The Adam Marcus trained Mississippi Burning arrived in KZN last week, and has settled in beautifully.

The Rathmor-bred Captain Al filly, born and raised in Nottingham Road sold for R380 000 at the National Yearling Sale to Mario Ferreira. She is out of a Husonnet mare Spitfire Lady, who was sourced in Australia for Rathmor Stud with the purpose of sending her to their then resident sire Noble Tune.

Spitfire Lady arrived from quarantine in the Cape and the decision was made to cover her to a Cape sire and then send her up to KZN. Mike McHardy described Spitfire Lady as not the biggest but a quality mare at the time. Her first foal was Mississippi Burning – herself not the tallest but beautifully conformed and standing over ground – and she’s a daughter of the mighty Captain Al.

The next successful covering to Noble Tune produced Fire And Ice – a lovely colt, who was knocked down for R50 000 to Willson Coates and sent to Barend Botes to train.

Juvnile Fire And Ice has won his last two starts at the Vaal from six runs and placed 4 times.

Mississippi Burning gave young Adam Marcus his first Gr1 win when she took the Fillies Guineas, ridden by Craig Zackey.

Pending the outcome of the lockdown time to eradicate the Coronavirus that has hit South Africa, Mississippi Burning will be a feature of the KZN Champions Season.

The 2yo filly placed second on debut and followed up to run a phenomenal race to win by five lengths. 

From the family of Imperious Sue, Victory Moon and Royal Airforce, she sold to Mario for R500 000 at the 2019 National Yearling Sale (pictured). Hidden Beauty has a 2018 Noble Tune colt coming through. 

Paul Peter trained Springs Of Carmel pulled ahead to open a blinding 9 length lead, but Varina was having none of it and unleashed an impressive acceleration to fly past her to win by five. 

Varina was ridden by Aldo Domeyer. 

Congratulations to all concerned. 

A Capetown Noir colt trained by Justin Snaith has won very impressively this afternoon at Durbanville, with Kamadeva, a juvenile half-brother to Gr1 winner Love Struck, leading from almost the start to win going away by over 3,5 lengths 0ver 1250m.

He appeared to enjoy the further and his pedigree indicates he will enjoy more, after placing twice in both of his previous starts over 1000m.

The Summerhill-bred is owned by Mr A Gujadhur and sold for R225 000 off the 2018 Cape Premier Yearling Sale. This is the female line of Anytime Baby and Thandolwami.

Capetown Noir has had 2 winners and 17 places from his first crop, with his daughter Brandina already Black Type and missing her first feature win by a whisker.

Capetown Noir has 4 Lots on the upcoming Nationals, including a Clifton-bred colt out of a Galileo mare, Piemonte have a beautiful filly who is a half-sister to Black Type Raise The Bar (dam of Rose In Bloom) and to 6-time winner High Altar, whilst Henham Stud have a Capetown Noir sibling to Gr1 Empress Club Stakes runner up Running Brave, and Summerhill have the first produce of Black Type Supercede on offer.

The sale takes place from 24-26 April.

The beautifully-named Sweet Preserve was part of a ding dong clash yesterday at Greyville which saw her get up to win courageously, for the stable of Glen Kotzen, owned by Mr J Buckler.

By Duke Of Marmalade out of the evergreen Surfers Eye by Elliodor, Sweet Preserve has won twice and placed five times from just 9 starts – and is a half-sister to 8 winners, incredibly 4 of them Black Type, with her sister Rapid Flow (and full sister Saltwater Girl) already producing 3 multiple winners between the two mares, including Red Herring and 3-time winner, Green Day.

Both of Sweet Preserves wins came over 1900m under Billy Jacobson. Bred in a partnership between Mr P A M Magid & Summerhill Stud (Pty) Ltd, she is a half-sister to Shogunnar and Admiral’s Eye as well, the latter arguably one of Admire Main’s best produce.

Dam Surfers Eye deserves a Broodmare Of The Year accolade – she descends from the female line of sires Lombard, Vaguely Noble and Lead On Time amongst a myriad of Black Type on the page. Only a 1-time winner at age 3 over 1900m, the well bred daughter of Elliodor out of an Irish Malinowski mare has had 12 foals for 9 runners and 8 winners.

Surfers Eyes progeny have produced 29 wins between them all (including her grandchildren) and her diminutive Gr1 placing daughter Admiral’s Eye, is a 7-time winner who has now produced two foals at Rathmor Stud.

Her last registered foal according to www.nhra.co.za is the as yet unraced 2016 Visionaire colt, Riding The Crest.

It was overall a superb days racing with #kznbreds or horses by KZN sires taking 6 of the 8 races carded, each earning their breeders Premiums for the next claiming season beginning in August 2019.

Well done to all concerned.

Piemonte-bred Brandina by Capetown Noir has made it two wins from only three starts – her only other place was third by a head in the Listed Tattersalls Summer Juvenile Stakes at Kenilworth.

Brandina was bought back for just R20 000 at the 2018 KZN Yearling Sale – TBA Chairman Lee, and Dino Scribante, offer everything they breed at auction and retain whichever horses have not sold at sales.

Raced by breeder Lee Scribante and his brother, the filly is out of Var mare Bedouin, a half-sister to Gr2 winner Fair Brutus bred by Yellow Star Stud. This is also the family of Grand Format and National Dance.

Triple Gr1 winning son of Western Winter, Capetown Noir, had his highest price 2yo sell at the 2018 Ready To Run Sale for R500 000, a half-brother to Gr1 placed Railtrip and Gr1 winner Hero’s Honour, he has been exported to Kenya for owner Michael Spencer.

Capetown Noir has now had 2 wins and 7 places from just 6 runners, and stands at Summerhill Stud for Khaya Stables.

Capetown Noir has two yearlings being consigned to Nationals from Summerhill – one out of Nojoom by Galileo (the dam of Gr2 winner Intergalactic), and the other out of Supercede (a half-sister to Talitha Borealis) by Stronghold, from the family of The Sheik and Shoe Express.

#kznbred Dawn Assault has snatched the Gr3 London News Stakes from favoured Al Danza and Pietro Mascagni (a R2,3-million yearling). Second to Tilbury Fort in the Gr1 Summer Cup, Dawn Assault is yet another feather in the cap for owner / breeder / trainer St John Gray.

St John has had a fantastic season and has another special horse on his hands with the talented #kznbred Ronnie’s Candy, a Gr2 and Gr3 winner.

Graystone Stud boast phenomenal stats – with a 37% winners to runners percentage, 12 wins for the season and 86 places, with a very impressive average earnings per runner figure of over R70 000.

Ridden by Karl Zechner in a brilliantly judged ride, this is the second time in recent history this race has gone to a #kznbred – prior 2017 winner Romany Prince (bred by Rather), who nearly came down in the race with Luke Ferraris aboard, got back on his feet and steadied himself but finished unplaced.

Dawn Assault, by St John Gray’s stallion Call To Combat out of Cayman Ridge by Al Mufti, is now a 7-time winner and has won R1,115,425 in stakes. A previous winner of the Drum Star Handicap, Dawn Assault as a 5yo entire is getting better with age.

Born and raised by Cathy and Jonathan Martin of Hadlow Stud who manage St John Gray’s breeding operation within their own, they also stand the brilliant 5-time Gr1 winner Dancewiththedevil, again bred, owned and trained by St John Gray.

In other recent KZN related news, Gr1 winner Lady In Black trained by Dennis Drier finished powerfully with a courageous run behind the brilliant Oh Susanna (AUS) in yesterday’s Gr1 Cartier Paddock Stakes. Rathmor Stud stand her dam Mystery Dame, who has a Noble Tune colt on offer at the upcoming Nationals in April.

Bush Hill Stud’s Irish Flame got Black Type win his daughter Just My Style placed third in the Lady’s Bracelet (Listed) at Fairview for trainer Sharon Kotzen. Out of a Jet Master mare, Just My Style has won 3 times and placed 7.

Bush Hill also had a very impressive debut winner yesterday with Gareth Van Zyl’s imposing King’s Chapel filly Daidala. A race that could have gone the way of any of the horses in the first three, she flew up on the railing in facile fashion to snatch victory by a quarter of a length from Frosty Princess.

Well done to all concerned.

The Tapit half-brother to Spring Valley sire Just As Well won a Listed race in England yesterday. The chestnut colt named Wissahickon beat home Big Country (High Chapparal) by over two lengths clear.

Bred by the Augustin Stable and trained by John Gosden, he won on the All weather track over 2000m in the Quebec Stakes at Lingfield Park.

Wissahickon knuckled down and put a couple of lengths between himself and his pursuers – and he hit the line strongly, winning by two and a quarter lengths from Big Country.

His jockey Rab Havlin told At The Races: “It’s important with him to get him in a nice rhythm, but I wasn’t happy with the pace. Reading between the lines before, that was always going to happen.

“When you sprint into that turn, everything fans out and you can nearly almost get a run and nick a couple of lengths back.

“He showed his class today and knuckled down well. There was a lot to look at in the last furlong, so I was just keeping his mind on the job – there was plenty left.

“That was what we were expecting today. I think the Winter Derby and the Easter Classic will be the plan.”

The handsome chestnut has had six wins from eight starts in total between All Weather and Turf going.

Just As Well, first across the line in a Gr1 in Canada with multiple Group Wins and Places to his name internationally, is a vastly underrated stallion who has produced the goods from small numbers.

The sire of 51% lifetime winners to runners, his major winners include Gr3 Caradoc Cup winner Just Cruised In, Racing Association Listed winner Just Chaos, nine length maiden winner and Gr3 placed Zodiac Jack in the Cape, and 6-time winner Just As I Said.

Just As Well entered stud in 2011 and has only had 64 progeny to race since. Just As Well, out of Gr1 winning mare No Matter What by Nureyev and related to Raven’s Pass and E Dubai, is a half-brother to 2-time Gr1 winner Rainbow View, Gr2 winner Utley, Gr3 winner Winter View, and his half-sister has produced 5-time winner and twice Listed winner and multiple Gr3 placed Stunning Spirit.

In total, Just As Well’s 64 runners have earned a total of R9,084,569 – averaging stakes earned of R141,946 each.

The Apache is flying at stud, with only 11 runners on the track he has produced 5 wins and 15 places. He is currently boasting a winners to runners percentag of 36.4%.

A Scott Bros’ bred son of Mogok out of a Dolpour mare (and a pure Scott Bros pedigree stretching back over 50 years to their founding dam) who was voted Equus Champion 3YO Colt of his year, his story is a special one – selling for just R80 000 at the National 2YO Sale, he went on to earn over R17-million making him one of the highest Stakes earners standing at stud in South Africa.

Amongst the mares he has covered this season is a Zabeel mare specifically imported for him by owner Mr Winston Chow, named Divine Proportion who has foaled a beautiful baby to The Apache this season at Hadlow Stud, and the other is the dam of Gr1 winner Wild One (by Mogok), a cross that has also produced Save The Rhino.

Globetrotting from South Africa to Dubai, England and America – The Apache crossed the line first in the Gr1 Arlington Million, placing in England and winning the Gr2 Al Rashidiya in Dubai and placed second in two major Dubai Gr1 races – not to forget his Gr1 wins in South Africa and numerous Group Places.

His produce results on the track reflect his superb Equinome test results which Hong Kong owner Mr Winston Chow had performed on the stallion and his results are impressive.

His test results are explained by Plusvital:

“The Apache has been categorised as a C:T (Middle Distance type) by the Plusvital Speed Gene Test, which predicts optimum race distance and precocity potential by categorising horses as one of three genetic types.

C:T horses, like The Apache, are the most versatile genetic type. They are likely to perform well over shorter distances (7f to 8f/1,400m to 1,600m) as two year olds and then progress to run over middle distances (8f to 12f/1,600m to 2,400m) as three-year-olds and older. C:T horses are capable of producing all three genetic types of horse (Sprint/Mile types, Middle Distance types or Staying types).

The Apache stands for a fee of just R10 000 at Hadlow Stud in Mooi River.

Triple Gr1 winning sire Capetown Noir is off the mark, a very pleasing start for the Summerhill sire by Western Winter. Brandina, out of Var mare Bedouin from the family of Fair Brutus and Grand Format, won impressively on debut this afternoon in Fairview in one of the first juvenile races of the season.

Bred by Piemonte Stud and bought back for R20 000 from the 2018 KZN Yearling Sale, Lee Scribante races the filly in partnership with his brother and trainer Alan Greef. In the process, she also won the #bsa Maiden Juvenile Plate bonus of R50 000 for her connections.

Brandina won over 800m by a length.

Capetown Noir impressed at the recent BSA Ready To Run Sale and his progeny were snapped up eagerly for    the top price for R500 000 to Princess Diana’s cousin in Kenya, Michael Spencer. He bought a particularly special and handsome colt – a half-brother to Gr1 winner Hero’s Honour and Gr1 2nd placed Railtrip. Overall, Capetown Noir averaged over R190 000 for 13 yearlings sold.

Their dam Grail Maiden, by Galileo, was recently crowned KZN Breeders Broodmare Of The Year.

Summerhill describe Capetown Noir as equine royalty, being out of the emperor Western Winter and in turn out of a Broodmare of the Year from a Guineas-winning daughter of the leading broodmare sire of all time – Fort Wood.

“He was the best 2YO Anton Marcus ever sat on, and became a Dual Group One Classic winner and Champion Miler at three. He won the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and defeated the likes of Gr1 performers Jackson, Yorker, King Of Pain, No Worries, Jet Explorer, Whiteline Fever and Red Ray.”

After the early loss of what has been a leading sire in Await The Dawn, it looks as if Capetown Noir may just be stepping into those shoes!

Congratulations to Piemonte and Summerhill Stud.

Bruce Le Roux of Spring Valley Stud always breeds a consistently smart horse, and it seems he has another with impressive debut winner Silent Crusade, out of Silver Fantasy by Silvano.

Owned in partnership with Gary Cummings, Clint Larsson and Rex Samuelson – the latter partnership has had plenty of success with horses from Spring Valley, including the super smart London Call and his three part sister, She’s A Dream. The same partnership have raced Silent Crusade’s half-sister to success, with four wins and seven places and almost R400 000 in stakes.

A big imposing filly out of Bruce’s good family of Fancy Fantacy, who produced Gr1 winner Indiscreet Fantasy, Malinga and Personal Fantacy, dam Silver Fantasy is a half-sister to the aforementioned horses. She is a Stakes Winner and produced three winners at stud to date.

Trained by Mark Dixon who also trains London Call and She’s A Dream, the filly won over 1200m on the turf by almost two lengths.

By sire Crusade who relocated to Clifton Stud this season, has produced 10 wins this season and finished on a winners to runners percentage of 40% the previous season and 49 wins.

Crusade’s star triple Gr1 winning half-sister by Galileo, Seventh Heaven, has retired to stud and is due to visit super sire Dubawi this season.

Bruce Le Roux produced 38 wins last season from 60 runners, and a 45% winners to runners percentage.

Well done to all concerned, this filly is certainly one to watch!