BSA October Newsletter

Bloodstock South Africa Newsletter October 2013 Edition 5:

International Success for BSA grads:

Soft Falling Rain, a former Bloodstock South Africa buy, put up a world class performance to trounce a high-class field by three and a half lengths in the Group 2 Nayef Joel Stakes at Newmarket. What a horse.
One of our favourite adopted daughters , Igugu , ran a very promising second in a Listed Race at Newmarket over 1600m and looks set to return to Dubai. Well done to Mike De Kock and his entire team - thank you for bringing us such pride and enjoyment in watching your horses campaign overseas.
Cerise Cherry won a Class 1 race in Hong Kong and the 8yr old Goldkeeper galloper continues to impress , whilst in Singapore the Kahal gelding Coronet Peak notched up another win.
Considering how few horses we have overseas we have an extra-ordinary strike rate and shows the class of horses we can produce in South Africa.

We are proud of our graduates:
As with any successful business we have to perform at the top of our game consistently, and that means we need to continue to unearth the best racehorses every year and give buyers and breeders confidence in our business.
Some recent graduates that are catching the eye include horses like Happy Valentine ,
Along Came Polly ,Forest Indigo ,Colour of Courage, Arcetri Pink, Master of my Fate, Power King, Winter Star, Garibondy , Highly Decorated , Cape Cutter, Copiapo , Arion, , Capricorn Ridge , Journeyman ,Ace Antonius ,Fort Ozark ,Eternal Jet ,Seattle Storm, Yoshie and Antonius Du Bois to name but a few.
Whilst most of these horses are from the National Yearling Sale which we know is a trusted source of quality bloodstock, some of our other sales are also unearthing champions - they can come from anywhere as we all know, and that is why the upcoming Emperors Palace RTR Sale is not be missed.
For most this game is all about winning , and we love watching our graduates doing well on the racetrack. We celebrate every time a BSA graduate wins and it inspires us to select the best horses possible for our sales so as to improve the odds of you finding a champion in our sales ring.

The Emerald Cup:
Partnerships are so crucial for our industry and like with our affiliation with Emperors Palace, Phumelela have built up a strong partnership with the Emerald Casino, and together they put on an excellent showcase of racing at the Emerald Cup in the last week of September.
The mix of horses, music and fashion is a winner and with record turnouts and turnovers this was a great start to the Highveld racing season. I was very impressed to see the interest in the horses and the racing part of the day and the parade ring was thronged by onlookers .We need more of these days!

Emperors Palace Ready to Run Sale 1st and 3rd November:

The Ready to Run or Breeze Up Sales Concept has taken off around the world as a way to buy top quality horseflesh , and is going from strength to strength in South Africa. One just has to look at the some of the graduates of this sale both past and present, as well as this year’s catalogue to realise this is a sale that plays a very important role in unearthing future champions. All horses sold at this sale will also qualify for the rich and prestigious Emperors Palace Ready to Run Cup of 2014 where graduates of the sale will race for R3m. That is why it known as the sale of dreams.
Ready To Run graduates have built up a tremendous record over the years, as a look back at past sales’ stars will indicate. From the likes of Horse of the Year Igugu and champion Pierre Jourdan, to this season’s promising 3yos the classy Duly Ordained (AUS), Pej, Mount Hillaby, Dover Beach, Winter Star and Admiral’s Eye, the Ready To Run Sale annually produces its share of high-class performers.
This year, many of the country’s top farms will offer lots at the Ready to Run Sale and the overall quality of the catalogue shows how this sale has grown in status and class and rates up there with the best sales in the land. The list of stallions with progeny on sale includes South Africa’s very best sires, such as Captain Al, Dynasty, Fort Wood (USA), Jet Master, Kahal , Silvano (GER), Trippi (USA) and Var (USA) all have attractive individuals due to pass under the hammer. There are also offspring by the late, great Western Winter (USA) on sale – and these individuals are bound to prove popular. Promising sires Antonius Pius (USA), Argonaut, Jay Peg, Judpot (USA), Kildonan, Rebel King and Sail From Seattle (CAN), to name but a few, are also strongly represented at the 2013 Emperors Palace Ready to Run Sale. Sires with their first 2yos selling include Brave Tin Soldier (USA), Elusive Fort, Fort Beluga, Ideal World (USA), Lateral , Mambo In Seattle (USA), Oracy (NZ), and Seventh Rock (AUS).
The Ready to Run Sale also offers South African buyers a rare opportunity to acquire well bred thoroughbreds with top-class international pedigrees. Some of the world’s leading sires have prized lots on offer including Bernardini (USA), Danehill Dancer (IRE), Encosta De Lago (AUS), Hussonet (USA), Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE), Tale Of The Cat (USA) and Teofilo (IRE).
Catalogues are available at all racing centres and have been posted out to our database, whilst the Ipad app is available on our website or at www.equineline.com . Please remember to keep an eye on our website for latest news, sales reviews, updates as well as the weekly RTR Cup log.


Stallion News:
There can be no question that the crop of first season sires that we saw in action last season were amongst the best we have seen for many a year. Important records tumbled. It’s interesting to note that these sires have debut runners making their presence felt now as early 3yo’s. The Second Season Sire Log at the end of September has Jay Peg in the lead with 4 winners and 4 places worth R214,750.

With the average age of the top 10 sires on the overall log sitting at 17 (with two of them dead and one at 24) it’s good to know that there are new contenders coming up the ranks and this bunch sure look the part.

Captain Al is marginally at the helm from serial champion sire Jet Master with the usual suspects amongst the top 10. Fort Wood, the grand-daddy of the bunch, has made a superb start to his season; his 15 winners average earnings of R18,381 is 25% ahead of any of the other top 10. His runners have earned a very healthy average of R11,972 per race run. The overall sire log is a numbers game. Naturally in order for the numbers to work they must win races (not just be numbers) but once any sire gets a healthy percentage of winners (and repeat winners) its interesting to see how they would fare if all sires had the same number of races run - equal opportunity.

Breeding News:

The foaling season is well under way and the reports we are getting from all corners of the country of some new season foals are very encouraging. For those of you on Facebook most of the studs have pictures of their foals up on a regular basis and we share those on our Facebook page – I suggest getting connected for those of you that aren’t! Like us at Thoroughbred Breeders of South Africa.
This is an exciting time for all as any one of these new foals could be the “one” - the horse that changes your life forever. If you are not a dreamer then this game is not for you!
On that note if you would like to go and visit some studs and experience a foaling or just spend some time on a stud please contact us and we will organise it for you. Loving the horse makes the sport of racing so much more enjoyable, and we encourage people to come and experience racing where it all starts – on the farm.


Bloodstock SA Sales dates 2014:
Please note our sales dates for 2014 are published on our website on the home page under forthcoming sales.
24th/25th April Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale
21st May Cape Country Yearling Sale
22nd May Cape Mare and Mixed Sale
3rd and 4th July Suncoast KZN Yearling Sale
9th July KZN Mare and Mixed Sale
14th /15th August Emperors Palace National 2 yo Sale
31st/2nd November Emperors Palace Ready to Run Sale


Farewell to racing legends:
We remember Trevor Armitage, the breeder of Beach Beauty, who passed away recently and send condolences to his family and friends. His contributions to the breeding industry will never be forgotten.

We also remember Wally Brits, the enigmatic character who was a friend of many and a passionate racing man to the core. His favourite daughter Shattered Image ran a courageous race in the Emerald Cup, and after the race I was in the unsaddling area with trainer Roy Magner and co-owner Kevin Soal who both said that could feel Wally watching and would have been proud of her run.
That was a pretty emotional moment that I won’t forget – horses do change your lives when you get to meet great people like these.

Our stallion ranks were dealt a cruel blow when we lost the legendary Western Winter , champion sire in South Africa three times and his loss to our industry will be felt for years to come. He sired a host of champions that include two sons named Horse of the Year, Yard-Arm and Winter Solstice, as well as the likes of Argonaut, Ice Cube, Lady Windermere, and What A Winter.

Other stars sired by Western Winter included last season’s dual Cape classic winner Capetown Noir, On Her Toes, Bad Girl Runs, Solo Traveller, Covenant and Warm White Night.

He has left us some exciting sons at stud in Argonaut , Lion Tamer, Warm White Night and Western Winter so his legacy will no doubt continue. It is almost the passing of the baton as these young stallions try and emulate their father, and they have some big shoes to fill.
The TBA would like to offer Lammerskraal Stud, Mike and Norma Rattray and Sally Jordan their condolences on this tragic loss.

It was ironic that Wally and Western Winter passed on in the same week – Shattered Image is out of a Western Winter mare and Wally was convinced that this was the nick of all nicks. Western Winter was his favourite stallion and I hope they are busy doing some serious mating’s planning wherever they are.

We will remember you.

Warm Regards
Tom