I love trying to work out each year what stallions to send the mares that I breed with.  I have already bred one Grade one winner, Do you Remember, and another horse I bred, Master Sabina ran second in the Grade 1 Summer Cup.

Of course, the actual hard work is done by the stud farm where my mares board, Varsfontein Stud.  I have always believed in using the best genetic material, so typically speaking I send my mares to the most expensive stallions that over the years have produced the best results.  I believe that quality begets quality and so I do not really experiment with those that are much cheaper, but have not been as successful.  Sometimes though that is impossible, because the top stallions are so popular, it can be hard to get a booking.  Most people do not realise that when you are offering to pay R120 000,00 for a service, you actually can and do get turned down for a lack of space.  Most stallions are limited to about 100 to 120 mares a year and the shareholders often have the first 80 or 100 services.  That means there is very little left over for all the other breeders around the country and so even though you are ready to pay the fee, there is no availability.  A shareholding in a popular stallion like Silvano, who is the father of Do You Remember, goes for about R850 000 and for that you can send him two mares a year – or buy a townhouse!