Klawervlei Stud have announced that Casey Tibbs, one of the country’s leading sires, will be shuttling to Starston Stud for the 2010- 2011 breeding season.
A high-class racehorse, Casey Tibbs has the pedigree to back up his racetrack ability. By champion sire Sadler’s Wells, his dam, Fleur Royale, was second in the Irish Oaks. Her dam, Sweet Mimosa, in turn, won the French Oaks.
Casey was the leading first crop sire in 2003-2004, with no less than seven stakes horses in his first crop. He has steadily worked his way up the sires log. Last year, he finished seventh on the general sires list, ahead of such sires as Al Mufti, Silvano, Kahal and National Assembly.
To date, Casey Tibbs has sired 26 stakes performers. His top runners include Big City Life (Equus Champion 3yo colt), Cree Lodge (Langerman Hcp), Cyber Case (Lebelo Hcp), Sweet Virginia (Winter Derby), Casey’s Son (Settler’s Trophy), Festive Occasion (SA Oaks), Heat of the Night (Langerman Hcp, winner in the USA), Play Catch (Cape Classic), Naughty Prince (Winter Classic), Tassie Belle and Hilgrove (Premier’s Trophy).
There are few more versatile sires in the country than Casey Tibbs. His offspring have won feature races from 1000m to 2400m. He gets both colts and fillies to run. Whilst Big City Life proved himself the best colt of his generation, winning three Gr1 races including the Vodacom July, Festive Occasion may have done the same had she not run into Sun Classique. Not only did Festive Occasion ran second to Sun Classique in the Cape Fillies Guineas, but she went on to win the SA Oaks.
Casey has done extremely well with his 2yos. Not a year goes by without Casey being represented by a smart juvenile. The likes of Millside, Heat of the Night, Cree Lodge and Casey’s Son have all won stakes races at two.
Recently his 3yo daughter, Tassie Belle, won the East Coast Handicap (Listed). Since then she finished a close up second in the Grade 1 Woolavington, she clearly has a very bright future. Casey’s current crop of 3yo’s include four individual stakes winners from just 38 foals.
His home for the upcoming season, Colesberg, has a long and rich racing history. Three of the founding members of the South African jockey club hailed from the Karoo and the bulk of the first South African stud book were based in that region. As early as 1830, it was found that the Karoo was an excellent place for breeding and raising horses.
One of the members of the jockey club was Alex Robertson, who bred five of the first SA Derby winners. His son, Allan, became one of the foremost racing authorities in South Africa, and was responsible for importing champion sire Abadan II.
Colesberg, who won the St Leger, Benoni Guineas and SA Derby to become the first “Triple Crown” winner in South Africa was bred in Colesberg by Alex Robertson. Another South African great, Hawaii, was bred at the Platberg Stud in Colesberg. Hawaii not only became a champion turf horse in the USA, but he also became a top sire, siring Epsom Derby winner Henbit.
The arrival of a stallion of the quality of Casey Tibbs could ensure a bright future for a region with a remarkable past.
