dr Ian Heyns and has earned R 425,125 in stakes, with five wins and five places from 14 starts.

He is part owned by trainer Wendy Whitehead, along with Messrs Geoff Perkins and Michael Sinnema. Curved Ball had another brilliant winner on Friday evening, with Lola Crawford-trained Miss Twist flying to the finish under jockey Craig Zackey. She has won and placed from five starts.

Curved Ball from small numbers has produced 5 winners this season, and 17 places. He produced 33.3% winners to runners for the 2017 season, including Gr2 2nd placed Seerite in the Dingaans, with over R2-million in stakes from 51 runners.

Curved Ball stands at Bush Hill Stud.

Born and raised at Bush Hill Stud for breeders Mr S Fuhri, the handsome Curved Ball colt Bad Attitude won his second start yesterday at Scottsville for trainer Dennis Drier – one of four winners for the conditioner on the day.

He beat a field which included the favourite, a Captain Al colt named Drageda.

Sold for R200 000 at the 2016 CTS March Select Yearling Sale to Mayfair Speculators, Bad Attitude made it look easy to win comfortably by over a length.

The three year old gelding is a half-brother to 8-time winner and Umgeni Listed Placed Mr Whatever, as well as Gr2 placed Storm Bringer.

Out of Goldkeeper / Model Man mare Cool Gold, this is the damline of the brilliant Shoe Shac.

Amongst Curved Ball’s recent winners is Wendy Whitehead’s special unbeaten colt, Hard To Play whilst On The Bounce is looking for a win after placing 6 times from seven starts.

A Curved Ball colt made it look all to easy on debut yesterday at Scottsville, for trainer Wendy Whitehead and owners Geoff Perkins, Michael Sinnema in partnership with Wendy Whitehead.

Purchased off the Klawervlei Farm Sale, the juvenile out of Kahal mare La Mascarata bred by Dr Ian Heyns, sauntered to an easy victory under Craig Zackey over the 1200m comfortably by over a length.

Wendy describes the big colt, named Hard To Play, as having a very gentle and quiet disposition, and had warned Craig not to be put off by his very calm manner, which saw him trotting up the track to the starting stalls in a very relaxed fashion.

Curved Ball’s other progeny attracting attention is the filly Je Suis Silver, a 3-time winner who has also placed four times for trainer Tony Rivalland, and a very exciting filly bred by Anton Procter named On The Bounce, in the care of Charles Laird (the former trainer of Curved Ball), for owner Mayfair Speculators.

On The Bounce has been unlucky to place second in three of her starts from five, yet to be out of the money. She is out of a Captain Al mare, Ribbons For Thee, and has been nominated to run in the Gr1 Thekweni Stakes.

Curved Ball, a Gr2 Dingaans winner, is the only son of Fastnet Rock at stud in South Africa and stands at Warwick and Karin Renders Bush Hill Stud.