KZN SIRE SERIES (Media Release)
4 March 2003
|
THE R500 000 KZN Sires' Series was a little slow out of the pens but gained momentum and was running on strongly when the final leg of the three-leg series took place at Greyville Racecourse on Friday night. The Series was confined to the progeny of sires who were standing in KwaZulu-Natal at the time of conception and, with owners and trainers finally warming to the concept, the KwaZulu-Natal Breeders' Club is bullish about the progression of the annual series in the coming years. The Series comprised three races - over 1 200 metres, 1 600 metres and 2 000 metres and each race carried a stake of R100 000. In addition, the Breeders' Club offered an additional R200 000 bonus for any horse winning all three legs. The first series was dominated by stallions from George Rowles's Ivanhoe Stud, with Rocky Marriage runners winning the first two races and the final leg going to Power Of Protest who was sired by the defunct stallion, Kefaah. Mr Craig Ramsay, Chairman of the KwaZulu-Natal Breeders' Club, said that he was pleased with the response to the inaugural Series and believed that owners and trainers would become more enthusiastic in future years. As the Series grows from year to year the spin-offs for owners and breeders will be considerable. At the recent Cape yearling sale a positive response was received to the Club's advertising promotion and the Club plans a major thrust at the National Yearling Sales at Germiston, which begin at the weekend. "The series has been well received by owners who see that the breeders in KwaZulu-Natal are putting money back into the industry and are doing something for them. We believe it is a positive promotion for the industry in this region and feel it will go from strength to strength in the future," Mr Ramsay said. Issued by: Gill Simpkins |