Duncan Barry
Thrilling! So said a proud Duncan Barry of Riverton Stud after a horse that was raised on his farm and whose fortunes he has followed closely, scored a resounding win in Saturday’s Gr1 Daily News 2000 at Greyville. The success continued a great run of good fortune for the beautiful farm and the Riverside Grooms Co Operative.
Now unbeaten in four starts and a serious contender for Durban July honours, Vercingetorix was shrewdly purchased at the 2011 Klawervlei farm sale by the Riverside Grooms Co Operative for a mere R200 000.
The colt stood on the Barry farm for seven months before being sold on to no lesser judges of superior horses than Mike De Kock and Jehan Malherbe, for R1,4 million at the National Yearling Sale in 2012. Vercingetorix was one of only 16 lots to make 7 figures at this flagship sale. Three of the seven members of the Riverside Co Op work for Duncan Barry.
“I remember Vercingetorix well as a yearling. He was big and clumsy but had something about him. He wasn’t ready for the CPYS Book 1 so we kept him for Joburg. It just so happened that the family performed fantastically in the time between the Cape Town and Joburg sale. Sometimes things work out,” he said proudly. The community upliftment concept and its benefits are very close to Duncan’s heart.
Stakes Double
Riverton Stud also celebrated a terrific stakes double last weekend. They bred Captain Of All who won the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Medallion at Scottsville ,as well as Secret Obsession who won the Listed Syringa Handicap at Turffontein.
“Captain Of All had an off set knee so we didn’t go for the bigger sales. That astute judge Dennis Drier bought him at the Klawervlei Sale.” Amazingly this is the 3rd horse born and raised at Riverton Stud to win the top juvenile Gr1 race for Drier.
Good Buy
Duncan explained that he had purchased Captain Of All’s dam Serious Side (by Fard) through Ada van der Bent ,while in training with Martin Cohen in PE.
“Her first foal Intimateconnection (by Lake Coniston) is with Mike Bass and has won once. It just goes to show the quirky nature of this breeding game. When I looked at her (Serious Side) in the sales catalogue, I wondered exactly what had made me buy her! But then she is well related on her own dam’s side and the family produced some good winners from largely ordinary stallions,” he said with a bounce in his voice.
Her yearling filly by Rebel King, named Queen Of Thrones, was purchased by Kerry Jack Bloodstock for a now bargain R90 000 on the Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 2. Talk about timing, but all is definitely not lost for one of the game’s most unassuming breeders.
Duncan says he has a lovely weanling colt from Serious Side by Rebel King, and the good mare is carrying Riverton’s exciting resident stallion Blue Tiger’s foal. So there is plenty to come yet!
Brave Man
He also raised the smart Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes winner Tales Of Bravery for the Victory Moon Syndicate. The Caesour mare Emperor’s Warning was bought in foal by Dean Maroun and the former Vaughan Marshall trained gelding won the the Afrasia Barbe Cup run over a mile at the Champ De Mars in Port Louis, Mauritius on Sunday.
Riverton Stud farm lies along the verdant banks of the Breede River near the town of Robertson. The Robertson countryside is home to some of the top thoroughbred studs in South Africa and the healthy dry climate and high calcium content of the soil makes Robertson and the BAR Valley the ideal location to breed tough, good boned, high class thoroughbreds.
Riverton foals are born in one of several healthy outdoor foaling camps. The climate is condusive to foals being able to take those first tentative steps on grass instead of slipping on the wet straw and cement of a stable.
Great Value
The number of thoroughbreds at Riverton is also strictly limited so that each can receive individual attention. Lean muscle build-up and a strong heart are achieved by extensive walking of the yearlings through the thick sand tracks along the Breede River. Consequently Riverton has established an excellent reputation for breeding sound, good value for investment yearlings.
In 2010 the Grooms Co-operative Scheme was developed by Adrian Todd in conjunction with the Cape Breeders Club, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The Chairman of the Riverside Co-op, Mr. A Carelse who works at Riverton Stud, admits that he is well aware that a ‘Vercingetorix’ does not happen every year. But right now, it’s all happening for the Riverton family.
