Solskjaer pictured at Summerhill Stud. His best runner in SA was likely the Gavin van Zyl-trained Gr 1 Summer Cup runner up Shogunnar, who was also third in both the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and the Gr 1 Champions Cup (Picture: Summerhill Stud)
Heversham Park Farm
Solksjaer (IRE), the Danehill stallion who came to South Africa in the early 2000s and was later sent back to the UK, where he died a few years ago, sired a G1-placed runner in 6-year-old Found A Fifty. He was placed second in the Bar One Drinmore Novice Chase over 4200m at Fairyhouse on Sunday, beaten by the 2023 Grand National winner, I Am Maximus.
Solksjaer was imported to South Africa for stud duties at Summerhill Stud in 2007 and his first few crops impressed most experts with their beautiful, flowing strides. There were many bread-and-butter runners among the early crops, but he didn’t quite make the grade and Mick Goss decided to retire him in 2013.
Soon after he was retired in 2015 he was placed on an auction where he received no bids, but Advocate Nigel Riley of Heversham Park Stud came to hear of him and secured him for only R5,000 after negotiating with Greg Muir, the former Stud Manager at Summerhill.
Riley tells: “Solskjaer was a half-brother to Yeats (Sadler’s Wells), who won seven Gr1 races and at the time was picking up momentum as a sire of excellent jump horses.
We made some enquiries and sent Solskjaer back to Ireland to stand as a jump stallion at Coolagown Stud in County Cork. “Being so closely related to Yeats, Solskjaer drew immediate attention and we were amazed at the support from breeders. He covered 80 mares a season in his first three seasons but then he scaled down after his busy time.
“We were pleasantly surprised to see his son run such a good race on Sunday. Solsksjaer retired with dignity and made his mark.”
