Ted Hughes’ stallion by High Chaparral, Golden Sword, passed on after an unfortunate accident.

“A very sad day yesterday. We lost Golden Sword to a freak accident at the farm. The record holder over 2000m in Dubai and two lengths behind Sea the Stars in the 2009 Epsom Derby, will be sorely missed by us. A few youngsters yet to run so his legacy will carry on. Bred by the Pococks in Somerset from an illustrious family,” Ted announced on his social media.

Golden Sword was a horse close to the heart of his owner, who grew up with the breeders of Golden Sword and Rekindling in England and Ted was fortunate to visit and meet Sitara, the chestnut dam of Golden Sword.

Golden Sword is a half-brother to Gr1 Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling and French Gr1 placed Sydney Opera House. Golden Sword was trained by Mike De Kock in Dubai, and interesting to note that Mathew De Kock recently purchased a horse (by Australia) at Tattersalls from the immediate family of Golden Sword for 240 000 gns.

Golden Sword’s best was Belle Rose – a half-sister to Pierre Jordan was subsequently exported to Dubai but injury prevented her from performing.

Golden Swords breeders, Stringston Farm, purchased the mare in foal to Cracksman and it was heartwarming to see the pedigree go full circle and across three continents.

Amongst his other leading progeny is Nimcha, an 8-time winner racing in the colours of Hollywood Syndicate, purchased from the Alexander brothers prior to their repatriation to Australia, whilst Oasis Queen is also a 7-time winner.

Golden Sword was a lean, leggy individual who stood over ground and looked every inch and athlete when he walked – a very typical staying type who threw large, beautiful foals.

Our thoughts go out to Ted Hughes on the loss of a special horse.

Accompanied by KZN Breeders Club secretary Candiese, we had a meeting with Henning who has a vision of Summerhill once again becoming the leading stud in the country as well as in Kwazulu-Natal. A very passionate, successful and informed breeder of sport horses in South Africa, he has the determination to bring KZN to national prominence in thoroughbred breeding once again. The mares that are currently boarded at Summerhill Equestrian as it is now known, Henning would like to retain and assure those owners that the mares have the very best attention on the farm. 

Henning is looking to buy black type mares and attract the top stallions once again at Summerhill Equestrian for the benefit of the KZN Breeders so that we can upgrade as a province.

We look forward to the next few years as being exciting with all our studs to get KZN back on top of the national log of breeders.

Ted Hughes

Chairman

KZN Breeders Club

Brave Tin Soldier gelding Merlin From Berlin has now won three races in a row for his elated owner and KZN Breeders Club Chairman, Ted Hughes.

It was a joyous occasion in particular as Ted’s wife Ruth, who owns the massive horse Paybackthemoney (Marchfield), was a fast finishing 2nd under Anton Marcus.

Just the week before, both geldings met at Hollywoodbets Scottsville and saw the Hughes’ collect their first silver trophy, with Merlin From Berlin taking the KZN Summer Challenge Final over 2000m under Warren Kennedy for a stake of R150 000.

Both horses, Merlin From Berlin and Paybackthemoney are trained by the in form Nathan Kotzen.

Bred by Rupert Plersch, Merlin From Berlin is out of a Fort Wood mare Woodcut – who is a full sister to Limerick – in turn the dam of exports Noah From Goa and the immediate family of Forries Waltz. This is also the family of champion stayer in Europe, Royal Gait. Ted purchased Merlin From Berlin for R35 000 off the 2017 KZN Yearling Sale, and he has earned over R350 000 in stakes.

Ted Hughes is also the owner of sire Golden Sword, who stands at Yellow Star Stud.

Ted Hughes has been named the new KZN Breeders Club Chairman after yesterday’s AGM held at the Nottingham Road Hotel.

Ted takes over the reins from Bruce Le Roux (Spring Valley Stud), who has stepped down to position of Vice-Chairman.

Director Warwick Render thanked Bruce Le Roux for his tremendous work, effort and ideas over his two year tenure as Chairman, as well as the work put in by Anton Procter who stepped down as a Director of the KZN Breeders Club.

Ted Hughes is passionate about the Thoroughbred breed in both racing and breeding, and can usually be seen at each KZN race meeting with his wife Ruth – each racing horses in their own colours.

Ted owns stallion Golden Sword who stands at Yellow Star Stud, a full brother to Gr1 Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling and to Gr1 2nd French placed Sydney Opera House. Ted has a close association with the family that bred Golden Sword and he didn’t hesitate when the opportunity came up to buy the son of High Chapparal, who was standing at Summerhill.

Ted paid a visit in 2018 to visit the birth place of Golden Sword and see his dam Sitara, by Salse.

Ted has his own extensive experience in training racehorses as well as previously race riding in England.

Congratulations to Ted Hughes and we look forward to a successful future at the KZN Breeders Club.

The KZN Breeders Club Board consists of Lee Scribante, Mick Goss, Cathy Martin, Bruce Le Roux (Vice Chairman), Warwick Render, Koos De Klerk and Ted Hughes (Chairman).

Sydney Opera House, by young Galileo sire Australia out of the dam of Gr1 Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling and Golden Sword, finished second by a neck to winner Wonderment at Saint-Cloud over 2000m, in the Gr1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud today.

Sydney Opera House has previously finished second in the Gr2 Royal Lodge Stakes.

Sydney Opera House sold at the 2016 December Foal from the Pocock’s Stringston Farm to Rathbarry & Abbeylands for 165000 (GBG). He made a smart return for his owners who pinhooked him, knocked down in 2017 October from the Yearling Book 1 Sale to  the combination of MV Magnier/Mayfair/P&R Doyle for 525000 (GBG).

Half-brother Golden Sword who stands at Yellow Star Stud, placed in the Gr1 Irish Derby and finished two lengths off the great Sea The Stars in the English Derby. Golden Sword went on to place in the Gr3 Chester Vase and Dubai City Of Gold Gr2, where he set a 2000m course record that has yet to be broken in Dubai. His most significant produce to date has been Stakes Winner and Gr1 placed Belle Rose, who was exported to Dubai last year.

Golden Sword’s full-brother Rekindling not only took home the Gr1 Melbourne Cup, but the Gr2 Curragh Cup, Gr3 Ballysax Stakes and second in the Irish St Leger Trial Stakes.

KZN Breeder and Vice-Chairman of the KZN Breeders Club, Ted Hughes, purchased Golden Sword earlier this year and relocated him to Yellow Star Stud. The stallion carries a lot of sentimental value for Ted, who grew up and rode with Golden Swords breeders in the UK, the Pococks of Stringston Farm.

Ted visited them earlier this year and got to meet their great mare Sitara, by Salse. The Pococks of Stringston Farm were awarded  The TBA Silver Salver Award for their outstanding achievements.

Golden Sword, the only son of High Chapparal at stud in South Africa, was ranked 117 in the World Thoroughbred Ranks in 2011, and Timeform Rated 122.

His fee is available on application.

Champion international trainer Mike de Kock labelled new Yellow Star sire Golden Sword ‘the best horse of a classy generation in my overseas string. At his best, he was a serious international competitor.’

It was thus fitting when De Kock enjoyed the honour of saddling the big son of High Chaparral’s first winner and stakes victress. The Gr1 placed Belle Rose won the Listed Oaks Trial and made it on to the 2017/18 De Kock Dubai draft.

Golden Sword, a former resident of Summerhill Stud, has relocated to the De Klerk family’s Yellow Star Stud from the 2018 breeding season.

The stud, closely associated with SA Horse Of The Year and current Drakenstein stallion Futura, as well as Equus Champion Dancewiththedevil, is situated approximately 12 km outside the village of Mooi River, the hub of Thoroughbred breeding in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Golden Sword was the second highest rated Northern Hemisphere bred son of High Chaparral,  and his illustrious sire’s first son to stand here when he arrived in 2012.

He hails from one the greatest families in the stud book, whose members include the classic winning fillies Alexandrova and Chicquita – both, like Golden Sword, descendants of the great Sadler’s Wells – as well as former legendary SA sire Royal Prerogative and Dolpour – the latter being the broodmare sire of The Apache.

While he is a Graded Stakes winner of four races from 1400m – 2400m, with earnings of more than R6.7million, it is arguable that Golden Sword’s finest moment came in the Gr1 Investec Derby at Epsom, where he was beaten just over two lengths by the world champion, Sea The Stars.

He was also runner-up in the Gr1 Irish Derby  to triple Gr1 star, Fame And Glory.

While in the care of Mike de Kock, South African racing fans will recall Golden Sword’s storming finishes from behind in Dubai, where he ran the fastest 2000 meters ever – a record which still stands.

Former Summerhill Stallion Manager Greig Muir is on record as saying: “Golden Sword is a big, elegant horse, much in the mould of So You Think, and provides breeders with a welcome source of one of the most valuable bloodlines in the world. In any other year, he might’ve been a Derby winner, and he would not have been in South Africa if that were the case.”

Golden Sword has had 13 winners this season with 52 places, and over R1-million in stakes earned. Ted’s wife Ruth, owns Virtuous, a son of Golden Sword who placed second yesterday at Greyville over 1800m.

Golden Sword has 2 lots on the CTS April Yearling Sale next month.

See the CTS catalogue – click here

-extract sportingpost.co.za