WALTZING MATILDA AND ALL THAT

Left to Right : Lot 240 Rio Carnival, Lot 333 Maak ‘n Plan, Lot 557 Up Above
(Photos : Summerhill Stud)

(Please click photos to enlarge… )

EMPERORS PALACE NATIONAL YEARLING SALE
23, 25, 26 APRIL 2010

A couple of weeks back, blog watchers read our pieces following the Gauteng Colts and Fillies Guineas, and the SA Classic, on our triumphs over Australia. These “test matches” are the best means South Africans get to establish our breeding merit, and because they’ve been so good in the past, beating the Ozzies is always an accomplishment.

It’s been our practice in the last several years, to import specially selected youngsters from Australia for inclusion in our National, and in particular, our Ready To Run drafts. We say “in particular” for the latter, because of the need to introduce an element of variety firstly for the sale itself, and then hopefully, into the R1.5million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup, staged a year later.

Till now, the Ozzies haven’t fared that well, though several of them have made the cut for the big race. This time around though, we bit off a good chunk of the best Australia had to offer, and the past fortnight has revealed two potential superstars for Charles Laird and Markus and Ingrid Jooste, in Hiss Affadavit (by Hussonet) and Hollywoodboulevard (by Street Cry). Hiss Affadavit was one of the season’s easiest juvenile colt winners on debut, easing down by 5.5 lengths on his first visit to the course. And then, at the Vaal yesterday Hollywoodboulevard trotted up by eight lengths under a hand ride from champion jockey, Anton Marcus, who promptly got off and said, “she needs further!”

Coupled with Hussonet’s impressive Juvenile Stakes winner, Sky Link, in the Somerset 1200 on Saturday, and the exploits of Hiss Affadavit, there’ll be many who’ll be visiting us at Block A next week to look at Lot 240, Rio Carnival, (also by Hussonet), and while they’re there, they’ll have a few other Ozzies to fix their gazes upon. 

Just last week, a daughter of Fusaichi Pegasus made R10million at the Sydney Easter Sale (she wasn’t alone among the Fusaichi Pegasuses to make good money,) and you can save yourself the trip to Sydney with Lot 557, Up Above. Elusive Quality is the sire of the great American racehorse Smarty Jones and this season’s multiple Grade 1 winner, Quality Road. He has a son, Lot 333 Maak ‘n Plan, who’s enough to lure any discerning buyer to the yard, though Mike de Kock will tell you that in Elusive Quality’s champion daughter, Raihana, he has something special as well.

They’re all there, at the top of Block A, and so are the beverages. See you there.

For more information please visit :
www.summerhill.co.za