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Today's Racing :

Dilly racehorse cracks it as a broodmare

David Thiselton
Modern technology has helped many a horse on its path to success in recent years but a mother and daughter who won awards at last Friday night’s KZN Breeders Award are two of a few who possibly owe their lives to a helicopter.
Sweet Shelia, the dam of the KZN Breeder’s Horse of the Year, Zirconeum, was recently described as “dilly” and “untrainable” by her first trainer, Alistair Gordon, and her subsequent trainer was unable to solve her issues either.
Sean Drummond-Hay, who has had a share in Sweet Shelia since the day she was bought in Australia, recalled how on one occasion the filly had bolted into the cane fields near Summerveld and a helicopter had to be hired first to locate her and then to help flush her out. “She was an expensive horse, we had to do something,” recalled Drummond-Hay. Drummond-Hay and part-owners, Warwick and Karen Render of Bush Hill Stud, accepted awards as breeders of Zirconeum and owners of Sweet Shelia at a splendid dine and dance evening held at Providence near Nottingham Road, attended by 160 guests and at which Graeme Hawkins was MC.
Sweet Shelia was named Broodmare of the Year, while Zirconeum, winner of the Grade 1 Woolavington and second in the Vodacom Durban July, was named Horse Of The Year, just as she was at the recent KZN Racing Awards.
Zirconeum also won the Outstanding Stayer Female and Outstanding Three Year Old Filly awards. The biggest cheer of the night, coupled with a spontaneous standing ovation, was reserved for veterinarian Dr Dave Mullins, who won the Anita Akal Industry Award. Mullins was praised for the outstanding contribution he had made to the region’s rise in fortunes in recent times. He has recently been diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing a course of chemotherapy.
Many breeders commented on how sorely Mullins had been missed this breeding season. Just one example of Mullins’ expertise in his field was his recent work with Joshua Dancer, who relocated from the Cape to Avalon Stud in 2006.
Mullins has converted him from an infertile and abandoned stallion into a sire capable of fathering at least 20 foals a season through the use of advanced fertility treatment and ovulation timing techniques.
The Stallion Of The Year was named as Summerhill’s Kahal, who had the likes of Desert Links, Art Of War, Fenerbahce, Noble Heir, Spring Clover, Spiced Gold, Smanjemanje and Smangaliso representing him last season.
Summerhill Stud, National Champion Breeders for the fifth time last season, were named as leading breeders. Summerhill also won the International Achievement Of The Year Award thanks to Imbongi, who won the Group 3 Criterion Stakes at Newmarket in the UK, as well as Outstanding Older Female with Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg winner, Spring Garland, Outstanding Older Male and Outstanding Sprinter Male both with Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship winner Rebel King and Outstanding Male Stayer with Gr 1 Gold Cup winner, Desert Links.
The Outstanding Two Year Old Filly went to Grade 2 Nursery winner, Spring Clover and Outstanding Two Year Old Colt was won by the Margaret Filmer-bred Aim High, who was runner up in the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes.
The Outstanding Sprinter Female was won by the Connington Stud-bred Noble Heir, who was runner up in the Gr 2 Camellia Stakes at Turffontein.
The Outstanding Middle Distance Female and Male awards went to the Rathmore Stud-bred Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic winner, Gypsy’s Warning, and the Fen Tarbitt-bred Gr 2 Midmar winner, Surfin’ USA, respectively.
The Outstanding three-year-old colt was won by the Rodney and Lynn Clarkin-bred Magical, runner up in the SA Derby. The Breeding Achievement Award went to Bush Hill Stud, breeders of Zirconeum. Warwick Render, Chairman of KZN Breeders, likened KZN Breeders fortunes as similar to Jake White’s belief in a young squad he had prepared for World Cup glory and added that the young stallions of the region are already producing big race winners. KZN Breeders were responsible for 71 individual stakes
performers during the 2008-2009 season, including four
Grade 1 winÿ¿O

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