Gustav Klimt and Morpheus are waiting beneath Paardekop.
Joburg gets a bad rap. Some criticism is justified: the way the city is run is shameful. But some badmouthing isn’t: the people are generally a lot more friendly and accommodating than residents of other, supposedly more genteel, places; the energy and work ethic is a level above; and many areas are quite beautiful.
So, Joburgers can feel a bit ambivalent about their dump. You hear this come through when Nigel Riley talks about his Heversham thoroughbred stud, situated south of Joburg in Daleside Valley, overlooked by Paardekop.
Riley, a former racehorse trainer now (amazingly) a prominent legal advocate, and his partner Willem Ackerman, have put huge resources into building up Heversham to the highest levels of the modern stud farm.
They stand some of the best-pedigreed stallions in South Africa yet have “difficulties geographically” in getting mares from other parts of the country to visit these mighty males.
Joburg doesn’t sound cool, perhaps. But perhaps Joburg money can talk loudly enough to drown out prejudice.
Huge incentives
Heversham has come up with a breeding incentive scheme unlike anything seen before in this country.
It is offering cash rewards of nearly R90-million over two years to the connections of mares that are sent north for a liaison with one of two newly imported stallions.
Waiting for the ladies beneath Paardekop are Gustav Klimt, an Irish-bred, Group-winning son of Galileo, and British-bred Morpheus, a half-brother of the mighty Frankel and brother of a Breeders’ Cup winner.
For the first Grade 1-winning offspring of early crops of both these sires, the breeding farms and the owners of the mothers get R10-million each, in cash, from Heversham, while buyers of the youngsters get R2-million each.
Speaking on a recent Race Coast podcast, Riley opined that, with this temptation, “Anyone with half a brain should be sending their best mare!”
With the annual broodmare-covering season starting in a fortnight’s time, breeders down-country might be looking at Joburg with new eyes.
Heversham offers lesser incentives for visitors to their other stallions: under-valued Pomodoro, under-served Time Thief, former top racers Jackson and MK’s Pride, and Aussie import Moofeed, a well-performed grandson of Danehill.
Coming up in the future is The Equator, the Coolmore-bred son of Galileo who was an impressive winner at Turffontein recently.
The old Transvaal was once thriving stud country. Could it regain some of that old-gold glister?
