Klawervlei Stud’s homebred G1 Cape Guineas winner WILLIAM LONGSWORD (Captain Al) had a memorable day on Saturday.
Not only did William Longsword come up with three winners in South Africa on Saturday, but his high-class son WILLIAM IRON ARM won a good race in Mauritius on the same day.

William Longsword is also the sire of WILLIAM’S WOMAN, who caught the eye when finishing third on debut on Saturday.

His first success in South Africa on Saturday came when his three-year-old daughter MISS WILLIAM won the second race at Hollywoodbets Durbanville.
Under a great ride from Richard Fourie, the James Crawford trained filly kept going gamely to win the Lucky Fish Maiden Dash Maiden Plate (F and M) (1250m) by a neck. Owned by Delma and Lance Sherrell, Miss William was bred by the La Berg Stud.

William Longsword also had a pair of winners at the Vaal on Saturday. His son SILVER LONGSWORD showed tremendous courage when he won the Betway Maiden Plate on Saturday.
Under a strong ride from Raymond Danielson, the Roy Magner trained gelding pulled out more in the closing stages to withstand a strong challenge from runner up WINSTON’S WONDER (Danon Platina). Owned by John Finlayson, Silver Longsword was bred by the La Plaisance Stud.

William Longsword is also the sire of LAUGHING WILLIAM, winner of the Betway MR 80 Handicap (1450m) on Saturday.
Trained by Candice Dawson, Laughing William, under Kobeli Lihaba stayed on strongly in Saturday’s contest to score by a neck. The Klawervlei Stud bred gelding, who was winning for a fourth time, races for Mr Teegler.

Klawervlei Stud hosted an Open Day for their exciting  young stallion KOMMETDIEDING (Elusive Fort).

Stallion manager John Freeman made an opening address highlighting the brilliance that Kommetdieding had shown during his career, pointing out that G1 Vodacom Durban July/G1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met winner had been unbeaten at two.

Klawervlei’s John Koster went on to point the fascinating and numerous possibilities that Kommetdieding’s pedigree presents for breeders, and suggested that inbreeding to the wonderful OFF TO WAR (Complete Warrior) was an exciting option.

Kommetdieding himself looked an absolute picture and impressed all who saw him with his fine looks and superb temperament.

Described as an outstanding stallion to deal, in terms of temperament and behaviour in the breeding shed, Kommetdieding looks sure to be popular again this breeding season.

Winner of his first four starts, Kommetdieding (whose stakes placed dam is a three-parts sister to triple G1 winner CAPTAIN AMERICA (Captain Al) has his first yearlings on offer in 2026.

Klawervlei Stud enjoyed notable success at the August Two Year Old Sale, which took place at the TBA Complex in Germiston last week. The farm, as Agent, sold five lots for an aggregate of R2.65 million, with Klawervlei consigned two-year-olds averaging R530 000.

A RAFEEF (Redoute’s Choice) colt (Lot 56) out of CRANBERRY GOLD was the top lot sold at Klawervlei at the sale. Knocked down to Vuyo for R800 000, the colt is out of a half-sister to three stakes winners including G1 Vodacom Durban July winner, and successful sire, POMODORO (Jet Master).

Klawervlei Stud also bred VERCINGETORIX (Silvano), the sire of the 2025 August Sale’s R4 000 000 sales topping colt.

Klawervlei stallions also enjoyed success at the 2025 August Two Year Old Sale.

WILLIAM LONGSWORD (Captain Al) had a single lot on the sale. However, this colt (Lot 49) made R360 000.

The four time G1 winning TWICE OVER (Observatory) also enjoyed success at the August Two Year Old Sale, with two of his juveniles fetching R350 000 apiece.

Impressive four-year-old OMBUDSMAN (Night Of Thunder), who hails from the same family as Klawervlei Stud’s four time G1 winning sire TWICE OVER (Observatory), showed his class when he won the G1 Juddmonte International at York on Wednesday.
In landing the York showpiece, Ombudsman emulated Twice Over, with the latter victorious in the G1 Juddmonte International of 2011.

The 7-4 favourite was ridden by William Buick for John and Thady Gosden, with the fellow Godolphin-owned runner BIRR CASTLE (Cloth Of Stars) sent out to make the running as a rank outsider in the field of six. The latter horse was afforded an enormous lead and as he rounded the turn for home it looked quite possible that the chasing pack would not catch him, but as he tired, Ombudsman was gaining ground.

He eventually swept through to grab the lead and while Delacroix also made late gains, Ombudsman emerged a three-and-a-half-length winner.

Victorious in this year’s G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, Ombudsman was claiming the second Group One victory of his eight-race career to date, with John Gosden’s sights already set on more top-level success.

He added: “He had a little problem as a baby and we never raced him at two and he came along gradually. He’s getting better and better, has trained well and was unbeaten last year. His only defeat this year was in the muddling Eclipse and he’s a proper horse.

The two obvious races for him are the Irish Champion and Ascot for Champions Day. It will be Sheikh Mohammed’s decision if he stays in training but he is a sportsman.”

Ombudsman, winner of six of just eight starts, is out of SYNDICATE (Dansili). The latter’s fourth dam LOST VIRTUE (Cloudy Dawn) also ranks as the third dam of Twice Over.

Twice Over has seven lots on offer at the 2025 August Two Year Old Sale, including a colt (Lot 151) out of G2 winner MAGIC SMOKE (Fort Wood), and a three-parts sister (Lot 260) to G2 Senor Santa Stakes winner SMORGASBORD (Twice Over).

Klawervlei Stud’s exciting young stallion KOMMETDIEDING (Elusive Fort) hails from a high-class family. This family was once again to the fore when LUCE VERDE, a relative of Kommetdieding, won at Turffontein on Sunday. 

A five-year-old son of GIMMETHEGREENLIGHT (More Than Ready), the James Crawford trained Luce Verde showed plenty of courage when he won Sunday’s For Hospitality Bookings Call 011 681 1796 MR 90 Handicap over 2000m. Under Callan Murray, the Boland Stud bred gelding fought on gamely to score by nearly three parts of a length,with the classy THE ULTIMATE KING (Vercingetorix) beaten into second spot. Luce Verde, who races for Delma and Lance Sherrell, is mooted as a potential feature race contender.

His dam MONPAZIER (Silvano) is a granddaughter of RIDING LIGHT (Top Ville), the third dam of Kommetdieding.

This is also the female line of EL CORDOBES (Frankel), winner of both the G1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Stakes and G2 Kingdom Of Bahrain Princess Of Wales’s Stakes in 2025.
The brilliant Kommetdieding was a top-class performer who, after winning his first four starts, went on to claim both the 2021 G1 Vodacom Durban July and 2022 G1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met.
His first yearlings sell in 2026.

A SIYOUNI (Pivotal) colt, from the same family as Klawervlei Stud’s four time G1 winning sire TWICE OVER (Observatory), proved popular on the first day of Arqana’s August Sale on Saturday.
The globetrotting trainer Yoshito Yahagi went to €320,000 for the colt.

The pricey colt’s Kingman dam Brinjal is from a deep Juddmonte family, and is a KINGMAN (Invincible Spirit) half sister to the G1 winners TIMEPIECE (Zamindar) and PASSAGE OF TIME (Dansili),who, in addition to winning the Criterium de Saint-Cloud, has produced this season’s Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up Cosmic Year and stallion Time Test. 

Brinjal’s granddam is QUANDARY (Blushing Groom), whose Listed Oaks Trial winning daughter DOUBLE CROSSED (Caerleon) produced Twice Over.

This is also the family of 2025 G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes winner OMBUDSMAN (Night Of Thunder), a leading fancy for Wednesday’s G1 Juddmonte International.

Twice Over, whose progeny include such G1 winners as DO IT AGAIN, SEE IT AGAIN and DOUBLE SUPERLATIVE, has seven lots on offer at this week’s August Two Year Old Sale, including a colt (Lot 53) out of a stakes placed half-sister to the Klawervlei bred champion, and star sire, ONE WORLD (Captain Al).