After Met success Koster heads to yearling sale

To be the breeder of the first and third home in the prestigious Cape Met just eight days before the Cape Premier Yearling Sale can only be described as perfect timing.

That is exactly what John Koster of Klawervlei Stud has achieved with two horses bred at his Bonnievale farm — Kommetdieding and Linebacker — playing dominant roles in last Saturday’s grade 1 race at Kenilworth.

Of course, we should not be too surprised as Klawervlei has been champion breeder for six of the past eight years.

Koster was on hand at Kenilworth to make his own speech applauding the horse’s owner, Ashwin Reynolds, who has become a household name after Kommetdieding’s victory in last year’s Durban July.

Standing side by side on the podium, they made a contrasting couple. Koster in a grey suit, which gave him a stockbroker look, and Reynolds in a multicoloured jacket one might expect to see at the circus. The two were united in joy at a job well done by a courageous racehorse.

Now it is back to business for Koster as he puts the finishing touches to the 33 yearlings — and 19 as agent — he will be sending to the yearling sale at De Grendel Wine Estate on February 6.

Previous champions sold at the sale include Met winner One World, Carry On Alice, Vardy and William Longsword. The latter, winner of the Cape Guineas, has a draft of 25 yearlings due to come under the hammer.

Without question, the yearling Koster will expect to make a big price is a William Longsword colt (lot 158) who is a half-brother to Linebacker. Much depends on the confirmation of the young horse at the early stage of his career, but if potential buyers find no faults there is every chance of the unnamed yearling topping the sale.

Irish auctioneer John O’Kelly will be on the rostrum for this lot and CTS MD Grant Knowles is sure to tip him off that there could be some fireworks before he brings the hammer down.

Trippi has proved an outstanding stallion in recent years and Koster’s decision to send the five-time winner, Captain’s Emblem, to the 2015/2016 champion sire has paid off with an early foal colt. The youngster was born in August 2020.

The Klawervlei draft contains a wide variety of stallions, but it is no surprise that one of them is Gimmethegreenlight, the first three-year-old in 40 years to win the Queen’s Plate. Now one of the best sires in the country, the son of More Than Ready has produced top performers such as Got The Greenlight and Surcharge.

Lot 24 is a Gimmethegreenlight filly who is the fifth produce of the US mare Crazy About Me. She retired a six-time winner and has produced her own six-time winner, Regimental.

Another mare who retired with six wins to her credit was Var’s daughter, Exquisite Touch. Another early foal, Klawervlei is offering her first foal (lot 40) by William Longsword.

Trippi is also involved in lot 62 as he is the sire of the dam In Other Words, who has a colt by Equus champion sprinter Captain Of All. This is the mare’s second produce.

Vercingetorix, the leading first season sire in 2018/2019, has made waves in the past two years and his daughter, Chansonette, ran second to Captain’s Ransom in last Saturday’s grade 1 Majorca Stakes.

Included in the Klawervlei draft is a Vercingetorix colt out of Larking Around, a mare who has produced many winners including Romi’s Boy, In Limine and three-time winner Up Early. The sire is represented by only six yearlings at the sale.

Pomodoro, the 2012 Durban July winner, has produced some top horses including Russian Rock and Cirillo and he is represented by an early foal filly out of the talented mare Safe Harbour. This is her first foal.

Lancaster Bomber, a US-bred grade 1 winner, has six yearlings headed for the sale and buyers are sure to run the rule over a colt out of the Australian mare Sidera. She retired a three-time winner including the grade 3 Fillies Mile.

Rafeef has been hitting the headlines in recent months and lot 147 looks like another Klawervlei yearling set to make a big price. He has a son out of the Captain Al mare, Sitia, and like many of the stud’s draft, he is an early foal.