Drakenstein Stud lost an exceptional broodmare when their Shirley Heights daughter Mountains Of Mist died last week from old age.
The blue blooded mare (she was a direct descendant of tap-root mare Kittiwake) was 25 years old and leaves behind a global legacy.
By an exceptional broodmare sire in Shirley Heights, Mountains Of Mist was produced by Seattle’s Slew’s G1 Coronation Stakes winning daughter Magic Of Life.
Other notable members of this family include 2000 Guineas hero Dawn Approach (now a leading young sire), G1 Spinster Stakes winner Aruna, G1 Prix Jean Prat hero Kitwood (sire of SA star Paraca) and multiple G1 winner Miss Oceana.
This is also the family of 2017 G1 Sword Dancer Stakes winner Sadler’s Joy.
Mountains Of Mist won once for her original owners, the Niarchos family, but it was at stud that she really made her mark. She produced three major stakes winners, with her best offspring including the stakes winning Fasliyev mare Misty Heights and G3 Dance Smartly Handicap heroine Madeira Mist (a daughter of Grand Lodge who also won the Endeavour Stakes, Quill Stakes and Good Intentions Stakes). Madeira Mist has since gone on to make her own mark at stud, as the dam of triple G1 Canadian International Stakes winner and sire Joshua Tree –who earned in excess of $3.8 million on the racetrack.
However, it was in South Africa, that Mountains Of Mist produced her star performer –when mated to Trippi she produced the brilliant filly Inara, one of the best members of a vintage crop of fillies. The ever game Inara is one of the few horses ever to win G1 races in the Western Cape, Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal, with her eight victories including five at G1 level. Among Inara’s wins were back to back scores in the G1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes, the G1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes, G1 Empress Club Stakes and G1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes.
In total, the Mike Bass trained filly won or placed in 16 of her 20 outings and earned over R3.9 million in stakes, despite competing against such standout fillies as Majmu, Smart Call, Same Jurisdiction, and Cold As Ice.
Mountains Of Mist produced R1 050 000 yearling buy Mussoorie, a full brother to Inara. Held in high regard by connections, Mussoorie (who downed subsequent Derby runner up Dynamic when winning his maiden) won or placed in all four starts before his untimely death.
Another of Mountains Of Mist’s foals is the five time winning Caesour mare Bella Nero, whose first foal Tyrandeus ran second first time out.
Inara, whose own sister Inanna was runner up in the Listed Breeders Guineas, has a lovely Duke Of Marmalade filly at foot and hopefully she can continue the wonderful success enjoyed by Mountains Of Mist herself.