Bush Hill Stud is home to several exciting young stallions. Few, however, are better performed than South African champion Irish Flame.

One of the first sons of Horse Of The Year and outstanding sire Dynasty to retire to stud, Irish Flame was South Africa’s Horse Of The Year and Champion 3YO Colt and Stayer in 2008-2009.

A member of his sire’s very first crop (which produced seven stakes winners including Gr1 Gold Cup hero Ancestral Fore), the versatile Irish Flame won from 1600m to 2450m and accounted for some of the best horses around.
Among those defeated by Irish Flame were triple Horse Of The Year Pocket Power and his Gr1 J&B Met winning sister River Jetez (Jet Master), Gr1 SA Classic hero Pierre Jourdan (Parade Leader), and Gr1 winners Ancestral Fore (Dynasty), Aslan (Silvano), Noordhoek Flyer (Pivotal), Orbison (Mogok), and Rudra (Parade Leader), as well as Singapore champion Lizarre (Jet Master).

Irish Flame, who began his career with trainer Dean Kannemeyer before being relocated to Mike de Kock, followed up a fifth on debut with an effortless five and a half length romp at Kenilworth. Stepped up in class to the Listed Politician Stakes, Irish Flame confirmed his status as a 3yo with a future when running out a one and a half length winner over Chindit (Strike Smartly).

Following an unplaced effort in the Gr1 Cape Derby, Irish Flame moved stables and was sent to campaign in Gauteng, where, after running third in the Gr1 SA Classic, he romped to a 9.5 length win in the classic Gr1 SA Derby.
He followed that up with a win over subsequent July hero and champion Bold Silvano (Silvano), and added to his tally with a workmanlike win in the Gr2 Gold Circle Derby.

Irish Flame ended his three-year-old campaign with a good second to stablemate Bold Silvano in the Gr1 Vodacom Durban July, where Irish Flame was beaten a length (conceding the winner 1lb).

Sent overseas, Irish Flame failed to recapture his best South African form, but did manage to win once in Britain, when successful by 3.25 lengths at Kempton Park.

Irish Flame, a Horse Of The Year by a Horse Of The Year out of a mare by another Horse Of The Year (Flaming Rock, is one of nine Gr1 winners sired by Dynasty, whose other sire sons at stud include such champions as Futura and Legislate, and triple Gr1 winner Jackson –whose first foals arrived to rave reviews last year.
Dynasty is also responsible for the champion fillies Beach Beauty and Bela-Bela, as well as last season’s Gr1 Investec Cape Derby winner It’s My Turn.

Irish Flame, a full brother to Listed Winter Oaks winner Irish Myth, is from the mighty Sadler’s Wells male line –responsible for outstanding sires Galileo, Montjeu, El Prado, Kitten’s Joy, Medaglia D’Oro and Frankel –to name a few.

His dam, Clock The Rock, won four times including the Listed Winter Oaks and this is the same family as G1 SA Nursery winner Cornice (Oligarchy), and Gr2 November Handicap hero Swartland (Western Winter).

Irish Flame, whose first crop will race this season, had a 2016 stud fee of R10 000.