A stallion always filled with character and vigour and still covering mares with great enthusiasm until last season, his influence as a smashing broodmare sire will not be forgotten through his world wide travels whilst at stud.

His champion grandchildren such as Dutch Art, himself a Gr1 producer and sire of sires (including Slade Power) at stud, and the likes of Up – a Gr1 winning mare who changed hands at Keeneland for $2,2-million in foal to War Front, will see his name in pedigrees for years to come.

At one point of Spectrum’s career, he was 84th in the world as a broodmare sire. He is also a sire of sires, having produced the likes of Golan and Tartan Bearer.

His grand-daughter the grey Moonlight Cloud, another exceptional Gr1 filly, almost brought Black Caviar’s dream race career to an end at Ascot.

Amongst Spectrum’s exceptional race record were wins in the Irish 2000 Guineas (1995) and Champion Stakes (1995). He won 4 times (including a 10 length win on debut) from 9 starts, never contesting a maiden race, and was Timeform Rated at 126.

He was also the broodmare sire of Winchester, and South African Gr1 winners Tellina and Sand And Sea.

Our thoughts to all at Yellow Star Stud on the passing of this wonderful horse.

Images: Candiese Marnewick

Boom filly Takingthepeace, who won two legs of the 2017 Triple Tiara after a most exciting public build-up following her spectacular wins for new, young owners Michael Shea and Murray Makepeace, will have the names of the prominent brothers Craig and Ross Kieswetter added to her list of owners.

The Kieswetter family, who own Highlands/ Ridgemont, has bought a 50% share in Takingthepeace, who will have the brothers’ names in the race card until she retires to stud at Highlands Farm in Robertson.

Mathew de Kock, who found Shea and Makepeace to make up the original ownership of the R280,000 CTS Ready To Run purchase with Mike de Kock, said on Monday: “We have been negotiating with Craig and Ross for the last two weeks and we are pleased to have struck a deal with young, up-andcoming professionals of their ilk. We’ll be preparing Takingthepeace for the Johannesburg Spring Season.”

Craig Kieswetter said: “We’ve been following Takingthepeace’s exciting story and the success of her young owners. They have taken things to a different level and we are delighted and humbled that they’ve let us in.

“We are excited about Takingthepeace’s four-yearold career and also to one day bringing her to | Highlands/Ridgemont. We are always looking to boost the quality of our broodmare band and she will certainly add value.”

He added: “This is not all about racing and breeding, however. It’s about relationships, about people who are young and exuberant like ourselves and we look forward to partnering with the existing Takingthepace team.”

[KZN-bred] Takingthepeace, by Visionaire, has so far won five of 10 races and R1,475-million in stakes.

Summerhill Stud have produced two Gr1 winners this season, and three off the 2016 CTS Ready To Run Sales draft, which included the Rupert Plersch-bred Brave Mary.

-Turf Talk Newsletter