The Silvano gelding trained by John Moore and bred by Maine Chance Farms, is owned by Chef’s Table Syndicate. The 5yo gelding has earned $5,166,800 in stakes.

It was the second win in this race for winner Exultant, John Moore said prior to the race about Chefano – “Exultant’s the horse to beat, there’s no doubt about that, but I have to keep the faith and I think my horse has done nothing wrong.” Moore said he had no concern about the 2400m distance.

Chefano did encounter traffic in the race, having to be eased and then taking slight bump in the straight, to finish just a length off.

Sold for R300 000 off the CTS March Select Yearling Sale and named Vacquero, he was trained in South Africa by Robbie Sage for two wins, and finished 3rd in the Gr2 Dingaans to another Hong Kong export, Monks Hood (now Graceandmercy).

He is a full brother to several multiple winners and his dam Valdovino (Al Mufti) was purchased by Clifton Stud.

She has a What A Winter weanling at Clifton and is foal to Mambo In Seattle – a cross that has produced several winners at a high level, including Drakenstein Stud’s Gr1 winner, Same Jurisdiction.

Clifton owned mare Valdovino has had plenty to boast about over the past week.

Peter and Jenny Blyth of Clifton Stud have advised that the daughter of Al Mufti has produced two winners, at Kenilworth and in Hong Kong respectively in a week.

Voice Of Reason won for Gavin Van Zyl and Clive Murphy in just her third start, all her rides being under Keagen De Melo. She is a full sister to Vino Veritas, a 5 time winner who also placed 8 times including second in the Gr2 Gerald Rosenberg stakes and third in the Gr2 Gold Circle Oaks.

Another full brother sold as Vacquero and now known as Chefano was a 2-time winner and placed in the Gr2 Dingaans prior to his export. Chefano won the Caroline Hill Handicap (Class 2) over 1800m at Sha-Tin.

The gelding stayed on under Joao Moreira to record a one and a quarter length win in this HK$2 100 000 race, bagging a winner’s cheque of HK$1,197,000, which boosted his career earnings to a whopping Hk$3.045-million (app. ZAR5.6-million). He’d finished second in four of his five starts prior to Sunday’s win.
Chefano, a R300,000 buy for owner Colin Bird at the 2016 CTS Johannesburg Select Sale, won his last South African race for trainer Robbie Sage in October 2017, before being sold to Hong Kong’s Chef’s Table Syndicate and joining Tony Millard. He was subsequently transferred to John Moore.

Peter has advised that Valdovino has a lovely What A Winter filly at foot this season, and is in foal to Mambo In Seattle – a stellar cross that has produced the most success for ‘Mambo’ at Gr1 level, bred to Al Mufti mares.

Valdovino is a daughter of the sharp Vino Rosa, and this is the family of Sunshine Silk and Enchanted Silk, as well as sire Majestic Crown.

To follow on, Clifton born and raised Capetown Affair won on Saturday at Turffontein, bred by Carla Da Quintas and Bruce Campbell. Capetown Affair has now won twice and placed twice.

Well done to the winning connections.

Bize, bred by Moutonshoek won her second start yesterday at Turffontein in the Oaks Trial Listed and is definitely on the list of a horse to following the future.

The three year old filly, out of a Goldmark mare is trained by Alec Laird and owned by Mr J Gerber.

Bize won by close to two lengths over the 2000m from favourite and well-bred Drakenstein filly Seville Orange.

Bize was bought back for R100 000 at the 2017 National Yearling Sale and debuted on 22 January, winning over 1600m by almost a length. Her dam has produced 1 previous 3-time winner in Mistaken Identity – this is the family that has both roots at KZN farms Clifton Stud and Rathmor.

With Mambo In Seattle standing at Clifton Stud, another great flashy chestnut to come from this farm and under the third dam of this pedigree was Gr2 winner Bezanova, who was also trained by Alec Laird for owner – the Late Chris Gerber.

It is also the damline of Malteme, the ill-fated Gr1 winner Wendywood and Vodacom Durban July winner Power King.

There was plenty of news yesterday for sire Mambo In Seattle, not only achieving a double at Turffontein with Mercer Girl winning over 1000m, but Majestic Mambo having his Dubai debut in the Gr1 Jebel Hatta last night.

At 40/1 and his first start since leaving South Africa immediately after his 4th place in the Vodacom Durban July, he impressed his connections and trainer Mike De Kock to finish strongly after sitting in third position until the turn, he finished midfield off the winner in 6th place under Bernard Fay’d Herbe – a good effort after 8 months of not seeing a racecourse and a tedious journey to Dubai.

Racing in the colours of Wilgerbosdrift, he is owned in partnership by Mrs Mary Slack and Mr J Peter, formerly trained by Paul Peter.

Mambo In Seattle who stands 16.3h, is no stranger to Gr1 horses with the likes of Same Jurisdiction and Saratoga Dancer, has had 46 wins this season and over R4,4-million in stakes earned.

Mambo In Seattle relocated to Clifton Stud in 2018 and stood his first breeding season in KZN for a fee of just R10 000.

The Ato gelding Chijmes confirmed again that he is no slouch when leading all the way to win the R150 000 Listed Sea Cottage Stakes at Turffontein on Sunday to give claiming apprentice Denis Schwarz his first feature success.

Runner-up in the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup last November, Chijmes had accounted for the highly regarded Green Haze last time and was stepping up to the 1800m for the first time on Sunday.

A relentless galloper, Schwarz had the Gary Alexander charge out dictating matters and into the final 200m it was clear that it was going to take a good one to grab him.

At the line, he was just under a length clear of Atyaab with Owlinthetree showing encouraging post maiden form to bank third a neck back.

The winner’s time was 112,52 secs.

The winner has now won from 1200m to 1800m in short time and looks worth following! Apprentice Schwarz is on 30 winners this season and is another worth following.

A R110 000 Summerhill Ready To Run Sale graduate, Chijmes was bred by the longstanding champion breeders and is a son of Ato (Royal Academy) out of the four-time winning Russian Revival mare, Sophie’s Choice. She has produced two winners at stud.

A winner of 3 races with 1 place from 6 starts, Chijmes has earned R287 500. This is the family of the speedy Outcome, Crimson Palace, Seraphos, Royal Glitter and Princely Heir amongst others.

Summerhill also had a second place with Running Brave, finishing a close second to Storm Destiny in the Gr3 Three Troikas by a head over the 1400m. The daughter of Brave Tin Soldier has won twice and placed seven times from 10 starts in good company. Brave Tin Soldier stands at The Fort Stud and has got all of his mares in foal for the 2018 season.

Another result for KZN stallions, Mambo In Seattle’s Vontreo, bred by Boland Stud, finished a flying third in the Gr3 Tony Ruffel Stakes to the talented Hawwaam, less than a length off. From only three starts, the Greenstreet Bloodstock purchase for owner Mr C Augustin has won and placed from all three of his starts.

Mambo In Seattle is having another good season at stud and stood his first KZN season at Clifton in 2018.

-extract sportingpost.co.za

*We are very sorry to hear of the passing of Chris Gerber of Moutonshoek, who brought in and owned Mambo In Seattle. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time, he is a devastating loss to the racing and breeding industry in South Africa. May he Rest In Peace. 

“This horse would look so good on my farm!” Was the line from Peter Blyth whilst visiting Moutonshoek in May  during a stint visiting the Cape farms, and to Peter’s surprise Bennie Van Der Merwe answered, “Let’s talk!” This opened the door for Mambo In Seattle to relocate to KZN before the beginning of the breeding season.

Mambo In Seattle is currently 8th on the National Sires Log and leading the KZN-based sires on the log. He has also produced 90 places for the season so far.

The sire of twice Gr1 winner and European Gr3 placed Same Jursidiction, Gr1 2nd placed Dubai-destined Majestic Mambo, multiple Group placed Saratoga Dancer, Mambo Mime and Mr O’ Neill amongst others, Mambo In Seattle shares a damline with Al Mufti through Weekend Surprise. He has had the most success to breeding to daughters of Al Mufti and duplicating this powerful female line.

With 28 winners under Mambo In Seattle’s belt so far this season and 71 wins and over R7-million in stakes earned for the 2016 /2017 season, Mambo In Seattle relocated to Clifton Stud for the 2018 breeding season.

He has settled beautifully – a big stallion with plenty of presence and quality with a bronze glazed coat – he stands 16.3hands and over ground, with a fantastic temperament. Witnessing him covering a maiden mare, he went about his business in the most gentlemanly manner.

The son of Kingmambo descends from a phenomenal family that has had an influence world wide – it includes our own local sires present and past, Duke Of Marmalade, Al Mufti and his half-brother Wolfhound, super sire AP Indy, Summer Squall, Gr1 Epsom Derby winner Ruler Of The World and the mighty multiple Gr1 winner, Lemon Drop Kid.

Mambo In Seattle as a racehorse had four wins, and placed second by a nose in the Gr1 Travers and placed in the Gr1 Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Mambo In Seattle stands for a value fee of R10 000 this season. We are certain to hear more from his son Majestic Mambo in months to come.

It’s striking that someone who moves their strike rate of breeding stakes-winners from 3% to 9%, while outperforming the breed average by a factor of three, is still getting it ‘wrong’ 91% of the time.

It’s very easy to stray into the territory of confirmation bias – in other words, “to search for, interpret, favour, and recall information in a way that confirms one’s pre-existing beliefs or hypotheses”.

In the late 80s, I compiled a database of Northern Hemisphere Grade I winners, and I used it to find what I thought were nicks.

Amongst the star combinations was Nijinsky and Blushing Groom, of which there are numerous great examples. However, I had no way of knowing if the products of such crosses outperformed breed averages.

We live in the age of Big Data, and yet I find few examples of the vast quantity of genealogy and race data relating to Thoroughbreds being used to develop proper base line stats.

There are any number of services that show up pedigree patterns in graded stakes-winners. However, they aren’t relating the incidence of those successes with the number of opportunities that those patterns were given. Yes, it does potentially get messy, because one might need to control for the quality of a stallion (e.g. the results of Blushing Groom line mares mated to sons of Nijinsky, where the one produced 8% stakes-

winners and the other 3%).

One of the patterns that gets people excited is inbreeding to great mares. In this respect, I’ve been watching Mambo in Seattle (grandson of Weekend Surprise) with interest, particularly when his first crop delivered the Grade I winning Same Jurisdiction out of a Captain Al mare.

She is inbred 4×4 to Lassie Dear (similar to Jay Peg’s 4×3). The same pattern was repeated for six of Mambo’s 10 stakes-winners, which is ripe territory for confirmation bias.

Excluding Mambo in Seattle’s two-year-olds, he has 252 foals, of which 41 are out of mares by ‘Lassie Dear stallions’ (i.e. Al Mufti, Captain Al, Sportsworld, Pulpit and Tiger Ridge). So, those six stakes-winners were produced at a rate of close to 15%, which is a factor of nearly seven times better than he does with mares by all other stallions.

So far, so good…..

I then took a look at Tiger Ridge, a son of Weekend Surprise (and grandson of Lassie Dear). He had 42 opportunities along the same lines, and yet not one of his stakes-winners came from a ‘Lassie Dear pattern’ (I included Sportsworld mares, because he was a half-brother to Lassie Dear).

Perhaps Tiger Ridge’s 3×2 inbreeding to Secretariat called for different treatment; we just don’t know. It does seem interesting that Nother Russia is inbred to Storm Cat (2×4 through son and daughter), but again, we just don’t know.

There was a similar lack of success when mares by Lassie Dear female line stallions were mated to AP Indy’s son Judpot. However, one can’t really extrapolate a sample size of less than three dozen into a rule for the entire population.

I’d love to get access to Thoroughbred databases to establish the number of foals bred on a variety of patterns or crosses, and to correlate that data with their race records.

However, even the most detailed mining of data cannot take into account the apparently random pairing of chromosomes that happens at conception. While there are some full-brothers/sisters that were both great (e.g. Pharos and Fairway), there are many examples of champions with siblings that couldn’t get out of their own way. The theory is that a large enough sample will smooth out such factors.

Lassie Dear inbreeding is going to have plenty of opportunities, just by virtue of the extremely high representation that the family has around the world.

We now know that this pattern seems to deliver an ‘edge’ with Mambo in Seattle, but more research is necessary before we can say that it applies to the entire population.

-sportingpost.co.za

Leading sire Mambo in Seattle (USA), a nose second in the Group 1 Travers Stakes and a 7/8 brother to Lemon Drop Kid, has arrived at Clifton Stud in Rosetta.

The son of Kingmambo burst onto the scene with Gr1 winning filly Same Jurisdiction and since has had a steady stream of good horses including Mambo Mime, Fortune Fella, Mambonick, Smart Mart, Desert Rhythm, Mr O’Neill, Saratoga Dancer (5th in the 2016 Vodacom Durban July) and more recently Derby Trial winner Gambado.

His son Majestic Mambo was a favourite for the 2018 Vodacom Durban July and finished fourth, and has since been purchased by Mary Slack and destined for greater things in Dubai for the 2019 Carnival.

Mambo In Seattle has registered stakes earnings by progeny that has him in the top 10 (living sires) for the last two South African seasons.

His track record at stud will make him a welcome addition to the KZN stallion ranks as a proven option. His supporters seem to get two bites at the cherry with his progeny as those that don’t work out on the turf seem to find a second career on the sand.

Mambo in Seattle stands at a service fee of R10,000 live foal, an excellent value for money prospect.

Clifton Stud have previously bred amongst others, Durban July winner Classic Flag, Bezanova, Whatalady, Covered In Snow and Fort Vogue.

Mambo In Seattle will stand alongside Crusade in 2018.

-extract turftalk.co.za