Koster predicts Kommetdieding can make his mark in the stallion ranks
Popular Met and July winner goes to stud
13 February 2023 - 14:46
byDAVID MOLLETT
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Breeder John Koster has had great stallions such as Captain Al in his care, and is bullish that Kommetdieding, dubbed the “People’s Horse”, can rise to the top of the sire ranks.
The third generation of the Koster family to breed, John Koster recently welcomed Kommetdieding to his Klawervlei Stud after the five-year-old’s game effort to win the Met for the second year running.
“Kommetdieding is not just a good horse, he is a great horse,” enthused Koster in an interview with Turftalk. “He is only the seventh horse in history to do the July/Met double and he came back and nearly won another Met.”
One could say Koster, who looks younger than his 60 years, has been a survivor in the breeding industry. He was a vital cog in the racing operation of former Steinhoff boss Markus Jooste.
Koster certainly had the perfect grounding to make it in the breeding world spending 18 months at Coolmore in Ireland under the watchful eye of the experienced Tommy Stack.
Captain Al proved to be the ace in Koster’s hand as he began taking on the big guns in the countrywide national yearling sales. One of his daughters, Captain’s Ransom, bred at Moutonshoek, is a 13-time winner and one of the most popular horses in the country.
There is certainly room for a new sire in the breeding ranks as two horses, Gimmethegreenlight and Vercingetorix, dominate the action at the top sales.
At the 2022 National Yearling Sales at Germiston, Gimmethegreenlight returned an average of R703,243 and Vercingetorix R617,976.
In third place was the deceased Silvano (R596,842) followed by a big gap of more than R280,000 to another deceased stallion, Lancaster Bomber.
It was a similar story at last month’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale held at the International Convention Centre in Cape Town with Gimmethegreenlight’s 15 yearlings averaging R771,667 and the 10 of Vercingetorix R682,500.
The pair were split by Trippi, whose four yearlings averaged R700,000 — no surprise as the stallion is at the end of his career and is the sire of Met winner Jet Dark and Cape Derby favourite Charles Dickens.
Koster says Kommetdieding will be let down for close to six months and be displayed to his syndicate owners just before the breeding season.
Koster confirmed in his Turftalk interview that owner Ashwin Reynolds has retained a few horses but that “all the big studs have shares”.
“Breeders are very good at supporting each other in this way,” Koster said.
Sunday’s Turffontein meeting was abandoned because of a waterlogged track and any further rain would put Tuesday’s meeting at the Vaal in jeopardy.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Koster predicts Kommetdieding can make his mark in the stallion ranks
Popular Met and July winner goes to stud
Breeder John Koster has had great stallions such as Captain Al in his care, and is bullish that Kommetdieding, dubbed the “People’s Horse”, can rise to the top of the sire ranks.
The third generation of the Koster family to breed, John Koster recently welcomed Kommetdieding to his Klawervlei Stud after the five-year-old’s game effort to win the Met for the second year running.
“Kommetdieding is not just a good horse, he is a great horse,” enthused Koster in an interview with Turftalk. “He is only the seventh horse in history to do the July/Met double and he came back and nearly won another Met.”
One could say Koster, who looks younger than his 60 years, has been a survivor in the breeding industry. He was a vital cog in the racing operation of former Steinhoff boss Markus Jooste.
Koster certainly had the perfect grounding to make it in the breeding world spending 18 months at Coolmore in Ireland under the watchful eye of the experienced Tommy Stack.
Captain Al proved to be the ace in Koster’s hand as he began taking on the big guns in the countrywide national yearling sales. One of his daughters, Captain’s Ransom, bred at Moutonshoek, is a 13-time winner and one of the most popular horses in the country.
There is certainly room for a new sire in the breeding ranks as two horses, Gimmethegreenlight and Vercingetorix, dominate the action at the top sales.
At the 2022 National Yearling Sales at Germiston, Gimmethegreenlight returned an average of R703,243 and Vercingetorix R617,976.
In third place was the deceased Silvano (R596,842) followed by a big gap of more than R280,000 to another deceased stallion, Lancaster Bomber.
It was a similar story at last month’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale held at the International Convention Centre in Cape Town with Gimmethegreenlight’s 15 yearlings averaging R771,667 and the 10 of Vercingetorix R682,500.
The pair were split by Trippi, whose four yearlings averaged R700,000 — no surprise as the stallion is at the end of his career and is the sire of Met winner Jet Dark and Cape Derby favourite Charles Dickens.
Koster says Kommetdieding will be let down for close to six months and be displayed to his syndicate owners just before the breeding season.
Koster confirmed in his Turftalk interview that owner Ashwin Reynolds has retained a few horses but that “all the big studs have shares”.
“Breeders are very good at supporting each other in this way,” Koster said.
Sunday’s Turffontein meeting was abandoned because of a waterlogged track and any further rain would put Tuesday’s meeting at the Vaal in jeopardy.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (4) Battleground (5) Namaqua Blossom (2) Banha Bridge (3) Greenbackcurrency
2nd Race: (4) Laguna Verde (1) Total Protection (2) Diesel And Dust (7) Billy Spellbound
3rd Race: (1) Mover And Shaker (3) Twin Strike (4) Rock On Captain (6) Above The World
4th Race: (10) Beaded Gown (6) Samoa (2) Aniara (11) Tangerine Pearl
5th Race: (3) Rose For Trippi (5) Queen Of Gaul (1) May Queen (7) Second Breath
6th Race: (1) Invincible Warrior (2) Southern Blaze (7) Duke Of Rain (6) Indus Knight
7th Race: (7) Meridius (9) Trident King (3) Fateful Day (1) Indlamu
8th Race: (2) Stroke Of Mercy (1) Smith And Wesson (4) Covert Operator (7) Written In Stone
Argentinian-breds can play leading roles at Vaal
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