Bezrin Returning To KZN, To Stand At Rathmor Stud Share The striking bay son of Danzig, Bezrin(USA), will be returning to KZN to stand at Michael McHardy's Rathmor Stud, after standing last season in the Cape. He will be managed by Manny Testa, Director of Midlands Thoroughbreds. "I have had a great deal of success with Bezrin, having bred Filly Bushwacker and Detzkey's Darling," says Testa. "When there was an opportunity to bring him back to KZN, I jumped in to make it happen. I would like to thank the syndicate members for their support and hope that he gets the support he deserves. My only thought is that breeders should never underestimate the "Danzig factor" and given a chance, this stallion can really set the tracks alight. He will be getting a lot of support from my mares." Bezrin was a three time winner, including the Prix Montretout (L) in France and he placed four times (including two Listed races and two Grade 3) having only being unplaced (fifth) once from nine starts. Bezrin has already had success at the racetracks with his progeny, including 12-time winner and the Eastern Cape Racing Horse-Of-The-Year for 2011, Celtic Fire. He has won the Memorial Mile Listed twice and has earned over R650 000. Thunderflash, out of an Al Mufti mare, won the Champions Juvenile Cup Grade 3 over 1400m, defeating champion Lizard's Desire by half a length at even weights. It's worth mentioning that Lizard's Desire went on to a successful overseas campaign, running second in the both the Dubai World Cup Gr 1, Queen Elizabeth Cup Gr 1 at Sha Tin, and he won the Singapore Airlines International Cup Gr 1. Thunderflash went on to win the Port Elizabeth Gold Cup Listed over 3600m by over two lengths two years later, which got him the vote for Champion Stayer in the Eastern Cape. He is also the winner of the KZN Breeders Award for Champion Two Year Old Colt/Gelding of his year. He has also earned his owners over R620 000 in winnings and was voted Champion 2 year old colt in the Eastern Cape. Both of these incredible sons of Bezrin were bred by Cathy and Jonathan Martin of Hadlow Stud. Another stand-out includes the Bush Hill-bred Tetelestai, an 8-time winner with 10 places - including a win in the Umgeni Handicap Listed - he has also taken home over R530 000 in stakes. Yet another Listed winner is All Ablaze, a 5-time winner including the Ibhayi Stakes. He has two horses who have placed in Grade 3 events, Tandragee - who has been nominated for the Guineas - and Filly Bushwacker. His dam, Darling Flame (by Capote out of My Darling One by Exclusive Native), was a two time winner in the UK including second in the Gr 3 Cherry Hinton Stakes at 2. She is the dam of five runners and five winners, including black-type winning filly Flamelet, who has produced Listed winner and Grade 3 placed Seeking Solace. Craig Ramsay, who imported Bezrin to this country and initially stood him at his Golden Acres Stud Farm (now part of Yellow Star Stud) in Mooi River, before Craig emigrated to New Zealand, tells us a bit more about Bezrin: "His second dam, My Darling One, was one of the best of her generation in the USA, winning five of her eight starts including the Gr 1 Fantasy Stakes - the three she never won, but placed in, were the Gr 1 Kentucky Oaks, Las Virgenes Stakes and the Honeymoon Handicap. "My Darling One was a bright chestnut with an abundance of white on her legs and a patch on her body, and although Bezrin is as similar to Northern Dancer in type, colour and size as possible, his progeny can be as similar to him as they are to his maternal grandmother with many inheriting her distinctive colour characteristics - either way they descend from champion stock. He produces sound horses who train on and get better as the years pass. Bezrin was KZN's leading sire last year and is currently leading a log again. After each season at stud featuring prominently on all sires lists, it makes him one of the very few proven options to breeders in KZN, an almost guaranteed source of success and extremely good value. "You will see that on the Leading Sires by AEPR he is currently KZN's third leading sire but on the Leading Sires by 3 year old's he is fifth in the country (active sires) and KZN's Leading Sire. Last year Bezrin ended the season as KZN's Leading Sire on the Leading Sires by AEPR and eleventh in South Africa. Craig continues: "Last season he produced the top earner for the following KZN breeders: Bush Hill Stud - Tetelestai: R374 058, Hadlow - Celtic Fire: R464 125, AC Riddle - Two Tone Rocka: R161 125, Midlands Thoroughbreds - Filly Bushwacker: R178 250, and All Risks Stud - Floating Feather: R152 575. One stallion, for five individual breeders! Bezrin also produced last year's Champion 2 year old in Kenya called Lazrin. "Qui Danzig was the last son of Danzig to stand at Rathmor (ex-Kingswood) and he produced the Equus Champion Key of Destiny before being sold to the Cape." The dam-line is filled with bold-black type winners and includes Sires Heart Lake, 6-time winner in the UK and Japan (including the Gr 3 Concorde Stakes), Marshua's Dancer, Bashkirov and Shamikh. To date he has had 88 runners with 43 winners including four stakes winners and two stakes placed. He will be the only Listed stakes winning Group placed son of Danzig ever to stand in KZN - judging by his progeny's performances and his statistics above, he will be actively sought out by breeders. We look forward to Bezrin's return to KZN. For extended pedigree and information click here. If you would like to contact Manny Testa of Midlands Thoroughbreds, please contact him on 082 337 6256 or alternatively email [email protected]. Facebook: Bezrin (USA) Pedigree information courtesy of www.sportingpost.co.za