Kikkuli (right) was denied by a headbob in the Gr 3 Jersey Stakes at the Royal Ascot meeting in 2024 (Picture: Supplied)
Paardeberg Stud is one of South Africa’s newest studs, but they have managed to import one of the best bred stallions to ever set foot in this country and the pedigree was given another major boost last week.
Kikkuli would likely never have been considered for Sale had he won the Gr 3 Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs at the Royal Ascot meeting instead of losing it literally by the bob of a head.
He is by the Cartier Horse Of The Year Kingman (Invincible Spirit), who was Timeform-rated 134, and he is a half-brother to the one and only Frankel.
The latest boost to Kikkuli’s pedigree came in Friday’s Epsom Oaks.
The Oaks was won in stunning fashion by the Joseph O’Brien-trained Frankel filly Thundering On and in second place was the Dubawi filly Legacy Link, who is out of the full-sister to Frankel, Chiasma.
Derby-winning trainer Roger Charlton was the trainer of Frankel’s dam Kind and in recognition of that Juddmonte sent Kikkuli to him to train. Roger’s son Harry took over the yard when Roger retired at the end of 2023.
Kikkuli’s Jersey Stakes defeat in 2024 was just his fourth career start, having finished second on debut as a juvenile, before winning his first race as a three-year-old and then finshing second in a Listed race.
He had put on some nice condition over the winter and would have been cherry ripe for the Jersey Stakes.
However, after the promise of that run he was thrown into the deep end and in retrospect might not have been quite ready for it.
He ran in a Gr 1 in France just two weeks after the Royal Ascot meeting and then six weeks later finished just half-a-length back in fourth in the Gr 2 Hungerford Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury.
Less than two months later he was racing in America, taking in the Gr 1 Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland. He could well have gone close there under Frankie Dettori had he not been badly hampered late after displaying a fine turn of foot. The race was won by Carl Spackler, who ended his career as a three-time Gr 1 winner, and Kikkuli was only beaten two lengths despite the bad interference he suffered.
However, the experience might have affected him as his last two starts in a Listed and a Gr 3 respectively, both over seven furlongs at Haydock in May last year, saw him running a touch disappointingly.
Kikkuli was sold under the agreement that he would never race again, which was somewhat of a pity as he could have made an impact out here. In fact before finding out about the agreement Paardeberg had planned to try and win a Gr 1 in America with him and had been confident he would achieve it given the time to find himself.
However, his blood is a valuable asset to South Africa and this magnificent looking stallion should attract a flood of bookings from breeders.
