3 minute read

Popular Hunter Valley identity Tony Bott can take credit for much of the South African investment in Australian racing and breeding through the many clients and contacts he has nurtured over the years.

Bott’s Evergreen Stud stood Storm Cat’s son Where’s That Tiger. Now at stud in South Africa, his initial crop of just 15 foals for 12 runners has resulted in six winners including recent South African G3 winner Supertube.

A stayer of some promise, the Sean Tarry-trained Supertube was stepping up to 3200m for the second time in his 19 career start and treated his rivals with contempt to score an emphatic two and a quarter length victory.

Bred in partnership by Bott, Larry Nestadt and Bernard Kantor, Supertube was one of three yearlings from Where’s That Tiger’s first crop to head to South Africa.

The trio included with the ill-fated and highly talented Tiger Quest, also bred by the trio.

Trained by Dominic Zaki, Tiger Quest was a winner of the Listed Gardenia Stakes at Turffontein as well as recording a host of stakes placing efforts including a narrow second to fellow Australian-bred Honorine (Redoute’s Choice) in the G2 Camellia Stakes.

“The decision was made to send Where’s That Tiger to stand in South Africa, so it made sense to send a few of his progeny over to help promote him,” said Bott, who previously had many years in various roles with Kia Ora and Segenhoe Studs.

“Clients and old friends Larry and Bernard are both South African so we felt it was the best place to send the stallion as he wasn’t proving commercial in Australia.

“He is also a full brother in blood to Brave Tin Solider, as their dams are full sisters and that stallion stands at South Africa’s leading farm Summerhill Stud, so we felt that breeders there would know the blood lines.”

Supertube has an interesting pedigree as Where’s That Tiger is out of a daughter of the Danzig mare Angel Fever – herself the dam of Supertube’s broodmare sire Fusaichi Pegasus.

Thus Supertube is inbred closely to Angel Fever.

Australian-breds are enjoying a tremendous 2014/15 racing season in South Africa, supplying 23% of the G1 wins from just 3% of the racing population.

Supertube’s trainer Sean Tarry has had much success with yearlings sourced at Australian sales, producing Happy Archer to win the G1 Garden Province Stakes and the G1 Thekwini Stakes, and Willow Magic, winner of the G1 SA Nursery.