Are you ready for 2 July? | Credit:
SEE YOU AT SUNCOAST!
Graduates of the always popular BSA KZN Yearling Sale have enjoyed a great deal of success of late, with current and recent stars of the sale including graded stakes winners Just Reckless, Querari Dancer, Quickstepgal, and champion Quid Pro Quo.
This year’s KZN Yearling Sale is set to take place at the Suncoast Casino in Durban on Thursday, July 2nd.
Many of South Africa’s top stallions will be well represented at this year’s sale, with such sires as Act Of War, Buffalo Bill Cody, Fire Away, Futura, Legislate, Master Of My Fate, One World, Querari, Rafeef, The United States, Vercingetorix and What A Winter, all having at least one yearling on offer.
Please click here to read our lot-lot-lot snapshot.
Candiese Lenferna
BSA KZN YEARLING SALE
THURSDAY 2 JULY 2026 AT 10H00 – SUNCOAST CASINO, DURBAN, KZN
THANKS TO OUR ADVERTISERS
Aldora Stud
Ascot Stud
Blue Sky Thoroughbreds
Boland Stud
Bush Hill Stud
BSA
Camargue Stud
Freeman Stallions
Hadlow Stud
Kuda
KZN Breeders
Macrath Farm
Riverton Stud
Sandown Stud
Summerview Stud
On the cover Aerial view of Suncoast complex, Durban
YOUR GUIDE TO GOLD
The Raceform Buyer’s Guide is an amazing, detailed summary of dam and siblings of Bloodstock SA KZN Yearling Sale yearlings.
It gives insight as to what to expect of the youngsters in terms of class, stamina, aptitude,
racing performance and sale price. The sale will be held on Thursday 2 July –there is plenty of time to do some studying.
Please click here to read this handy buyer’s tool.
RIVERTON’S FAMOUS FIVE
Riverton Stud, the breeders of such high-class horses as Captain Of All, Astrix, Pearl Of Asia and Domino Man, continue to come up with high-class performers.
Riverton bred this season’s Listed Southeaster Sprint winner and Gr3 Champagne Stakes runnerup The US Of A, and the Robertson farm also bred and raised the very smart Magma Magic. The latter has won three of his last four starts.
Riverton Stud will be offering five high-class yearlings at the 2026 KZN Yearling Sale, with this string made up of lots sired by the Riverton-bred champion Captain Of All, as well as the likes of Danon Platina, Real Gone Kid, Soqrat, and the very much inform What A Winter. Duncan Barry had the following comments to make about his KZN Sale draft:
Lot 29: c Soqrat - I’m Serious
By a triple Gr1 winner, and Equus Champion, this colt is out of a full-sister to champion sprinter and successful sire Captain Of All. He is a big, strong, well-made colt with a strong quarter.
Lot 68: c Captain Of All - Neurose
By the sire of Gr1 winners Fiery Pegasus and Linebacker, this colt is a full-brother to two winners
and half-brother to the stakes placed Great Shaka. A beautifully balanced colt! High quality and a great walker.
Lot 100: f Real Gone Kid - Senorita Al
By one of South Africa’s Leading First Season Sires this season, and from the family of current star Questioning, this filly is a half-sister to Gr3 Umkhomazi Stakes/KZN Yearling Sale Million winner Al Mariachi. She is a racy, athletic filly with a good walk.
Lot 103: f Danon Platina - Seventh Heart
From the family of current star performers Splittheeights, Stormwatch and William Robertson, this filly is a daughter of Japanese champion Danon Platina. This is a big, scopey, good walking and racy filly.
Lot 194: c What A Winter - Durban Bourbon
This colt shares his sire with current stars Asiye Phambili and Get Up, among others, and hails from the same family as Gr1 winners Bilateral, Little Miss Magic, Lucky Lad and VJ’s Angel. He is a big, strong, well-made, great walking colt!
This draft can be found in Block D at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
Riverton boss Duncan Barry and trainer Robbie Hill at a past KZN Yearling Sale | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
SENSATIONAL SANDOWN
Sandown Stud continues to churn out good winners all over South Africa, with the farm’s current flagbearers including smart performers Rodeo Drive and Royal Invitation.
High-class four-year-old Rodeo Drive has earned more than R1.1 million with her victories including this season’s Gr2 Mike De Kock Ipi Tombe Challenge, while the durable Royal Invitation won all of the Listed TAB Spook Express Stakes, World Sports Betting Highland Night Cup and Racing240 Sun Chariot Handicap this season.
Sandown will be offering yearlings sired by the likes of Digital Age, Erik The Red, Hawwaam, and resident sires Pathfork and Soqrat at this year’s
KZN Yearling Sale. A notable feature of this draft, however, is the quality of broodmare represented.
Redoute’s Choice mare Shaama, runner up in the Gr1 SA Nursery, has produced three winners, thus far, led by SplashOut Gr3 Victress Stakes winner Saartjie. She is represented here by a filly (Lot 104) by Hawwaam, with the latter’s two-year-olds making a big impression this season.
Another Redoute’s Choice daughter, Musaanada, is the dam of three winners, notably 4Racing Gr3 Sea Cottage Stakes winner, and Highveld Winter Series hero, Choisaanada, and she is represented here by a colt (Lot 65) sired by Sandown’s resident sire Soqrat.
Sandown serenity | Credit: Supplied
Tinus and Liz Gericke | Credit: Supplied
BLUE SKY LEADING KZN’S BREEDING REVIVAL
Blue Sky Thoroughbreds has wasted little time making its presence felt. In just four seasons, the unassuming partnership of retired mining engineer Tinus Gericke and seasoned horseman Bruce Le Roux has risen to seventh on the National Breeders’ Log, a remarkable achievement among the country’s 360 active breeders.
The figures behind that ascent are equally impressive: 38 winners from just 84 runners, earnings exceeding R7.5-million and three Blue Sky graduates among the final 29 entries for the 2026 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
High-class graded performers Legal Counsel, Minogue and Copper Eagle have carried the Blue Sky banner with distinction.
Their exploits have added a new chapter to the history of the Mooi River property that was formerly home to Craig Ramsay’s Golden Acres and later Koos de Klerk’s Yellow Star Stud.
Rustenburg-born Gericke, who now resides in
Umhlanga with his wife, Liz, said the name ‘Blue Sky’ embodies the philosophy upon which the operation was built.
“It’s about looking for opportunities rather than constraints, strategic planning and constant improvement,” he explained. “Those are the principles on which Blue Sky was founded.”
Gericke, who manages the finances and administration of Blue Sky with the assistance of Ange Schoeman, is pleased to be within easy driving distance of the farm. His career in the mining industry instilled a strong sense of purpose, urgency and attention to detail, qualities that have served him well in the thoroughbred breeding business.
“The Blue Sky project really came about unexpectedly, but once we decided to take it on as a team, we committed ourselves to giving it our best shot,” he said. “I’ve always believed that whatever you choose to do, you should do to the best of your ability.”
Gericke credits his wife, Liz, as the driving force
behind what visitors to Blue Sky have described as “a wonderful facelift”.
“Liz is a successful property developer in her own right, and she knew what we had to do,” he said.
“She still travels to Rustenburg every few weeks to run her business interests in the North West. She’s not one for sitting still.”
Gericke said the first priority was to give the property a comprehensive clean-up and refurbishment, rather than simply applying a coat of paint.
Particular attention was paid to the farm’s 100 stables, while the reception and convention facilities were upgraded to ensure visitors feel comfortable and welcome.
Click on the image below to read the full story…
Double Superlative, one of three resident stallions | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
TRUE-BLUE CLASS!
Just a matter of a weeks ago, the Blue Sky Thoroughbreds -bred Prayersandpromises romped home to win the Highveld Winter Juvenile Stakes, while 24 hours earlier the Blue Sky bred Legal Counsel was beaten just a short-head when second behind Questioning in the Hollywoodbets Gr1 Gold Challenge.
Blue Sky will be offering an exceptionally highclass draft at the upcoming KZN Yearling Sale. This consignment is not only about quantity but also quality, with the Blue Sky string including yearlings sired by the likes of Act Of War, Chimichuri Run, Digital Age, Eden Roc, Erik The Red, Malmoos and What A Winter.
The latter, who recently enjoyed a big-race double thanks to his daughters Get Up and Asiye Phambili, is the sire of Russian Fox (Lot 165) , a half-brother to the smart performers Nikiya and Russian Roll.
What A Winter’s classy daughter Winter Sun is represented in this draft by an Eden Roc filly (Lot 146) , hailing from one of the best families in the studbook. Var’s Gr1 winning son Eden Roc is also represented in this draft by a filly (Lot 136) out of Gr3 Sycamore Sprint queen Tropic Sun, and closely inbred to champion sire Captain Al.
Other attractive yearlings residing in Blue Sky’s KZN Sale draft include the Digital Age colt (Lot 38) out of a five time winning daughter of Kahal, the Malmoos colt (Lot 85) , whose twice winning dam is a half-sister to a Gr1 winner in Argentina, and the Act Of War colt (Lot 94) out of a dual stakes winning daughter of Jet Master.
Blue Sky Thoroughbreds will also be offering, on behalf of Gerald Kalil, Setmysightonu (Lot 28) , an Act Of War colt from the family of champion Circle Of Life and fellow Gr1 winners African Lion, Deo Juvente, Tecla Bluff and Zebra Crossing.
This draft can be found in Blocks B and C at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
The Hadlow front row! | Credit: Supplied
HADLOW IN THE
PURPLE!
Their promising young stallion Purple Pitcher, a R170 000 buy from the 2022 KZN Yearling Sale, is set to be represented by his first foals this season. A son of the much missed New Predator, Purple Pitcher was a top-class performer, who won both the TAB Gr1 SA Classic and TAB Gr1 SA Derby in 2024, and he retired to Hadlow having earned more than R4.153 million in prize money.
Hadlow will be offering some choicely bred yearlings at the upcoming KZN Yearling Sale, an auction that the farm has supported consistently over the years. In 2026, the Martins will be bringing forward a string made up of yearlings sired by Act Of War, Chimichuri Run, Declarationofpeace, Digital Age, Eden Roc, Malmoos, Master Archie, and Willow Magic.
One lot bound to attract attention is Rikka (Lot 31), a filly from the first crop of G1 Computaform Sprint winner Master Archie. This filly, who has plenty of paddock value, is a half-sister to none other than this season’s Ridgemont Gr3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery winner Red Spice.
Cape Guineas winner Act Of War has had another good season in 2025-2026, with his flagbearers including Gr1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic winner Hazy Dazy. The son of Dynasty has two fillies on offer, a filly (Lot 10) out of a six time winning relative of dual G1 winner Forest Path, and
The Woman King (Lot 157). The latter, a half-sister to two winners, is out of a twice winning daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and is from the family of such stars as Champagne and St Reims among others.
US Gr1 winner Digital Age looks an exciting addition to the South African stallion band, and he is represented here by Ay Eye (Lot 60), a filly out of a useful daughter of Vercingetorix, and Bells Beach (Lot 122), a half-sister to four winners sired by four different stallions.
Other exciting yearlings to be found here include The Silver Star (Lot 115), a filly by Malmoos out of a four-time winning daughter of Silvano, and Gremolata (Lot 173), a Chimichuri Run half-sister to the classy filly Limitless Sky.
This draft can be viewed in Blocks B and C at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
60 YEARS ON ASCOT A SOURCE OF QUALITY
Established in 1966, Ascot Stud has long been renowned as a source of top-class thoroughbreds. Among the top horses to have emerged from Ascot’s paddocks over the years are champions such as Rock Opera and Warning Zone, as well as the likes of Coral Fever, Elusive Gold, and Pacific Trader.
Ascot will be offering six well bred yearlings at this year’s KZN Yearling Sale, with their draft including youngsters by resident sires Global View and Heavenly Blue, as well as the likes of Digital Age, Erik The Red and Fire Away.
Dr Ashley Parker is pleased with the draft he is bringing to KwaZulu-Natal and had the following comments to make about his yearlings:
Lot 9: Fire Zone f Fire Away - Flight Zone
Fire Zone is a scopey, well made filly out of a six time winning Jet Master half-sister to Champion and July winner, Bold Silvano.
Lot 18: Global Patrol f Global View - Global Trade
This is a good-quartered, powerful filly who is a half-sister to exciting, facile two-year-old winner Global Thriller.
Lot 35: Java Tech c Digital Age - Java House
He is a strong, powerful colt out of a half-sister to Betway Gr1 Summer Cup winner Mocha Blend and Gr2 winner Barahin, the family of Hunting Tower.
Lot 42: Red Desire f Erik The Red - Lady Of Choice
Red Desire is an athletic, scopey filly out of a half-sister to Gr3 winner Silvan Star, family of July winner Bold Silvano.
Lot 46: Light Step c Fire Away - Light On Her Toes
This is a flashy, good-looking and strong colt out of a stakes placed mare, whose dam won the Gr1 Allan Robertson. This is the family of Champion Broodmare Pretty Falcon.
Lot 144: Widow’s Joy f Heavenly BlueWidow’s Lamp
She is a racy filly out of Oaks winner Widows Lamp who is a half -sister to Norton Sound, the family of champion National Bay.
This draft can be found in Block D at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
CAN WE FIND ANOTHER JAN?
In 2024 Boland Stud sold a Master Of My Fate colt for R600 000 at the KZN Yearling Sale. Subsequently named Jan Van Goyen, the bay won three of his first four starts culminating in a triumph in the World Pool Moment Of The Day Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes. Jan Van Goyen, named Equus Champion 2YO Colt of 2024-2025, went on to record an emphatic victory in this season’s Hollywoodbets Gr1 Cape Guineas.
Boland Stud will be offering another highclass draft at this year’s KZN Sale, with this consignment including yearlings sired by popular stallions like Legislate, One World, Rafeef, and Vercingetorix.
Lot 15: f Vercingetorix - Garden Tea Party
By reigning champion sire Vercingetorix, this half-sister to three winners is out of a winning full-sister to Gr3 Jubilee Handicap runner-up Rainy Day Blues and to Betting World Gr2 1900 hero Solid Speed.
Lot 20: f Rafeef - Golden Earrings
By the same sire as recent Gr1 Gold Medallion winner Haute Couture, this filly is out of a fullsister to the dam of East Cape stars My Best Shot, Questor and Danish Dynamite.
Lot 26: f One World - Hidden Thought
This filly, who shares her sire with such standouts as One Stripe and Rich Man’s World, is a half-sister to the classy filly Buttercup Baby, from the family of champion filly Imperious Star.
Lot 73: f Hawwaam - On Captain’s Side
A daughter of five-time Gr1 winner, and Equus Champion, Hawwaam, this filly is a half-sister to this season’s promising two-year-old First Officer.
Lot 77: c One World - Perfect Tigress
Out of G2 Joburg Spring F & M Challenge third Perfect Tigress, this colt is from the family of classy sprinter Big Sky Country and stakes winning stayer Odd Rob.
Lot 167: c Rafeef - Bebop
By one of South Africa’s best stallions, this colt is out of a winning What A Winter half-sister to July winning champion Heavy Metal.
Lot 178: f Legislate - Captive Gold
This filly shares her sire with current star performers Legal Counsel and Wish List, and her dam is a half-sister to four stakes winners led by Gr1 Cape Guineas winner Elusive Gold. Boland will also be offering, as agent, the following yearlings at this year’s KZN Sale:
Lot 59: f Jet Dark - Meghan
By a five-time Gr1 winner and multiple Equus Champion, this filly is out of a winning halfsister to the G1 winning sires Eden Roc and Sandringham Summit.
Lot 76: c One World -Pelican Point
Out of a four- time winning daughter of Jet Master, this colt is a half-brother to 5 winners, including Listed Dahlia Plate second Turbo.
Lot 83: f Querari -Purple Merchant
By the same sire as recent Gr1 winners Questioning and Star Major, this filly is out of a stakes placed daughter of champion sire Trippi.
Lot
92:
Royal Silver f Danon Platina - Royal Trip
Royal Silver, a daughter of Japanese champion Danon Platina, is a half-sister to three winners including this season’s Listed Ibhayi Stakes runner up Royal Kingdom.
Lot 95: Dreamoutloud f Real Gone Kid - Rush Hour Girl
This filly is by one of South Africa’s leading first season sires and her stakes placed dam is a half-sister to Winter Solstice Listed Stormsvlei Stakes winner Eva Eileen.
Lot
163:
f Querari - Barbara Anne
By the same sire as Gr1 winning fillies Bavarian Beauty and Querari Falcon, this filly hails from the same female line as outstanding half-sisters Captain’s Lover and Ebony Flyer.
Lot 164: f Hawwaam
- Bargeme
A full-sister to a winner, this half-sister to the stakes placed Miss Platina is out of a twice winning Var half-sister to Klawervlei Gr1 Majorca Stakes winner Nightingale- sired, like Hawwaam, by Silvano.
Lot 177: c Rafeef
- Captain’s Wish
By one of South Africa’s top stallions, this colt is out of a mare by Captain Al and his third dam was second in the G1 The Oaks.
Lot 179: f Digital Age
- Carbonado
By a Gr1 winning son of outstanding sire Invincible Spirit, this filly is out of a four time winning daughter of Querari.
This draft can be found in Blocks F and G at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
SWEET…LIKE CANDY!
There is no doubt that Ronnie’s Candy was a top-class performer. The daughter of King Of Kings won or placed in 15 of her 20 starts, while earning more than R1,137 million in prize money.
Ronnie’s Candy won no fewer than four graded stakes during her career, led by the HSH Princess Charlene Gr1 Empress Club Stakes. In that contest, Ronnie’s Candy accounted for high-class graded stakes winners Vistula, Queen Supreme, Saragon, Mill Queen, and Running Brave.
Aldora Stud will be offering a close relative of this wonderful mare at the KZN Yearling Sale this year.
Keen Jim (Lot 14), a colt from the first crop of Gr1 Gold Medallion winner Eden Roc, is out of twice winning King Of Kings mare Franking, a full-sister to Ronnie’s Candy. In turn, Franking’s dam Bennie And The Jets, a daughter of Jet Master, won three and ran second in the Gr3 Jacaranda Handicap.
Jill Fox likes what she sees in Keen Jim, and says, “This is a big colt with a lot of quality.”
Top class Ronnie’s Candy wins the Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge in 2019 Credit: Candiese Lenferna
SUMMERVIEW’S FAB FAIRER SEX QUARTET
Colleen and Gary de Klerk’s Summerview Stud will be offering buyers the chance to buy a filly sired by a top-class Gr1 winner at this year’s KZN Yearling Sale. The farm will be bringing four classy fillies to the Durban auction, with their quartet made up of daughters of Chimichuri Run, Danon Platina and Eden Roc.
Understandably, Colleen De Klerk is proud of her draft, and she had the following comments to make about the four fillies:
Lot 57: Luminescent f Chimichuri RunMaster Keys
A quality, athletic filly from the family of the stakes-performed Master Keys, placed at both Grade 2 and Grade 3 level. Well-made with good balance and scope, she is an attractive representative of her sire Chimichuri Run.
Lot 74: East Of Eden f Eden Roc - Over The Anvil
A well grown, scopey filly from a highly productive family. Out of Over The Anvil, the dam of multiple winners including black-type winner Green Lantern, she is an attractive daughter of Eden Roc with plenty of quality and scope.
Lot 124: Beautiful Sound f Danon PlatinaSweet
The Sound
A very correct and attractive filly from a family that knows how to perform on the track. She is out of Sweet The Sound, a half-sister to the durable and talented eight-time winner Joy And Peace. A quality well balanced individual with plenty of presence, she is an appealing daughter of Danon Platina. She represents an appealing combination of performance pedigree and athleticism, making her an attractive prospect for both racing and future breeding purposes.
Lot 134: Above And Beyond f Chimichuri Run - Transcend
A strong, well-balanced filly by Chimichuri Run out of the Dynasty mare Transcend, whose first two runners are both winners, giving her an outstanding 100% winners-to-runners record to date. A correct and athletic individual with plenty of substance and quality, she combines a proven female family with an appealing physique.
This draft can be found in Block A at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
CAMARGUE’S SUPER SIX
Camargue Stud will be offering a well-balanced and attractive string at this year’s KZN Yearling Sale.
All six of Camargue’s yearlings were sired by stallions who have had at least one graded stakes winner this season, with their draft made up of the progeny of Act Of War, Declarationofpeace and Master Of My Fate.
Master Of My Fate, whose flagbearers this season include Anotherdanceforme, Aladdin’s Lamp, Atticus Finch and Jet Force, is represented by a filly (Lot 11) bred on the same cross as recent TAB Gr3 Jubilee Stakes winner Aladdin’s Lamp. This filly is out of a winning full-sister to the stakes winning Maleficent and Gr1 SA Derby second, Rocketball.
Declarationofpeace, whose progeny include this season’s TAB Gr2 SA Nursery hero Better
Never Ends, has two lots on offer, including a full-sister (Lot 22) to the very smart Golden Operator, and this filly’s dam is a winning halfsister to Vodacom Durban July winner and successful sire, Pomodoro.
Act Of War, the sire of Gr1 winners Battle Force, Hazy Dazy, and War Of Athena, is represented by three yearlings in Camargue’s KZN Sale draft. His trio includes a three-parts brother (Lot 64) to Listed Stormsvlei Stakes winner Future Girl, and a filly (Lot 117) out of a stakes-placed winner of five.
This draft can be found in Block A at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
BUSH HILL A TOP RECORD
Bush Hill Stud are no strangers to enjoying success at the KZN Yearling Sale, and one of the farm’s greatest success stories came at the 2022 KZN Sale.
That sale saw the Bush Hill Stud consigned Purple Pitcher fetch R170 000, with this proving one of the great bargain buys in recent times.
Now standing at Hadlow Stud, Purple Pitcher, who earned more than R4.153 million, proved a star on the turf, winning all of the TAB Gr1 SA Classic, TAB Gr1 SA Derby, and Jonsson Workwear G2 Dingaans.
Bush Hill Stud will be offering a pair of well-bred colts, both hailing from the first crop of Gr1 Gold Medallion/Gr2 Post Merchants winner Eden Roc, at the 2026 KZN Yearling Sale.
Bush Hill believes firmly in the prospects of Eden Roc, saying, “he is a stallion we feel offers much of what any racing person would be looking for and his
first crop seems to have plenty be excited about.” Warwick Render had the following comments to make about these two colts:
Lot 17: Unsinkable Sam c Eden Roc -Ghost Ship
He is a is a grey colt from the family that produced Wolf Whistle, among a host of stakes winners. He is a correct, balanced and athletic colt.
Lot 128: Bungalow Joe c Eden Roc -The Bungalow
This colt is out of a daughter of Captain Al from the impeccable National Colour, Mustaaqeem, Rafeef family. A pedigree packed with speed by a speedy son of Var he looks exactly as he should - good size and substance with a great quarter.
These two colts can be found in Block B at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
Bush Hill’s big earner Purple Pitcher | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
