Kikkuli (right), by Kingman and a half-brother to Frankel, only just failed to win Royal Ascot’s Gr 3 Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs (Picture Supplied)
Sarah Whitelaw
A number of exciting new stallions will make their presence felt in breeding sheds around South Africa in 2026. The new recruits to the South African band range from blue blooded siblings to champions, to G1 winning stars, and local champions, ensuring there is a new stallion for every breeder.
These new sires hail from a range of different sire lines, and hail from outstanding local and international families.
Below is a brief description of each sire covering their first book of mares in South Africa this season.
Danon Scorpion: Lord Kanaloa Lexie Lou
Winner of one of Japan’s great races, Danon Scorpion is by a topclass sire out of a Canadian Horse Of The Year. A stakes winner at two, Danon Scorpion won the G1 NHK Mile Cup at three. Notable NHK Mile Cup winners include such stars as Seeking The Pearl, El Condor Pasa, Admire Mars and multiple champion sire King Kamehameha (the paternal grandsire of Danon Scorpion). Danon Scorpion is one of more than 60 stakes winners for his sire Lord Kanaloa, Japan’s Horse Of The Year in 2013, with Lord Kanaloa’s stars including such top international gallopers as Almond Eye, Satono Reve, Panthalassa and Tagaloa. A full-brother to this year’s G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) runner up Garavogue, Danon Scorpion is out of Lexie Lou -Canada’s Horse Of The Year in 2014.
Danon Scorpion will stand his first season at Wilgerbosdrift this year.
Kikkuli: Kingman Kind
One of the best bred stallions around, Kikkuli showed smart form at three when finishing second in both the G3 Jersey Stakes and Listed Chasemore Farm Stud Staff Heron Stakes. In finishing second in the Jersey Stakes, Kikkuli was beaten a short-head by the top-class Haatem. (The latter finished second, beaten a head, in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas. By an exceptional racehorse and sire in Kingman (whose sire sons include such proven stallions as Palace Pier and Persian King), Kikkuli is one of five black type horses produced by legendary broodmare Kind. The latter, a stakes winning daughter of Danehill, will forever be remembered as the dam of legendary, unbeaten champion and multiple champion sire Frankel. Kind also ranks as the dam of Frankel’s champion full-brother Noble Mission, whose progeny includes US dual G1 winner Code Of Honor and G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Nobals. Kind’s daughters have also proved hugely successful at stud, with her daughter Chiasma the dam of this year’s G3 Tattersalls Musidora Stakes winner and G1 Betfred Oaks runner up Legacy Link. Kikkuli will stand his first season at Paardeberg Stud in 2026.
Lucky Lad: Gimmethegreenlight – Imperial State
An R850 000 yearling buy, Lucky Lad showed brilliance at two and trained on to be a topclass three-year-old. He won his first four starts at two, this winning streak including wins in all of the G1 Gold Medallion, G2 SA Nursery and G3 Protea Stakes. He was especially impressive when romping home to land the Gold Medallion by more than five and a quarter lengths, leaving subsequent multiple graded stakes winner Outlaw King gasping in his wake (Gold Medallion fourth, Egyptian Mau, would not only go on to win the G3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes but also won in the US). At three, Lucky Lad again proved to be amongst the best of his generation when finishing first or second in four graded races. His wins at three included a sparkling win in the G1 Golden Horse Sprint (a race whose past winners included multiple champion sire Jet Master). By multiple champion sire Gimmethegreenlight, and bred on similar lines to the Gimmethegreenlight sired G1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Premiers Champion Stakes winner, VJ’s Angel, Lucky Lad is a full-brother to G3 Fillies Mile winner Follow Me. Lucky Lad is set to begin his stud career at Hopes And Dreams Stud in 2026.
Proceed: Gimmethegreenlight – Xplosive Kiss
The Equus Champion 2YO Colt of 20232024, Proceed showed plenty of brilliance in a brief career which saw him race only at two (as did such top recent stallions as Dark Angel and Mehmas). Never out of the first four in seven starts, Proceed’s three wins included the 2024 G1 Gold Medallion (where he defeated subsequent G1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes winner Cosmic Speed into second) and G3 TAB Protea Stakes. The latter race saw Proceed conquer star sprinter, and multiple G1 winner, Buffalo Storm Cody by five lengths!
One of a growing number of sons of multiple champion sire Gimmethegreenlight standing at stud in South Africa, Proceed is a half-brother to the hugely exciting Turn It Up winner of three of four starts including the Race Coast Sales Slipper.
Proceed will stand his first season at Blue Sky Thoroughbreds in 2026.
Snow Pilot: Lancaster Bomber – Snowdance
A threeparts brother to Horse Of The Year Eight On Eighteen, an impressive winner of the 2026 G1 HKJC Champions Cup, Snow Pilot has plenty of appeal as a stallion prospect. His five wins, which came from trips ranging from 1400m to 1600m, was headed by a triumph in the 2023 G1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas, where Snow Pilot’s beaten rivals included such stellar subsequent G1 winners as Green With Envy and Questioning. (Past winners of the Cape Guineas included such champion sires as Jet Master and Captain Al). One of 12 stakes winners from just two crops by his G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup winning sire, Snow Pilot hails from one of the best families in the South African studbook. A half brother to Listed Lady’s Pendant winner Symphony In White, Snow Pilot is out of the Captain Al sired G1 Cape Fillies Guineas/G1 Majorca Stakes winner Snowdance. From the family of 2026 G3 Langerman winner Aquae Calidae, among many others, Snowdance is a three-parts sister to the Captain Al sired champion All Is Secret, the Captain Al sired G1 winner The Secret Is Out and the Captain Al sired dam of champion Eight On Eighteen.
Snow Pilot stands his first season at Drakenstein Stud in 2026.
