Kildonan To Yellow Star Stud Share Equus Champion Two Year Old Colt of his year in 2006, Kildonan, will be joining Yellow Star Stud for the 2012 breeding season. Koos de Klerk of Yellow Star Stud says: "We are happy to announce that Kildonan will be relocating to Yellow Star stud for next season at a fee still to be advised. "We are very grateful to Mary Slack of Wilgerbosdrift and the other shareholders for giving KZN Breeders the opportunity to breed to a truly great South African racehorse. Kildonan has all the credentials to be a great sire and will hopefully follow in the footsteps of other great South African sires who have, themselves, proven themselves on the local race tracks." Judging by the credentials and pedigree below, this certainly seems to be the case. By Rich Man's Gold out of one of Philippi's best performed daughters, Cathay Firth, Kildonan, trained by Mike de Kock, won five races and was unbeaten in his first three starts at age 2. His wins included the 2007 Golden Horse Sprint Grade 1 in a blistering fast time of 67.00 and has yet to be repeated since. To put this time into perspective, JJ The Jet Plane won the same race in 2008 in a time of 67.62. He also won the Graham Beck Stakes Grade 3, and placed second in his last career start in South Africa, the Champions Cup Grade 1, just 0.75 of a length behind African Appeal. Had their weights been even and coming off a draw of 15, Kildonan might have snatched this victory from African Appeal. He placed third in the Gold Challenge Grade 1 to Successful Bidder. Kildonan raced in top company from distances of 1200 - 1600 metres from age 2 to 3, and he earned R878 994 in stakes, with a merit rating of 115. He was sent to Dubai and went into training, but was unable to race due to injury and was subsequently sent back to South Africa. By Rich Man's Gold(USA) (himself by Forty Niner - Honest Joy by Honest Pleasure) an imposing chestnut stallion, was imported to stand at Wilgerbosdrift in 2001 after being sent to stud in Chile in 1996. He was Champion Freshman Sire and proved to be a sire of champions. He died prematurely in his South African stud career, producing five crops of foals. His best son was Lido Palace who raced in Chili, Japan, Dubai and America with a total record of 23 starts, 11 wins of which an incredible 9 are Graded Stakes wins (including the Woodward Grade 1 twice in the US), and 9 placings all being in Graded Stakes company, amassing $2,705 865 in stakes earned and achieving Horse-Of-The-Year in Chile, all this from age two to five. Lido Palace has sired Vineyard Haven, a three time Grade 1 winner who retired the end of November last year to go to stud in the USA. Kildonan's dam is Cathay Firth. She has had five wins including the Umzimkhulu Handicap Grade 3 and the Clairwood Park Debutante (Listed). She also placed in three races including two Listed events and the Poinsettia Stakes Grade 3. To date she has produced an incredible record of six runners and six winners. Her half-sister Kyle produced SA Derby Grade 1 winner Kale, and continuing down the female line - an impressive array of Black-Type winning horses show including Sound Of Rhum, SA Fillies Sprint Grade 1 winner, 6-time winner Dunsinane, ARCSA Champion 2 year old colt in 1980 Smackeroo, ARCSA Champion Older mare in 1929 Festive Season - who went onto produce four strong Black-Type winner including 8-time winning filly Festive Forever, the dam of Fearless and another winner of the Golden Horseshoe Grade 1. The dam-line continues to include 6-time winner Three Kings, Cape Derby Grade 1 winner Shah's Star, Hot Corn - the ARCSA Champion Sprinting filly in 1980 with 12 wins as well as sire Rain Forest, ARCSA Champion three year old Miler in 1982, Soda Fountain and another sire, Justerini, these are all just to name but a few in this wonderful pedigree. We look forward to the contribution from Kildonan in the coming years for KZN Thoroughbred breeding. Kildonan will join Spectrum(IRE) and Tropical Empire(AUS) at Yellow Star Stud. For extended pedigree and information click here and for a complete breeding evaluation click here. If you would like to contact Yellow Star Stud, please contact Koos 083 390 3045 or Lorraine 082 897 7179 or alternatively email [email protected]. or [email protected]. Website: www.yellowstarstud.co.za Facebook: Catch Us Here Pedigree and evaluation information courtesy of www.sportingpost.co.za