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.

Summerhill Sales will be offering an exceptional draft at this year’s Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale.

The draft includes two-year-olds by such proven and popular stallions as Duke Of Marmalade, Trippi and Visionaire, as well as a large number of youngsters from the first crops of Summerhill Stud’s exciting G1 winning sires Act Of War and Willow Magic.

Dynasty’s Cape Guineas winning son Act Of War is represented by no fewer than 20 members of his first crop in Summerhill Sales’ draft. Act Of War’s first crop includes Heat Seeker (Lot 6), a half-brother to former Ready To Run Cup winner Winter Star, Million Dollar Man (Lot 18), a colt whose dam is a half-sister to G1 winner Love Struck, Mauby (Lot 84), a half-sister to the stakes placed, and recent winner, Blushing Bride, and Lady Of The Flame (Lot 105) –a filly bred on very similar lines to four time G1 winner and Horse Of The Year Futura.

Possibly the pick of Act Of War’s draft is Wabi Sabi (Lot 71), a half-brother to none other than dual G1 winner, and current Summerhill sire, Rabada with this colt hailing from a strong, black type family.

Dubawi’s versatile G1 SA Nursery winner Willow Magic also has some exceptionally appealing members of his first crop in this draft. They include Pulpit Rock (Lot 47), a colt whose dam is a half-sister to Equus Champion Icy Air, Willy The Wizard (Lot 57), a colt whose dam is a half-sister to Fillies Guineas winner Fisani, and Somasonic (Lot 99), a half-brother to Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup winner Vi Va Pi Pa.

Willow Magic’s draft also includes Toocoolforschool (Lot 54), a beautifully bred half-sister to G1 SA Derby winner Hero’s Honour and G1 Thekwini Stakes runner up Rail Trip, and Thamasanqa (Lot 79). The latter, a colt out of the G1 performer Lisa Anne, is a half-brother to 2 winners notably charismatic G1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic winner, and millionaire, Takingthepeace.

Champion Sire Trippi is represented in this draft by Rite Of Passage (Lot 132), a colt out of a G3 placed Var mare from the same family as Trippi’s US G1 winner R Heat Lightning, while Trippi’s stablemate, Duke Of Marmalade, is the sire of Royal Support (Lot 87) –a half-sister to 3 winners, including the very classy filly Pej.

Other attractive prospects in this imposing draft include the Visionaire colt (Lot 28) out of Golden Slipper winner Dignify, Futura and G3 winner Extra Zero’s son Trillionaire (Lot 37), and Giggin (Lot 106), a Capetown Noir half-brother to exported Merchants winner The Thinker.

The catalogue for the 2019 Ready To Run Sale can be viewed online at www.bsa.co.za and pre-sale gallops will be available for viewing shortly before the sale.

Warwick Render of Bush Hill Stud comments on how fortunate they have been to have a horse of Flying
The Flag’s calibre on the farm: “Every day I look at this horse I find it hard to believe just how lucky we are to have him here, had it not been for timing in our favour I doubt very much we would have seen him in this country at all with the recent international performances of his family. The quality of his first crop of foals just emphasises how special he is they are much in the mould of their sire, strong quartered high quality with good size and substance – we are absolutely thrilled.”

Beginning his racing career under the exclusive banner of Coolmore Stud who stand his sire, the great Galileo, Flying The Flag’s dam Halfway To Heaven has now produced three Group Winners at stud including a Cartier Champion 2YO Filly.

Halfway To Heaven, who has the Gr1 Irish 1000 Guineas, the Gr1 Nassau and Gr1 Sun Chariot under her belt is proving herself to be equally as exceptional in the breeding paddocks as she was on the racetrack, in particular with her bay daughters Rhododendron and Magical, each Gr1 winners.

An imposing chestnut stallion standing 16.2 with plenty of quality, athletiscm and a kind disposition, Flying The Flag retired a 3-time winner including the Gr3 International Stakes in Ireland and placed second in the stallion producing race, the Gr2 Futurity Stakes.

The globetrotting chestnut raced in Ireland, France, England, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa also placed in top company in the Gr2 Jebel Hatta and the Gr3 London News Stakes over distances of 1400m – 2000m.

Flying The Flag is closely related to the two-time Gr1 winning mare Photo Call in America; the winner of the First Lady Stakes where she defeated the great Tepin in the process by three lengths.

Irish-bred Photo Call by Galileo is out of a half-sister to the dam of Flying The Flag, and sold for $3-million at the 2015 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. With the damline already including the likes of sire Verglas and Stravinsky, Flying The Flag’s pedigree has been catapulted into the spotlight this year with his full sisters Rhododendron and Magical.

Rhododendron and Magical are both trained by Aiden O’Brien and the elder of the two contributed to Aiden’s outstanding achievement of 26 Gr1 winners, bettering Bobby Frankel’s record. Galileo is the sire of 17 of those Gr1 wins.

After placing second on debut, Rhododendron set about making herself known in only her third start where she defeated Hydrangea to take the Gr2 Debutante. She followed up with a third place in the Gr1 Moyglare, and followed through next time out to win the Gr1 Dubai Filllies Mile, running on comfortably
to win by four lengths at a course where speed is a necessity to win.

She was deservedly given a 212 day rest and started favourite in the Gr1 1000 Guineas under Ryan Moore, where she finished second to Winter. Hydrangea and Intricately finished towards the end of the field that day. Her next mission was the Gr1 Investec Oaks where she was not disgraced, finishing second to the great racemare Enable.

Sporting a Timeform Rating of 116 and after another rest – getting over a burst blood vessel on a hot June day, the first of October saw Rhododendron line up at Chantilly for the Gr1 Prix De L’Opera in leading European company. Seamie Heffernan rode her to victory by a head from stablemate and rival Hydrangea, with Wuheida finishing fourth – the latter would go on to win at the Breeders Cup with Rhododendron closely behind after finding traffic problems in running.

Aiden O’Brien describes Rhododendron as a special filly, whilst her jockey Heffernan said after her Chantilly Gr1 win: “I rode her a bit in the spring and I had her down as nearly being our number one.”
“She ran really well in an English Guineas and in an Oaks. We know why we got beaten now because the winner [Enable] won again today. She just felt good throughout the race today so I always felt in the last furlong I had a little bit to get to the winning post.”

In the meantime, juvenile full sister Magical has been filling her sisters big shoes and secured the Gr2 Debutante the year after her sister won it. After placing second on debut, she won next time out and went on to defeat Gr1 winner Happily in the Debutante by over a length.

Aiden put her against Happily again in the Gr1 Moyglare, and in a nailbiting finish she was just a short head off her first Gr1 win. Entered to race at Chantilly on the same day as her elder Gr1 winning sister, Magical finished fourth in the Gr1 Prix Marcel Boussac less than two lengths off. Timeform Rated at 109, she followed up with a place in the Gr1 Fillies Mile under Ryan Moore.

Magical has gone on to impress further, winning the Gr1 Fillies & Mares Stakes and Gr2 Kilboy Estate Stakes. She also finished a duelling second to the tough Enable in the Gr1 Breeders Cup Turf, both star fillies leaving the colts in their dust. She then went on to finish fourth in the Gr1 Matron Stakes.

Rhododendron has retired from racing and been exported to Japan for stud duties.

There is no doubt that the combination of Galileo and Halfway To Heaven is a magical one and its no surprise that the mare has returned to Galileo since.

Expect future yearlings from the immediate families of Vercingetorix, Zirconeum and Plutonium, The Mouseketeer and Bezanova as well as Irish Flame to come.

The perfect combination of quality and speed, Flying The Flag stood for a fee of R20 000 in 2018. His first yearlings are on offer at the upcoming Cape Yearling Sale in March at Mistico Estate, with two from Wilgerbosdrift and one from Hemel ‘n Arde Stud on offer.

Flying The Flag’s second dam is the speedy grey Group Winning mare Cassandra Go, and he is closely related to sire Stravinksy.

Whilst their places will only be confirmed after National Yearling Sales inspections have taken place in January, Rathmor Stud have a very strong draft beginning their sales preparations for the 2019 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.

They include progeny by Frankel, Dynasty and Noble Tune – two of them out of sales topping mares purchased off the CTS Mare Sales in 2017, for R2,4-million (Almosthaditall) and R2,6-million (Queen Of Spain) respectively.

Whilst walking through the paddocks as the colts quietly concentrate on their feed after the breakfast run, Mike McHardy of Rathmor Stud comments that although the paddock is brimming with stock from superior stallions, its important not to ‘mollycoddle’ them and to raise them as normal horses, who dont know who their famous sires are.

Noble Tune has already earned Black Type with his smart grey son White Lightning, who was born and raised at Rathmor Stud. Rathmor have bred the likes of Gypsy’s Warning, Wendywood, Surabi, Romany Prince and Harry Lime amongst others.

Their National yearlings are out of mares bought specifically for Noble Tune, which include:

– Dynasty colt out of Guard The Lines by War Front
  Dam is a full sister to American Gr1 and Gr2 winner DATA LINK.

– Noble Tune out of Spitfire Lady by Hussonet
  Family of PINNACLES and PLANET ROCK.

– Noble Tune out of Mystery Dame by Jet Master
  Half-brother to Gr1 winner LADY IN BLACK, and to Nexus who sold for R1,7-million in 2017.

– Frankel out of Queen Of Spain by Holy Roman Emperor
  Dam a half-sister to MASTERCRAFTSMAN.

– Dynasty out of Almosthaditall by Henrythenavigator
  Dam a half-sister to JUMP START and closely related to MASTERY. Damline of sire MISWAKI.

– Noble Tune out of Golden Earings by Fort Wood
  Dam a half-sister to GYPSY’S WARNING, ROMANY PRINCE and SURABI. 2nd Dam Gypsy Queen has already       produced Black Type grand-children including SO VAR and QUEEN FOREVER. 

All horses consigned are registered with the KZN Breeders Premium Scheme, therefore eligible for the annual KZN Breeders Race Day.

South Africa’s leading thoroughbred auction house have reinforced their longstanding commitment to the local racing and breeding industry by introducing a revamped 2018 sales programme, which incorporates a R2 million cash relief for breeders.

Unveiling the 2018 sales roster at the opening of the National 2yo Sale at the TBA Sales Complex in Germiston, Bloodstock South Africa CEO Michael Holmes drew applause when he called on all stakeholders to stand together in trying times, adding that innovation, forward thinking and flexibility were required to ride out the current tough economic climate.

“The TBA have been in existence for close on a century and South African breeders, besides their proven ability to produce world-class thoroughbreds, are known for their hardiness.  We have endured a tough few years, but there is more than a glimmer of hope on the horizon on the export protocol front and our product remains a sought after one at home and on the world stage. We need to keep doing things right, even in the face of adversity, and we believe that a professional approach, and setting the right course for a tightly run ship will produce the required results in the medium term,” he said.

Holmes went on to outline the newly introduced innovative financial relief measures applicable to the four major sales, which includes the dropping or reduction of entry fees, the reduction of sales commissions and sales costs on median priced horses being reduced by 30%.

The Cape Yearling Sale will be held on 24 February 2018 at Mistico in Paarl, with entries closing on 15 October 2017.

No entry fees would be charged, with acceptance fees at R2 500. Sales commissions have been reduced to 7%, while reserve commission will be set at  5%.

A two-session National Yearling Sale, with an exciting new look and feel, will be held on 24, 25 and 26 April 2018 at the TBA Sales Complex, with entries closing on 1 November 2017.

Entry fees of R3 500 for session one and R2 000 for session two, with acceptance fees at R2 500 and R2 000 respectively, will apply.  Sales commissions are 8% for session one (7% over R500 000) and have been reduced to 7% (6% over R300 000) for session two. A reserve commission of 5% will apply to both sessions.

The ever popular KZN Yearling Sale will be held at Sibaya on 5 & 6 July 2018, with entries closing on 1 May 2018.

Entry fees of just R1 400 will be charged, with acceptance fees pegged at R1 900. Sales commissions have been reduced to 7%, while reserve commission will be set at  5%.

The National 2yo Sale will be held on 16 & 17 August 2018 at the TBA Sales Complex.

Entry fees of R1 750 will be charged, with acceptance fees at R2 000. Sales commissions have been reduced to 7%, while reserve commission will be at a reduced 5%.

-sportingpost.co.za

The winning KZN-bred (registered with the KZN Breeders Premium Scheme) stands to take home an added stakes bonus of R200 000 over and above the million on offer. Previous KZN-bred winners include Gr2 winner Virgo’s Babe and Cutting Edge.

Dont forget to “tick the box” in order to qualify.

The 2017 KZN Yearling Sale graduates also qualify for the above mentioned race in 2018.

For more information, visit www.tba.co.za or to enquire if your horse qualifies as a KZN-bred, contact Candiese.

Bloodstock South Africa is proud to announce an extension to its added value stakes program. In addition to recognizing their qualifying Graded Stakes Winners, all qualifying Bloodstock South Africa 2017 Graduates who win a Maiden Juvenile Race during their Two Year Old career will receive an added stakes bonus.