New Predator, deceased after his relocation to the Cape, produced a facile win with Purple Pitcher bred by Bush Hill Stud in the Gr2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans.

He took on the likes of Sandringham Summit and Gimmeanotherchance, to win by a quarter of a length at even weights of 60kgs over a mile.

Giving owner Mr Stincky Pooe a family Graded Stakes winning double, as he also owns Purple Pitcher’s Gr3 winning sister Miss Daisy, they are out of the mare Heliantha by Count Dubois who has produced five winners to date. This is the family of Eyes Wide Open, Alastor and Wild Aster.

Purple Pitcher sold for R170 000 off the 2022 KZN Yearling Sale, and has now won five races in a row, with Hollywoodbets Durban July jockey in the saddle for all five of his starts, Kabelo Matsunyane.

Trainer Robyn Klaasen welcomed her baby son on Friday and has always held Purple Pitcher in high regard and mentioned in her first winning interview with Purple Pitcher, that he was a possible future triple crown candidate.

The success for KZN didn’t stop there, as KZN’s past stalwart sire Kahal is proving his mettle as a broodmare sire, winning the Gr1 Betway Summer Cup with Pathfork gelding Royal Victory for his elated KZN connections, Nathan Kotzen and owners Mrs PJ Victor, Brandon Wiese and Natasha Sturdy.

Kahal is on 32% winners to runners as a broodmare sire, and is also the broodmare sire of Blue Sky sire, Gr1 winning Chimichuri Run.

New Predator has three horses on offer at today’s November 2YO Sale. One interesting prospect is inbred to New Approach, the sire of New Predator – Lot 37 on offer from Clifton Stud, and she has the looks to go with her pedigree, being a chestnut filly with her long white socks behind as was the case with New Approach.

Blue Sky also have two on offer – Lot 148 is the spitting image of his sire New Predator, from the family of Al Nitak, The Sheik and Billy Bowlegs. The other is Lot 60, a quality filly from the family of Irridescence and Perfect Promise.

The November 2YO sale begins at 11am today at the TBA Complex.

New Predator (New Approach) is smartly out of the starting blocks with an incredible 80% winners to runners, with four winners from five runners on the track at the moment.

Incredibly, from 11 runs to date there are four wins and the balance all places – not one of his progeny has yet to be out of the money.

A dual Gr2 winning racehorse who defeated several Gr1 winners during his racing career, New Predator averaged a neat R165 000 per yearling sold at Nationals in 2022, his first crop on offer, and R73 000 at the KZN Yearling Sale.

Based on his results and the BSA Maiden Juvenile Plate bonuses of R100 000 his winners have provided for their respective owners, his progeny may not be easily accessible this year at sales.

Blue Sky Thoroughbreds have 9 yearlings on offer at Nationals, including a full brother to impressive debut winner Calling All Angels, a half sister to Gr3 winner Neptunes Rain, and a half brother to 2-time winner Pirate Prince out of a half sister to Gr1 Dubai World Cup placed Paris Perfect.

New Predator is also the leading first season 2yo sire by Average Earnings Per Runner, an impressive R49,850 (excluding the BSA Bonuses).

With a pedigree that is easy to mate in South Africa, out of a Fastnet Rock mare, New Predator stands at Blue Sky Thoroughbreds in Mooi River.

Don’t miss out!

A breeder who produces consistent winners which is evident in his above average winners to runners percentage, Bruce Le Roux enjoyed yet another double at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Wednesday. 

New Predator is setting the tracks alight with his progeny – and settled into Bruce Le Roux and Tinus Gericke’s Blue Sky Thoroughbreds last year after Bush Hill Stud reduced their breeding aspect of their farm. Every single runner so far of New Predator has yet to be out of the money for their connections from all of their starts – an incredible feat.

He has now produced three winners from just four runners, two of those debut wins. They are running according to their looks – strong, early precocious horses filled with speed. 

Owned by Laurence Wernars during both his racing and stud career, the imported son of New Approach won two Gr2’s and placed in multiple Gr1’s, defeating countless Gr1 winners during his career. He was trained by Johan Janse Van Vuuren. Bred on the fantastic Galileo x Fastnet Rock cross, New Predator is an easy horse to mate in South Africa with his looks and pedigree and buyers will certainly be marking their catalogues ahead of the National Yearling Sale in April. 

Calling All Angels, an athletic chestnut filly with a good attitude who was a head turner at Nationals sold for R225 000. She repaid most of her sales price winning on debut and winning her connections the R100 000 BSA Maiden Juvenile Plate bonus. Her owners include Laurence Wernars, who wons the filly in partnership with Jared Wernars, Mr S Venger, Jean Hardy and Mrs and Mrs Green. She is trained by Paul Lafferty and ridden by South Africa’s leading jockey for the season, Keagan De Melo. 

Calling All Angels is out of The Angelus by Windrush – this broodmare sire also a double for Bruce Le Roux on the day. Her half-brother by Just As Well recently won for Gary Rich and Julie Guthrie at Hollywoodbets Greyville, named Majestic Power. 

The Angelus is a 7-time winner, including the Queen Of The Sand Listed. She has produced three winners to date, and decends from the female line of 11-time winner including the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship, Simonside. It is the family of Dashing Hussar, Stud Muffin and five-time winner Pimp My Ride. 

The next to come for Bruce was the handsome Beechamwood Boy, by Eightfold Path who also stood for a time prior to retirement at Blue Sky Thoroughbreds. Racing in the colours of 93 year old passionate racing enthusiast Mr Ian Gibson, it is rare to see solid coloured silks on course these days as colours such as those were snapped up in the early years – a full burgundy set of colours. The 4yo gelding is finding great recent form and has produced three wins from 16 runs and six places to date. 

He is co-owned by Ian’s son Peter, in partnership with Messrs Sharkey and Sinnema and trained by in form Wendy Whitehead. It was also a double for Keagan who produced three winners on the day. 

His fourth dam is the famous mare Party Time; the founder of her own dynasty in the form of First Arrival, who produced multiple Group winning stars such as In The Fast Lane (dam of Ridgemont Highlands sire Real Gone Kid), Keep On Dancing, Summa Cum Laude and Pack Leader to mention a few. It is also the family of Clifton Queen, Flowers Of Spring and Appelate Court.

Bruce Le Roux’s winners to runners percentage is outstanding at 46% and and AEPR over R45 000, and not surprisingly his young Blue Sky Thoroughbreds partnership is also enjoying success at a similar winners to runners percentage rate. 

The National Yearling Sales catalogue is due to be launched soon, keep on eye on the Blue Sky Thoroughbred pages for more to come! 

Blue Sky Thoroughbred resident sire New Predator is off the starting blocks, producing his first winner at Hollywoodbets Greyville on the turf with Clifton-bred Predator’s Feast from just her third race. She had placed in both previous starts over 800m and 1000m.

Just a R30 000 graduate off the KZN Yearling Sale which took place back at Suncoast, the juvenile filly posted a facile victory for trainer Yadav Singh and owner Mr Vinolin Patchappen to also take home the Bloodstock South Africa Juvenile Bonus of R100 000 – not a bad return of investment!

Out of Western Winter mare Winter Feast, she is a half sister to three winners including Dandolo and Snow Tune, from the family of Festive Forever and Fearless.

New Predator is the first and only son of New Approach at stud in South Africa.

Raced in South Africa for owner Laurence Wernars and trainer Johan Janse Van Vuuren, New Predator accumulated two Gr2 wins and defeated multiple Gr1 winners in his wake on multiple occasions, including Vodacom Durban July winners Legislate and The Conglomerate, Gold Onyx and Mac De Lago, multiple Gr1 winners Abashiri, Rabada, Deo Juvente. Further to this his speed was reiterated by him defeating the Gr1 winning sprinters Rafeef, Will Pays, Attenborough and Talktothestars. 

His race record included the Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville and the Gr2 Charity Mile at Turffontein, along with his Gr1 places in the Horse Chestnut Stakes (twice) and the Mercury Sprint.

Standing 16.1 hands and out of a Fastnet Rock mare, New Predator stands for a fee of R10 000 + Vat.  

First season sire New Predator, a multiple Gr1 placed and Gr2 winning son of New Approach, proved popular at the Nationals as his athletic yearlings all sold on day one at the National Yearling Sale for an average of R160 000.

The top Lot sold for R300 000 to trainer Gavin Van Zyl of Team G Racing, a scopy colt out of a Requiem mare – the same broodmare sire as Triple Tiara Gr1 winning star War Of Athena. The dam is a half-sister to Gr3 winner Chico Azul. This was also the top Lot sold on the day for Bush Hill Stud.

Others to put up their hands in the auction ring for the New Predators included Vermaak Equine, Paul Lafferty, Mark Dixon, Paul Matchett, Lorette Louw, and Roy Magner purchased an interesting Lot inbred to Galileo from Blue Sky Thoroughbreds, a colt out of Modraj – the dam of Dubai winner Alareef and Caradoc Gold Cup winner, Just Cruised In.

Blue Sky Thoroughbreds top Lot on day one sold for R250 000 to Mary Carlisle, a beautiful filly out of Trippi’s Girl by Lancaster Bomber. She is a half-sister to the talented juvenile Mr Henley.

Clifton Stud topped the #kznbreds sold on Day 1, with their quality Rafeef filly out of a Gimmethegreenlight mare. She sold for R400 000 to Form Bloodstock as Lot 35. It is the family of Leopard Strike, Kochka and Kissable.

Keivan Stud, who brought four quality yearlings to the sale, sold their Act Of War colt half-brother to exported Marshall for R220 000 to Roy Magner. The colt is from the immediate female line of Asiatic Boy.

Piemonte Stud had only one Lot on offer on day one of their 8-strong draft, which was knocked down to leading trainer on the national log, Paul Peter. Keep a look out on Day 2 for Piemonte’s smart Vercingetorix filly half-sister to multiple winners Filippo and Faustino.

Congratulations to all concerned on the first day of the sale, which continues on Friday at 10am.

A strong and hardworking figure behind the scenes of the Thoroughbred breeding industry, Warwick Render of Bush Hill Stud has enjoyed success at the highest levels, breeding the likes of Gr1 winners Zirconeum, Stellite and Dubai resident Wolf Whistle amongst many. Warwick is also a TBA Council Member, a former Chairman of the KZN Breeders Club and currently the Vice-Chairman.

We have a chat to Warwick to find out more about the man behind Bush Hill Stud – a family managed establishment with his wife Karin and son Jason and get his thoughts on what it is like to be a Thoroughbred breeder.

How did you get into horses and the breeding world? 

I was interested in horses from a very young age, and started to ride at about five or six, but growing up only ever really had experience of stock horses used for working with cattle on friends’ farms in Zimbabwe.

After my first year at university I was looking through the Farmer’s Weekly magazine and came across an advert for an assistants job on a thoroughbred stud farm, (I had little idea such opportunities existed for people in the normal world). I phoned to apply for an interview and two days later packed my suitcase, drove for two days to reach Roodefontein Stud in Plettenberg Bay and started work the next day, that was at the beginning of 1990.

How long have you been at Bush Hill Stud? 

We purchased the farm in April 1998, so going on 24 years now.

What motivation about breeding horses makes you get up in the morning?

First and foremost the well-being of the horses in our care.  The positives and the potential of the animals we work so closely with. The reward of walking through a paddock of happy healthy horses, admiring a rewarding new born foal, or a smart youngster developing or seeing an old friend happy in her paddock appreciating the fresh pastures you have provided, there are so many aspects of farming, livestock and nature that I find rewarding – it goes without saying that they all bring their own challenges, hence the need to focus daily on the positives and resolve small issues before they develop into big issues. There is great motivation and reward in seeing an animal that has been critically ill nursed back to full strength, and rehabilitation of racing or other injuries is definitely a highlight of the job.  We are blessed to have many wonderful owners who understand and appreciate the efforts and progress of their horses.  

What is your best achievement to date?  

After some turbulent times in our economy and more specifically the racing and breeding industry as a whole, I feel it an important achievement to still be participating in this unique and special industry.  To survive the tough times not only for ourselves, but for the many longstanding employees who have risen to challenges, learnt and loved the individual mares and avidly follow the progress of progeny, and who are so appreciative that horses are the animals providing for them and their families. This achievement we recognize and are grateful for.

What breeding theory do you have when it comes to matings?    

It is always a challenge to try to strike the balance between breeding what you hope and believe will be a racehorse, and what you think may have commercial appeal. 

Standing stallions for owners and syndicates takes a big dose of commitment, courage and boldness,  especially in these very competitive times when I believe the market tends to pass a stallion by too quickly. To contra this, we always try to send a portion of our mares to more proven commercial options.

In terms of choosing matings we go with the normal practices of going through pedigrees and families and looking for pointers, and making use of some of the computer programmes available has certainly made this easier in recent times, but the physical attributes probably play the biggest part in our thinking – then look for a reason on paper to vindicate your thoughts – you can nearly always find a reason to see why a mating was good once the horse is in the winners box.

Do you have a special story you can share?  

Many many stories  – but these would take a book to relate – not sure if it would be a James Herriot, Wilbur Smith or Monty Python flavour –  probably all of the above.  We have been blessed to share time with many horse people including trainers, farriers, veterinarians, stud masters, owners – it seems horses attract a particular ilk of person – mostly stern, preoccupied, of few words, but when the ties come off, outrageously funny stories abound – roll on the floor, tears kind of stories that keep one giggling for years to come. A common thread runs through horse people – long days, short tempers, hard decisions, and endless nights tending to individuals – patience and fortitude born out of grief after losing a special horse, and gratitude when an animal recovers.   

This horse world is a mixture of salt and sugar, and a wealth of knowledge and wisdom learnt over the years, and many many lump in the throat times.  

Yearlings headed to sales this year, what can buyers look forward to? 

I believe we have a very nice spread of yearlings for the various sales this year and amongst them are individuals with appeal to most sectors of the market.

Naturally we are excited to be taking the first crop of New Predator’s foals to the sales, the first of these will be at the National Yearling sales where we expect him to have some good representation. In addition we have a spread of youngsters by proven sires from around the country including Willow Magic, Querari, Rafeef, Master Of My Fate, Captain Of All, William Longsword and Pomodoro along with some of the new and exciting prospects such as Lancaster Bomber, Heavenly Blue and Hat Puntano.

Any special foals on the ground this season?

 It is always a difficult thing to single out foals and we are thrilled with the crop we have been blessed with this year. The first of Last Winter’s foals arrived and they have been exceptional – one that we really like is a colt from the “Mouse” family that has served us so well [including Gr2 winner The Mouseketeer], this colt being out of Penthouse Mouse.

The second crop of New Predator foals have been just as impressive as his first and it would be hard to single out individuals here, a very smart half sister to this past season’s very promising two year old, the Gr2 placed Remember When, would have to be one of the highlights along with a half sister to the Gr1 placed Neptunes Rain.

A smart full sister to MK’s Pride stands out in what has been a very nice crop of Willow Magic foals born on the farm this year.

We again have a lovely spread of outside proven stallions including foals by the leading sires Gimmethegreenlight, What A Winter, Master Of My Fate and Querari (a cracking colt out of our Zirconeum/Stellite family).

We have several very nice foals by the up and coming Act Of War.  

What makes you proud to breed in KZN? 

Personally I don’t like to regionalise our breeding industry more than necessary, in these times more than ever we need a breeding community that stands together. In saying that I am very proud of the fact that KZN has always managed to punch well above its weight in terms of capital expenditure relative to results, this I believe proves just what a good area, for many reasons, KZN is to breed top class horses.

Bush Hill Stud is the biggest breeding facility in the province of KZN, any comments on the future of the industry? 

Like most breeding operations that are not funded by outside capital we and most of our clients have been forced to be fairly harsh in cutting back numbers and trying to maintain quality.

This has been a country wide trend, but it has now meant that the supply/demand ratio is at a very favourable level for breeders, something that was reflected in general at the sales this past year. In a year where there was every reason for sales to be depressed every sale delivered well above everyone’s most positive expectations, especially the regional level sales.

I believe that now with the positive changes happening in racing and a general commitment to the rebuilding of what racing should be we will see this positive trend continuing. It is great credit to the breeders that through the TBA and BSA we have played a major role in the boosting of stakes for our sales graduates and this is a fine example of what can be achieved with the right people and energy behind things.  

Tell us about New Predator’s first crop that will be going to sales this year?

It is always an exciting time taking the first crop of a stallion to the sales in particular when they are as pleasing as the first foals of New Predator have been. He is a stallion that offers much that should appeal to the South African buyer. He was a tough as teak Gr1 quality sprinter miler , with the speed to have beaten such top notch sprinters as Rafeef and the class to have toppled a horse of the quality of Legislate.

His pedigree backs this up in that he offers many aspects that are so suited to a lot of the dominant lines and families we have in our South African pedigrees, he being by New Approach, probably the son of Galileo who has been the biggest speed influence, out of a mare by the champion Fastnet Rock. We expect he will be well represented at the National sales as he covered a very respectable book of mares in his first crop and we are most grateful for support shown from a wide spread of breeders.

Tell us how it feels to produce a Gr1 winner? 

Exhilaration, pride, a huge sense of achievement and satisfaction once the reality sinks in.  Also enormous gratitude to the owner, and trainer for producing the horse to full potential. Each and every individual involved in the care and training and riding of these horses must be recognized, because all are an integral part of the machinery and excellence it takes to achieve a Gr1 win.

How many mares do you stand and tell us about your stallions?

The number of mares on the farm is always a moving target – we aim for adequate numbers to support the stallions we stand, plus additional mares to support outside stallions and ensure a good spread of what our country has to offer in genetics.

We have discussed New Predator, suffice to add that we, and the breeders in KZN as whole are most appreciative that Laurence Wernars chose to back us with this horse and support KZN in such a big way, and to facilitate the involvement of all in him, we all hope he gets the rewards he deserves.

Willow Magic needs little introduction and the support he received this past season shows that people are recognising just what a start he has got off to in his career, with his three year old crop of the past season he was right up there in the top five active sires with his AEPR index – a fair measure of a sires ability across the board. He was a Gr 1 winning sprinter as a two year old and has thrown this speed in many of his progeny, but his class from Dubawi has come through, resulting in top performers at all distances. 

Though he has had a very good number of winners Flying The Flag has not yet lived up to what we hope for from him and that is for a top level performer or two, he has a pedigree that is as good as it gets and judging by the fact that many of the trainers who have his progeny have returned to buy more this past season we are still of the belief that his class may yet emerge.

Last Winter had his first foals born this season and they were very pleasing.

He is a horse who has perhaps flown a bit below the radar having arrived late in his first season. He was a racehorse with unbelievable ability , ranked by Longines in the top 5 turf horses in the world to race in the first quarter of 2018, after his phenomenal run in the Met –  who can forget the way he finished that day, always worth watching that run again, an unbelievable turn of foot.

Add to this he has the looks to have been a R 3.7m yearling, being by a Champion sire in South Africa in Western Winter, who has already sired champion sires in SA, and he is out of a mare who was a Gr1 winner here and who in turn was by another local champion sire in Silvano.  What more could one want!

We wish Bush Hill Stud all the best for 2022 and look forward to the progeny of New Predator! Bush Hill Stud can be contacted at bushhillstud@futurenet.co.za.

Bush Hill sprinting sire New Predator (AUS) has his first yearlings which will be heading for sales next year, and based on the top quality of the individuals, many farms have returned mares to the son of New Approach who ticks all the boxes with his physical looks and pedigree, making him an easy stallion to match for any breeder.

He is producing good-looking predominately bay foals, with good bone, quality and his stamp of a very good well muscled hindquarter.

Warwick Render of Bush Hill reiterates the statement above, “He has enjoyed good support in his first two seasons and this has seen him get some quality mares and not just quantity – a vital factor in trying to get a young horse off to a good start.”

“So far this season a couple of the stand outs so far have been a smart strong half sister to Gr1 performer Neptune’s Rain, a quality racy colt out of the stakes winning Cold Cash, a big scopey filly out of stakes performer Winter Passion, a big strong colt out of the stakes winning Singspiel mare Polzeath [a mare that has produced multiple winners including the recent Lord Minver].

“We are still looking forward to foals out of mares such as Tracy’s Legacy (her first foal is “Remember When” this season’s juvenile Gr2 second placed performer), the winner of the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes – Temple Grafin, and Gr2 Fillies Guineas winner Go Indigo [dam of three winners including the recent back to back winner Varvacious] as a couple of examples. The quality of the mares he covered in the second season is largely credit to how impressive his first foals were.”

“Even though he is in the notoriously difficult third season he will again get some quality mares from the stud and from the shareholders in the horse. Some of the aforementioned mares will return to him on the strength of the foals that they have thrown. New Predator has proven to have excellent fertility – he has had an exceptional conception rate of well above 90%.”

“New Predator offers so much of what we as South African breeders look for in terms of pedigree, looks and racing performance. Having been a Gr1 quality sprinter miler, that we really believe he has all the attributes of a horse with a bright future. We are looking forward to his first crop attending the National Yearling Sales next year where we expect him to be well represented at the sale.”

Trained by Johan Janse Van Vuuren during his career, his Gr1 form line was exceptional over 1200m – 1600m, having defeated in Graded Stakes races all of Vodacom Durban July winners The Conglomerate and Legislate, as well as Gr1 sprint masters Rafeef, Will Pays, Attenborough, Talktothestars and the likes of multiple Gr1 winners Abashiri, Rabada and Deo Juvente.

Warwick ends off with, “New Predator looks the picture of health with a lovely coat despite the late cold weather – he always loves his job and is an absolute pleasure to work with.”

New Predator stands for a fee of R10 000 for the season Live Foal.

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