The Late Sydney Rosseau of St Helier Stud would have been delighted with Wednesdays results at Hollywoodbets Scottsville as two of his own bred horses produced a double and a winner just two days prior, in partnership with his wife Shirley Rosseau – a tremendous achievement from the boutique farm who have always bred with a handful of well-bred mares over the past years.

Of the three winners bred, two of them are owned by Shirley Rosseau and the Late Syd Rosseau.

Their daughter Michelle Rosseau Franks reports that they currently have three broodmares, some waiting to foal at ‘home’ – a beautiful and spacious property in central Hillcrest.

They stand Velvet Mover, Maximum Break who has since been retired from stud duties and Sierra Lily – the latter in foal to Ridgemont Highlands sire, Canford Cliffs.

“We are going to be upgrading to a higher quality broodmare band as we can. We will be using select mares going forward to breed with, to keep Dad’s dream alive!”

Michelle tells of the extraordinary life Sydney lead and his achievements, as well as his love of the horse.

“Dad has always had a passion for horses and began his racehorse career by work riding for Theo de Klerk before school each morning. His first horse was Ethyl Master. He then competed in amateur racing, both hurdles and flat, in the Cape on a horse called Chelsea Pirate. The horse closest to his heart was a horse called Royal Phantom. The bond between them was just magical.
It was his dream to have his own stud farm which he managed to achieve. He loved all his horses, could tell you each and everyone’s life from start to present. All their quirks and personalities, likes and dislikes. He spent time with each of his horses every day. He truly loved each and every one of them.

“My Dad lived a full life from designing luxury yachts to the royal military naval fleet. He travelled the world and got to watch the Monaco Grand Prix a few times. When he was in the Netherlands he had Dressage lessons with their Olympic medalist. He was a huge part of my riding career and would often spend many nights helping me clean, plait and prep my horses for their shows. He taught me a great love and appreciation for horses and I am truly grateful for that!”

The first of the double came with in form Apprentice, Rachel Venniker aboard the Rosseau-owned Sonjador (Ideal World – Gwanda by Fort Wood) – who had ridden their grey Tupelo Honey to victory just two days earlier at Hollywoodbets Greyville – both trained by Michael Roberts.

Sonjador is most deserving of the win – having earned in 15 of his previous 16 starts (three of them in 2nd place) and breaking his maiden on his 18th time of asking!

Victory Twist (Flying The Flag – Velvet Mover by Cape Cross) is another consistent sort who has only been out of the money on debut from his five starts – with a win and two seconds. The big handsome dark bay gelding is loving the extra ground offered to him and won confidently over 1750m for trainer Tony Rivalland and owners Messrs P C Rivalland, J P G de Rauville, A J Rivalland and Mrs M D J Liley.

Young Rachel Venniker is setting the world alight after only being in action as an official apprentice jockey for one week! She had won a race as a Work Rider aboard #kznbred Enjoy The View for trainer Michael Roberts, and all of her winners to date have been aboard #kznbred horses.

She rode Tupelo Honey, a well bred daughter of Duke Of Marmalade out of Harolds Gold (Fort Wood) to victory just two days prior, with Rachel taking the bull by the horns and dominating the race from the start to lead all the way, and win by a length. Shirley Rosseau commented that Tupelo Honey was Syd’s favourite – a beautiful grey from the immediate family of Cover Look.

Congratulations to the Rosseau family and we look forward to more to come as the St Helier Stud family continue Syd’s legacy.

Syd and Shirley Rosseau of St Helier Stud are enjoying a purple patch with recent wins across the country, and the current nhra.co.za stats tell the story impressively.

A small stud that retains only quality and Black Type mares, St Helier Stud are currently boasting 50% winners to runners from 18 runners – incredibly they have won 16 times for a boastful average earnings of over R72 000 each, with 39 places in the bag and over R1,3-million earned.

A very impressive colt as a yearling, the handsome chestnut What A Winter gelding Winter Storm was part of a hat trick for Paul Peter recently, whilst the impressing Miesque Sunrise ran second on the weekend at Greyville under the care of Wayne Badenhorst for Syd and Shirley as owners and breeders, and Fives Wild won for Kom Naidoo.

Winter Storm has won three times and placed five – only out of the money on two occasions for trainer Paul Peter.

Their mares stand at St Helier Stud on a beautiful property on the outskirts of Hillcrest. Congratulations to Syd and Shirley Rosseau!

Ella’s World, pictured going to the start at Scottsville yesterday looks a bright prospect for owner Brian Burnard and trainer Dennis Bosch.

The Ideal World filly bred by Syd and Shirley Rosseau of Hillcrest based St Helier Stud have reduced their broodmare band to a small but exclusive band, with well bred Black Type mares that are spread across three farms nationally – their own, Clifton Stud and Boland in the Cape.

Currently St Helier Stud boast very impressive stats on www.nhra.co.za – with 44% winners to runners, in January alone there were only five runners nationally, for two winners and two places – including the beautifully named Lloyd George, who has now won twice and placed second from just three starts. He is out of a Cape Cross mare, Velvet Mover.

Ella’s World, a half-sister to Black Type racemare Preamble who was a five-time winner, is out of the Elliodor mare Speedy Eli, who has produced five winners at stud. This is the family of Foxi Flo, Bluff and William Henry.

Ella’s World sold for just R60 000 at the 2017 KZN Yearling Sale and has earned over R105 000 in stakes. She has won twice and placed from only three races.

Overall, St Helier have produced 18 runners for the 2018 / 2019 season, and produced 10 wins with 25 places and an average earning per runner of over R42 000.

Their other consistent horses include Varimax trained by Mike Ozzie (out of a half-sister to River Jetez and Pocket Power, a three parts brother to Mike Azzie’s Rivarine), Winter Storm in training with Ashley Fortune, and Ryker with Garth Puller.

St Helier Stud’s beautiful grey filly Velvet Dawn, who sold for R300 000 at the BSA National Yearling Sale in 2016, won for trainer Paddy Kruyer at Kenilworth yesterday in a phenomenal fashion over 1200m and owner Mrs Rathbone. [watch video here]

The grey filly, out of a full sister to Cover Look, won by 2,5 lengths whilst the third horse followed in with a nine length gap.

A small farm with a band of well-bred broodmares that had two runners on Vodacom Durban July day this year, St Helier Stud have bred amongst them the likes of Zimbabwean champion Madigan and more recently Varimax, who won his second start by almost seven lengths for trainer Mike Azzie.

Varimax is a three parts brother to another talented Azzie inmate, Riverine. Varimax’s dam is a half-sister to River Jetez and Pocket Power.

Harolds Gold, an own sister to Cover Look by Fort Wood, has produced six foals and five winners to date included Hallowed by Silvano, a four-time winner who placed 17 times.

This is Crusade’s 7th winner for the season and the third in the Cape. He stands for a fee of R20 000 at Scott Bros, and is a Gr1 winning half-brother to twice-Gr1 winner Seventh Heaven.

St Helier Stud is owned by Syd and Shirley Rosseau.

Rathmor Stud did KZN very proud with exceptional results over the three days of the National Yearling Sale with their registered KZN-breds – overall the National Yearling Sale surprised many with extraordinary results for a supressed economic climate.

Rathmor Stud sold eight yearlings for an average of R525 000 – bringing a very strong draft to the sales after acquiring choice broodmares to bolster the books of their exciting stallion Noble Tune, and they reaped the rewards for their hard work and astitute purchases which put Rathmor firmly on the map at the sale. What is even more exciting is the anticipation of seeing the yearlings to come in future from this farm that has achieved international and local Gr1 successes.

On the last day, Rathmor Stud’s Captain Al filly out of Kiribati (named Kir) was knocked down for R700 000 to Brett Crawford. Rathmor opened the batting early with their Dynasty colt selling to leading bloodstock agent John Freeman for R1,7-million, who also secured their Silvano colt for R700 000.

All of Rathmor’s yearlings were registered with the KZN Breeders Premium Scheme which means that they qualify for the added incentives offered by the KZN Breeders Club and will earn their breeders a premium annually from minor stakes accumulated, capped at R100 000 earnings per horse. The rules do allow for mares to be mated outside of KZN, as long as the stallions are alternated with KZN resident sires each year and the mares are returned to KZN within the 6 month window period set in the rules.

Not surprisingly, the Noble Tune’s were enthusiastically received by buyers and he attained an impressive average of R223 333 for six yearlings sold; the most expensive an imposing and flashy colt from Lee and Dino Scribante’s Piemonte Stud which was spotted frequently being pulled out of by prospective buyers for inspection, walking up and down the black tar strips in the stable block of Piemonte Stud and standing out with his broad white blaze, masculine features and stockings.

Crusade still remained popular – selling 16 yearlings for a credible average of R133 000 each. Early in the season, he has had three wins and almost every single one of his progeny have placed to date, placing him firmly in the first three of the national juvenile sires log.

Eightfold Path saw a beautiful dark bay colt with an usual white blaze knocked down to Howells Racing for R100 000. Scott Bros other sire, the evergreen Mogok who had another Gr1 second place at Turffontein with Varsfontein-bred Pagoda, averaged an impressive R173 000 for four lots sold – his progeny are forever in demand and Robin Scott believes he will reproduce as a broodmare sire at stud – already showing his colours with grandson, Matador Man.

Scott Bros superb Crusade colt was not ignored, a very handsome individual oozing quality and presence since his birth, the half-brother to Gr1 winner Wild One and Gr3 placed Save The Rhino saw enthusiastic bidding in the ring to be knocked down for R400 000 to maestro Ormond Ferraris – who trains Save The Rhino and holds the son of Mogok in very high regard. Sold as Lot 382 and named Rescue, the Crusade colt is a half-brother to five winners including Equus Champion Stayer Wild One, Gr1 placed Extinct and of course, Save The Rhino.

Bush Hill Stud, who have had several winners in a week including The Poet, Atomic Belle and Aramouse on Turffontein’s super Saturday (the latter a full brother to Gr2 winner, The Mouseketeer) sold an eyecatching Irish Flame filly as agent for R150 000. The elegant daughter and a dead ringer for her multiple Gr1 winning Equus Horse Of The Year sire, will go into training with Alistair Gordon after selling to Applewood Trading. The filly is a half-sister to Black Type gelding, Mr Whatever.

Michael Benson’s Kjell Foundation achieved results with both yearlings consigned sold – the first, a three parts sister to winners Kanonkop and Wynkelder (by Mogok) went to Duncan Howells racing for R200 000, whilst their Toreador sold to World Wide Bloodstock for R140 000. The breeders of Eastern Greeting, Kalaam and Kwinta can never be ignore when bringing a yearling to sale afer achieving extraordinary results from a handful of mares.

Syd and Shirley Rosseau of St Helier Stud, the breeders of Madigan, have invested in over the past few years in a small well-bred band of broodmares and their persistence paid off with two of their four yearlings selling for over R300 000, lead by an exceptional chestnut What A Winter colt for R375 000. Glen Kotzen picked up their racy and athletic Var filly for a song at R225 000, while Michael Lee purchased their classic looking Fort Wood colt for R300 000. Oratorina, the filly from the immediate family of Pocket Power and River Jetez was a bargain for Gavin Van Zyl at R100 000.

The National Yearling Sale overall saw 369 yearlings sold for an average of R303 726 each. A Bloodstock South Africa sales record was set with a yearling from Varsfontein sold to Shadwell Stud for R5-million. The daughter of Var out of a maiden Captain Al mare Fidelity hails from the family of Promiseofmyheart, Hack Green, Master Of My Fate and Pluck.

The second highest colt of the sale was a son of Silvano out of a full sister to KZN-based sire, Capetown Noir.

Congratulations to all concerned!

St Helier Stud has a successful day with two Lots sold – the first an outstanding What A Winter colt for R375 000 and a Fort Wood colt out of a Cape Cross mare, from the damline of Gr1 winner Britannia’s Rule for R300 000.

The What A Winter colt, the leading KZN colt of the day is out a National Emblem mare Sierra Lily, from the damline of Villandry, Geordoba, Ravishing and Dynastic Power.

He sold to Dynamic Syndications.

The Fort Wood colt, an outstanding classic type of horse sold to Park Bloodstock.

The dam Velvet Mover has produced a winner from her first foal, and the Fort Wood named Lloyd George is her first produce.

Piemonte Stud sold a magnificent son of Noble Tune for R350 000 to Team G Racing.

The colt was frequently seen out in the sales yard for inspections and bidding was active for the flashy and imposing grandson of Unbridled’s Song, out of an imported mare from the immediate damline of Lanner Falcon.

Piemonte also sold the top priced KZN filly of the day, with Lot 203 Crusade filly purchased by Garth Puller for R220 000.

The filly is the second produce for the young mare Sully’s Landing – her first foal has recently achieved Black Type early in her juvenile career after finishing 2nd in a Gr3 very recently and looks an exciting prospect.

Piemonte Stud have brought a high quality draft of yearlings and their early success isnt a surprise with the careful selection of pedigrees – they have already produced the likes of Eastern Cape Champion Kalamain, Gr3 winner O Tamara and Gr3 placed Celestina, with Lee’s Pick also an exciting prospect.

Rathmor continue their top sales form, with Noble Tune colt Paths Of Victory sold for R220 000 to Gavin Van Zyl, and colt out of Dynasty mare Summer To Remember going for R180 000, for Harold Crawford.

Scott Bros sold their magnificent Mogok colt out of Jet Master mare, We Have Lift Off, to Lynton Ryan for R280 000.

Spring Valley, who are currently in the mid-forty percent for winners to runners on the national NHRA log, sold a lovely Visionaire colt to Dean Kannemeyer racing for R150 000. This is the damline of Bold Ellinore and Emperor Napolean.

Well done to all concerned.