Some of the Cape’s leading breeders came out to view some of the Cape’s leading young stallions at the 2018 Klawervlei Stud Stallion Parade on Thursday.
The stallions were paraded in alphabetical order, with the exception of veteran and former Equus Outstanding Stallion Count Dubois, who was not shown as he had picked up a rash just before the parade.
Captain Al’s Equus Champion, and triple G1 winner, Captain Of All was first in and he made a tremendous first impression, with the champion having let down exceptionally well and the handsome bay looked an absolute picture on the day.
Klawervlei’s Managing Director, John Koster, said of the champion, “He has been exceptionally well supported since retiring to Klawervlei and has covered more than 360 mares in his first three seasons at stud. Trainers who have 2yos by Captain Of All are all positively impressed with their wonderful temperaments and tremendous actions.”
Coup De Grace, the only son of triple US Champion Sire Tapit at stud in South Africa, was another to impress all and sundry. The handsome chestnut, who has really stamped his first foals, oozes class and presence, and as a brilliantly fast multiple graded stakes winning son of a great stallion and half-brother to G1 winning two-year-old Dancing Rags, Coup De Grace, whose broodmare sire Storm Cat is also damsire of top class stallions Speightstown, Lord Kanaloa and Sky Mesa, looks a real asset to the South African stallion band.
South Africa’s Champion First Crop Sire for 2017-2018, Pomodoro, was next to be shown, and the athletic son of seven times champion sire Jet Master was another to catch the eye. A horse with tremendous energy and zest, Pomodoro looked in great heart for a season in which he is set to cover approximately 120 mares. Champion trainer Mike de Kock recently purchased a share in the 2012 July winner, whose first crop G1 Thekwini Stakes winning daughter Return Flight is a leading Equus Award contender.
Sire of 7% stakes horses in his first crop to race, despite covering a very mixed bag of mares, Pomodoro looks to be the next locally bred sire to make good at stud.
A horse who really the caught the eye was the brilliant Red Ray, one of the best horses of his generation. The son of triple champion sire and recently crowned champion broodmare sire Western Winter (also sire of leading young stallion What A Winter) emulated the great sire Jet Master when he won the G1 Mercury Sprint, and the own brother to graded stakes winners Nania, Brutal Force and Bishop’s Bounty could well be the next big stallion in South Africa to emerge from the Gone West male line.
Outstanding US sire and Breeders’ Cup winning champion Uncle Mo will be represented by his high class son Royal Mo at Klawervlei this year. An exceptional talent, Royal Mo downed multiple Graded winner Irap when victorious in the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (a race won previously by top class stallion Pioneerof The Nile), and also ran third to Gormley and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Battle Of Midway in the G1 Santa Anita Derby.
A big, athletic and well balanced horse, Royal Mo has already been fully supported by Heinrich Rix, who has really pledged 25 mares to Royal Mo during his first season.
European Champion and four time G1 winner Twice Over has made a superb start to his stud career and was recently crowned South Africa’s Champion Second Crop Sire for 2017-2018. The dual G1 Champion Stakes winner, whose first crop produced July winning star Do It Again, G1 winning 2yo Sand And Sea and the exciting Winter Derby winner Doublemint, is a real star, and has a superb temperament to match.
One of the most popular young stallions in South Africa, William Longsword is already booked full for 2018. A magnificent specimen, the G1 Cape Guineas/CTS Mile hero covered an exceptional book of mares in 2017, and is again expected to cover some outstanding broodmares in 2018. A son of Klawervlei’s much missed champion sire Captain Al (whose magnificent statute overlooked Thursday’s proceedings), William Longsword is a half-brother to star filly Real Princess, who accounted for five time G1 winner and multiple champion Carry On Alice (by Captain Al) when victorious in the 2016G1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint.
With an exciting array of promising and proven stallions in their barn, the future looks bright indeed for Klawervlei and the farm’s many loyal supporters!