Earlier in the year our own Ian Tapp visited South Africa (read about his travels here) and just in time for the start of the Southern Hemisphere breeding season, 47 stallions associated with the Cape Breeders Club in South Africa have joined TrueNicks. Obviously there isn't room to do justice to all of them here, but we can note the presence of some local standouts as well as some individuals that are well known internationally from their racing careers.
Silvano was a multiple group winner in his native Germany and captured major events in the U.S., Hong Kong, and Singapore. At stud he's sired last year's Deutsches Derby (German Derby, Ger-I) winner Lucky Speed, as well as a dozen South African group I scorers. Silvano stands at Maine Chance Farm, which is also home to another who has clocked up more than his share of air miles in Storm Cat son Black Minnaloushe, an Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-I) victor, who has sired group I winners in South Africa, New Zealand, and the U.S.
Captain Al, who is by Al Mufti, a Roberto son from the family of A.P. Indy, is a homegrown hero. The classic-winning miler has turned into a record-breaking sire and already has eight group I winner to his name. Captain Al also had the honor of being the first South African-based sire to be represented by a group winner in Europe when his daughter Captain's Lover took the Prix du Pin (Fr-III) at Longchamp. With these achievements under his belt, it's not surprising that Captain Al is the headliner at Klawervlei Stud, who have a total of nine horses on TrueNicks, the others including A.P. Indy's grandson Jay Peg; Rock of Gibraltar's son Seventh Rock, a group I sire with his first crop this season; and European champion Twice Over (by Observatory).
Highlands Stud Farm have six horses listed including Dynasty, a Horse of the Year by the now semi-retired champion sire Fort Wood (by Sadler's Wells). Dynasty is seconded by his three-time group I-winning son Jackson, and among other Highlands residents are Irish champion 2-year-old Pathfork (by Distorted Humor) and freshman success Antonius Pius, a European-raced son of Danzig.
Drakenstein Stud are represented by a quintet that include Danehill's European champion older horse Duke of Marmalade, the leading European second-season sire by stakes winners; one-time Florida resident Trippi, a son of End Sweep who already has South African group I winners For The Las and Afrikaburn to his credit; and Philanthropist (by Kris S.), whose first Canadian-sired crop included grade I-winning sprinter Phil's Dream and Canadian classic scorer Pender Harbour.
Another with Canadian connections is A.P. Indy's son Marchfield, twice champion older horse in that country. Marchfield stands at Moutonshoek Farm alongside the Kingmambo horse Mambo in Seattle, who is out of a three-quarter sister to A.P. Indy. The A.P. Indy connection is also in evidence at Varsfontein Stud through his son Judpot, out of the great mare Miesque and recipient of the 2013 Equus Outstanding Stallion Achievement Award. He stands alongside More Than Ready's Queen's Plate victor Gimmethegreenlight and Master of My Fate, a multiple group-winning son of the sensational Jet Master.
At Avontuur Estate we find a dynamic duo in the shape of Var and Oratorio. Var, a son of Forest Wildcat, captured Europe's top five-furlong event, the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (Fr-I) and has developed into one of South Africa's top sires with 15 group winners and seven group I winners to date. Danehill stallion Oratorio has already sired group I winners in five different countries and looks a welcome addition to the sire ranks in South Africa.
Other farms to have signed up as part of the Cape Breeders' group are Ascot Stud, home to the Durban July (SAf-I) winner Bold Silvano, by Silvano, and Sail From Seattle, by Gone West out of a half sister to Smart Strike; Cheveley Stud, who stand champion 2-year-old Argonaut, by Gone West's champion sire son Western Winter; Druk my Niet, where we find Giant's Causeway's brother Tiger Dance; Gary Player Stud, which stands Noodhoek Flyer, a Cape Guineas (SAf-I) winner by Pivotal; Hemel 'n Aaarde Stud, who stand the young group-winning sprinter Rock of Rochelle, who is by Rock of Gibraltar from the immediate family of Dynaformer; Klipdrfit Farm, who offer the Danzig stallion Alado and Fort Wood's son Elusive Fort; Mauritzfontein, famed as the home of Fort Wood, who is now only in private service, but who also stand champion French older horse Byword, by Peintre Celebre, and Ideal World, a stakes-winning son of Kingmambo and Banks Hill; Oldlands, who stand another Gone West representative in Indigo Magic and the U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-III) winner Stagelight, by Montjeu; Rosedene, whose sole sire is champion 3-year-old Greys Inn, a son of multiple champion New Zealand sire Zabeel; Sandown, who stand group stakes siring Kingmambo son Ashaawes; Southford, who have Lateral, a son of Singspiel who was a champion in Germany and Italy and is the sire of recent Golden Slipper (SAf-I) winner Bilateral, and Main Aim, a group-winning son of Oasis Dream; and The Alchemy, home of Where's That Tiger, who is by Storm Cat out of a sister to Fusaichi Pegasus.
To view a full list of the Cape Breeders Club stallions that are now available, please click here.
