OFF THE RECORD #84

Top mares lined up for key matings in new breeding season

There is a buzz in the air for the 2025 thoroughbred breeding season. Across South Africa, breeders are getting their best mares ready to meet some new and established stallions. There are also some exciting new prospects fresh off the racetrack, ready to make their mark in the broodmare barns. The blend of experience and fresh promise keeps this industry ticking, and this season looks full of potential.

We’ve been catching up with some of the leading breeders to find out which stallions will be popular picks, and which mares are ones to watch in the season ahead.

Above: Vercingetorix: In high demand after a stellar season. (Jeremy Nelson/Maine Chance) 

Unsurprisingly, Maine Chance Farms’ Vercingetorix — newly crowned Champion Stallion of South Africa after a phenomenal haul of 23 stakes winners and over R38 million in earnings — is in overwhelming demand. The mighty son of Silvano stands for R300,000, already booked to a full roster of 120 mares. His jam-packed schedule for 2025 includes several service rights and auctioned nominations.

Ross Fuller, stud manager of Maine Chance, commented: “In the last three seasons, breeders have been lining up for Vercingetorix, sending him their top-end mares. The demand has been unbelievable, but 120 is our limit. Our aim is to get all his mares in foal.”

Fuller said that Maine Chance will be using its own full allocation to Vercingetorix this year, which includes the established mare Bella Spumante (dam of Bevvie’s Delight and Boundless Energy) and well-performed race mares off the track in the last few seasons – Kwinta’s Light, Baltic Secret, Trickster, Beating Wings and others.

Across the river from Maine Chance, Ridgemont is looking forward to keeping their current crop of race fillies in training for another year. Their in-demand resident Rafeef will be covering the prolific stakes-winner producer Miss October (Var), the dam of Grade 1 winners Tempting Fate and October Morn. Rafeef’s other guests will include Galileo’s daughter Exotic, the dam of dual Grade 2 winner, Mon Petit Cherie.

Ridgemont’s Icy Winter Air (Western Winter), hit the headlines when her daughter Make It Snappy (Dynasty) captured the 2022 Grade 1 Fillies Guineas and the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes. She will be sent to Vercingetorix, who will also be of service to Wrecking Ball (Great Britain), the dam of unbeaten Grade 1 winner, Direct Hit (Canford Cliffs). “We still need to discuss and finalise the rest of our matings,” said the farm’s Craig Kieswetter.

Just down the road from the two Robertson farms lies Bonnievale’s renowned former champion breeders, Klawervlei Stud, where John Koster has been carefully mapping out his matings of choice in recent weeks. His neighbours can expect some traffic. Cinna’s Ransom (by Red Ransom), dam of the exceptional Captain’s Ransom, is line up for Vercingetorix, as is Thunder Dance (by Jet Master), who returns to the Maine Chance champion after the success of their previous pairing — Vaughan Marshall’s currently unbeaten filly, Ukuduma, being a testament to its promise.

Grade 1 winner, The Secret Is Out, will be on the same float to Vercingetorix and Koster said: “The potent Vercingetorix cross over Captain Al has produced 26% stakes winners.” Also joining the Vercingetorix fan club will be Grade 1 winner Return Flight, by Pomodoro.

Thunder Dance’s 2019 daughter, She’s A Rainbow, will be going to Drakenstein’s One World (Captain Al) and Koster said: “This mating will make the resultant foal inbred to former Broodmare Of The Year, Off To War.”

High-flying Varsfontein Stud, through astute planning from breeder Carl de Vos and his team, have several generations of top-class mares still active in their barn. Among them is Princess Peach (Captain Al), who will be making her second trip to Maine Chance to meet Vercingetorix. Her first visit produced Double Grand Slam, who became Vercingetorix’s first dual Grade 1 winner last season.

Princess Peach’s Grade 1 winning half-sister Sentbydestiny (Master Of My Fate), will lift her tail to champion freshman Erik The Red, who sired Zalatoris, the winner of last Sunday’s Grade 2 Umkhomazi Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville. Also in the queue to Erik The Red is the 18-year-old dame, Justthewayyouare (Fort Wood), the dam of Triple Crown winner Malmoos and current leading filly, Mascherina.

Above: Bela-Bela in the paddock at Varsfontein. (varsfontein.co.za) 

Varsfontein’s multiple Grade 1 winner, Bela-Bela, will visit Vercingetorix for the first time this season. She has already produced a Grade 2 winner from three previous matings with the farm’s own champion sire, Gimmethegreenlight.

Following the success of HWB Durban July hero, The Real Prince, his dam, Real Princess, will be returning to Gimmethegreenlight. ‘Gimme’ will also be of service to My Soul Mate, who won last season’s Grade 3 Caradoc Gold Cup and was retired after a good run at HWB Greyville last Sunday.

My Soul Mate’s dam is Secret Obsession, by Captain Al, and she is still alive and well with Salvator Mundi and Bunker Hunt being others on her list of stakes winners. Secret Obsession will be paying a visit to another Varsfontein resident, Master Of My Fate, third on the National log last season for his fifth successive Top 5 finish.

Also booked for Master Of My Fate is Victorian Secret (Captain Al), a well-performed member of the illustrious Spring Lilac family. Her best so far is Tony Peter’s Listed-winning filly, Golden Sickle (Vercingetorix), a close second to William Robertson in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint.

Varsfontein’s other stallions, second-crop sire Sandringham Summit (Gimmethegreenlight) and freshman Green With Envy (Gimmethegreenlight), will enjoy good support. Sandringham Summit’s mares include Star Express (Silvano), the dam of exported Grade 2 winner, Bless My Stars.

Interestingly Townsend (Captain Al), who produced both Sandringham Summit and another sire, Eden Roc, will be sent to Green With Envy, the 2024 Grade 1 Cape Derby and Daily News winner. He’ll also be covering broodmare royalty in Congestion Charge, the dam of Yulong Prince (Surcharge). “We’re giving Green With Envy the best chances we can, to kickstart his career,” said De Vos.

In Kimberley, Nigel Page is in charge at Mauritzfontein Stud. He reported some lively interest in the farm’s latest resident, Cousin Casey, the former Equus Champion and son of Vercingetorix. Digital Age and Danon Platina have a number of quality mares booked, and the stalwart Ideal World is still active and covering. “He’s been a very good bread-and-butter stallion and still presents good value,” said Page.

Above: Marina: To be covered by Gimmethegreenlight. (Race Coast) 

Among the confirmed matings are five mares booked to Gimmethegreenlight: former top-class galloper Marina (Silvano), the recently retired Sharapova (Querari), Call To Glory (Kingman), a daughter of Cape Met winner Smart Call, Graded winner Maybe Yes (Tiger Ridge) and Laurel Cherry (Ideal World), who enjoyed a good last season with runners Otto Luyken and Radio Star.

Wilgerbosdrift has a contingent of mares who’ll be joining the Mauritzfontein group going to Gimmethegreenlight. They include champion racer Desert Miracle (Dynasty), star mare Espumanti (Dansili), and her daughter, newcomer Champagne Cocktail (Silvano).

Above: Sparkling Water: To Fire Away. (Candiese Lenferna) 

Another daughter of Espumanti is 2022 HWB Durban July winner Sparkling Water, who will be foaling down to Rafeef before visiting the farm’s resident, Fire Away. The son of War Front will also reveal his charms to Welwitschia (Oasis Dream), the dam of Desert Miracle.

Wilgerbosdrift’s Champion broodmare Halfway To Heaven (Jet Master), will be covered for the second time by Vercingetorix, accompanied by dual Oaks winner None Other (Flower Alley), recently retired. Halfway to Heaven, the dam of Rainbow Bridge, Hawwaam, Golden Ducat and Celestial City, has had one previous foal by Vercingetorix. “Halfway To Heaven’s Vercingetorix colt has just turned three and is in training with Andre Nel,” said stud manager, Shane van Zyl.

At Hemel ‘N’ Aarde, David Hepburn Brown has multiple mares going to One World, Master Of My Fate, Green With Envy, Charles Dickens, What A Winter, Real Gone Kid, Jet Dark, Malmoos and Buffalo Bill Cody.

Hemel ‘N’ Aarde, too, have a select band of mares on the list for Vercingetorix, including Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes winners She’s A Keeper (Gimmethegreenlight), and Zarina (Master Of My Fate).

Champion Breeders, Drakenstein Stud, are still in the process of finalising matings and bookings for their eight prized stallions on the Franschoek Farm. Kevin Sommerville of Drakenstein noted that their broodmare band will be boosted this season by several new arrivals including Grade 1 winner Silver Sanctuary, Gold Poker Game, Fatal Gem, Trip To Maputo and Summer Lily.

In Gauteng, Nigel and Kat Riley have secured a few decent mares for their recent imported stallions Gustav Klimt (Galileo) and Morpheus (Oasis Dream). Gustav Klimt’s first book include Grade 2 winner Bold Fortune, Durban July runner-up Zirconeum and the well-performed Tulip Tree. Morpheus (a half-brother to Frankel) will entertain the likes of Kinematic Countess and Count To Ten, both by Count Du Bois.