Muhtafal, a strapping chestnut owned by Sheik Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Shadwell, was the last son of Mr Prospector to stand at stud in South Africa and the most successful in the Southern Hemisphere.

His best progeny included Paris Perfect who finished third in the Gr1 Dubai World Cup, along with Gr 1 winners Outcome, Disappear and Lets Rock ‘n Roll as well as Gr 2 winners Fair Brutus, Veiled Essence, Thunder Key, Arabian Mist, First Again and Here Comes Billy.

Muhtafal will always be remembered for his good looks, powerful physique and the speed he put into his progeny.

However, Paris Pefect’s Dubai World Cup third-place, Outcome’s win in the Gr 1 Garden Province Stakes and Veiled Essence’s win in the Gold Circle Derby over 2400m proved that he was not just about pure speed and could also pass on class.

His home for many years in South Africa was Summerhill Stud, whom he helped win nine consecutive National Breeder’s Championship titles. Summerhill’s owner Mick Goss once famously said, “If I had to go to war I would take Muhtafal.”

Greg Muir has been the long time stallion manager at Summerhill Stud and believed that had Muhtafal not been injured as a two-year-old he might never have made it to South Africa, for he could still have been anything as a three-year-old.

He only had three starts and set two track records over 1200m, including at Keeneland. In his third and last start in a Gr 3 he held the lead over the top class Mr Greeley for almost a mile before injury struck, ending a very promising racing career. Mr Greeley went on to become a sire of international repute.

Muhtafal only covered about 14 mares in his first season in the USA and when first arriving at Sumerhill they were horrified to discover that it took him an average of between two to two-and-a-half hours to cover each mare. It is a tribute to Summerhill and Muir’s dedication that Muhtafal covered books of close to 70 mares in his busiest seasons. They tried a number of tactics to overcome his fussy covering habits, including taking him into the more natural environment of a paddock and they also moved his stable block in amongst the mares to create a herd atmosphere.

However, Muir believed that his fussiness was due to him being more “naturally inclined” in a world where consideration for a thoroughbred’s stallion’s whims are not often considered.

He said, “The smell of estrogen is what attracts a stallion to a mare in the wild and I personally believe that if it didn’t smell right Muhtafal was not going to cover. On some occasions he took as little as ten minutes to cover. In the end if he had not covered within 20 minutes we would send the mare back to the vet to be rechecked.”

Muir added that despite all of his problems, he was very fertile and had a high strike rate of getting his mares in foal.

Muhtafal was a gentleman by nature and doted upon the lady who took care of him at Summerhill, Ollie Duda. His loveable character made him a favourite among most of the other staff.

Muir said that he was typical of a Mr Prospector sire in that he “toed out” on one leg.

However, he added, “There is nothing like a horse to put dirt on your face. A lot of horses are badly conformed but learn to run and will always surprise you. Muhtafal was well bred and had the attributes as a racehorse to make it as a sire.”

Muhtafal spent his latter years at Bruce and Delia le Roux’s Spring Valley Stud. Le Roux retired him last season after just one cover as it had become obvious that he was battling to perform, which caused him much frustration.

After over a year off in the paddocks, his health deteriorated and on top of his aches and pains he suffered a number of “niggling colics.” He had also begun to not want to eat his special diet. His quality of life had become such that eventually a humane decision had to be made.

Richard Lancaster, Shadwell’s Stud Director commented: “It is always sad to lose a stallion, especially one so well loved and influential as Muhtafal. On behalf of Shadwell, I would like to thank the KZN Breeders for their continued support and of course, Bruce and Delia le Roux for their excellent management of Muhtafal in both his professional and retired life”.

Bruce le Roux said, “It was an honour and pleasure to stand Muhtafal for the last few years, rest in peace, Muht.”

Picture supplied by: Sportingpost.co.za

Part of a monstrous five-win haul on the afternoon for Size, Thunder Fantasy’s 23-1 upset over Redkirk Warrior (Joao Moreira) in a desperate finish was the trainer’s third win in the race.

Only Ambitious Dragon and Designs On Rome have collected the Classic Cup on the way to winning the Derby, the race has been a shaky pointer to the Derby winner and this year’s renewal promised more of the same.

For Teetan, the Classic Cup win was his first Hong Kong Group One win and a turnaround in a season which has utterly failed to mirror his great debut year in 2013-14, with the Mauritian winning just his 16th race yesterday.

“A big thank you to Mr Size for believing in me and trusting me with this horse,” he said. “I’m over the moon. The horse settled better in the hood today, and right from day one Mr Size said the further he goes the better he will be. The main thing is he relaxed and gave me a great kick.”

Thunder Fantasy’s win was a local milestone as the son of Lucky Owners became the first Group One winner here to have been sired by a Hong Kong Derby winner, and Size said the horse had done everything right since he landed.

– South China Morning Post

The colt arrived at Gordon’s yard over the weekend. Gordon said, “He is very highly rated and it’s very exciting for us to be sent a horse of this quality.”

Royal Life was the talk of the course on his debut over 1200m at Scottsville on November 30 last year, having shortened from an opening price of 10/1 into 22/10.

However, on that occasion he found the trip too sharp and was unable to catch another promising sort, the Tony Rivalland-trained Highway Explorer, who followed up by beating older horses in a MR 74 handicap over the same course and distance off a merit rating of 81.

In his second start over 1600m at Scottsville, Royal Life came from a handy position and after showing a good turn of foot he galloped clear of the opposition. He got better the further he went and when crossing the line full of running under Stuart Randolph was giving the impression that he still had a couple of gears in reserve. Down the field that day was the Rattray-owned Crevasse, an easy winner of his subsequent start.

Royal Life was bought at the 2013 Bloodstock South Africa National Yearling Sales for R350,000. His first owner was Ray Koedyk, who is well known in racing and has held colours for many years.

Royal Life is out of the six-time winner Time Of My Life, who finished second in the prestigious Gr 1 Paddock Stakes over 1800m.

He was bred by Geoff Armitage, who was a many-time champion breeder of Zimbabwe and now owns Sandown Stud in the Western Cape, which is run by his son James.

Geoff’s brother, the late Volksrust-based breeder Trevor Armitage, bred the amazing Dennis Drier-trained Dynasty mare Beach Beauty.

Gordon is presently the longest standing Summerveld trainer and has been in fine recent form. He is no stranger to top horses, having trained the like of the brilliant sprinter Scarlet Lady as well as Extra Cover and others. Rattray needs no introduction as a doyen of owning and breeding in South Africa.

It will be interesting to see whether Royal Life develops into a Vodacom Durban July prospect, because he certainly gives the impression he will relish the 2200m trip. The July has always been the race Rattray has most wanted to win, but to date it has eluded him, albeit narrowly on a couple of occasions.

Snowman was all the rage in the Natal Carbineers 160th Anniversary MR 86 Handicap over 1600m as this grey three-year-old Western Winter colt has always been well regarded and really caught the eye over course and distance in his previous start when baulked twice and going down by 0,25 lengths to the course specialist Vienna Wood.

Snowman looked to have yesterday’s race won after repelling Vienna Wood’s challenge, but the lightweight Dixon-trained Caribbean Day then appeared on the scene with a wet sail and won comfortably under Ant Mgudlwa.

Caribbean Day had a weight swing with Snowman from their last meeting for just a two length beating and was backed in from 14/1 to 12/1. The five-year-old Modern Day gelding loves Scottsville and all three of his wins have been over yesterday’s course and distance. His win provided a double for Mgudlwa, who had scored with a chance ride on the useful Charles Laird-trained Admiral’s Eye in the first.

The Richards’ other winner was Burra Boy, a hard knocking Tiger Dance gelding. He looked the winner throughout in the Maiden over 1400m and duly drew clear to win easily under Keagan de Melo.

Another noteworthy winner on the day was the progressive Kumaran Naidoo-trained Royalsecuritypower, who showed that he could develop into a lightly weighted Golden Horse Casino Sprint contender. The four-year-old Rock Of Gibraltar gelding won a MR 100 Handicap over 1000m in commanding style, beating some useful sorts, and helped Warren Kennedy complete a double. However, off a merit rating of 91 he will still need further improvement just to get into the Golden Horse Casino Sprint.

The well-bred two-year-old Australian-bred colt Baahir created a good impression when winning on debut over 1200m and provided the first leg of a double for Mike de Kock and Anthony Delpech.

Craig Carey, spokesman for part-owner Ridgemont Stud, said: “The plan is for her to go at the end of the month and she will travel via Mauritius. We are looking at a few options as regards a trainer and William Haggas at Newmarket is one of them. He is doing well and he is a good friend of Joey Ramsden.”

Haggas took over 2013 Cape Fillies Guineas winner In The Fast Lane last month and Ramsden trained Cold As Ice to win five of her seven starts. The Avontuur-bred Western Winter filly was beaten three-quarters of a length by Double Whammy on debut and a head by Inara in last month’s Klawervlei Majorca.

She missed her chance of classic glory (she was second favourite) when breaking through the pens in the Cape Fillies Guineas and galloping riderless the length of the course.