FORT GETS KEY TO THE DOOR

The charismatic Kommetdieding will commence stallion duties at Klawervlei Stud this year.

The handsome Elusive Fort turns 21 soon | Credit: Jeremy Nelson

One of the most popular horses to grace the South African turf in recent years, Kommetdieding began his career on a high note, when winning his first four starts including the Gr3 Politician Stakes before going on to capture the 2021 Gr1 Vodacom Durban July.

Kommetdieding would go on to join an elite band of horses to win both the July and Met when he downed champion Jet Dark when victorious in the 2022 Gr1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met.

He would run second in the Met the following year and retired to stud having earned more than R4 million in prize money, while finishing unplaced just twice in 18 starts.

It is hard to believe that Kommetdieding’s sire Elusive Fort will shortly turn 21 years old. The son of Fort Wood and a former Equus Champion looks the picture of health and vitality at Black Swan Stud where the handsome sire continues to churn out winners at a rate of knots.

Elusive Fort settled in quickly when relocated to Black Swan Stud, where he takes centre stage and benefits from excellent management and care.

The triple Gr1 winner has a superb temperament with his sole weakness being a love of carrots. He also benefits from being walked around the farm in the weeks leading up to the breeding season, with the exercise keeping the star in good mental and physical shape.

Any trailer which arrives at Black Swan is met with huge enthusiasm by Elusive Fort, who remains convinced the visitors are bringing him new mates. He is a stallion whose fertility - he got more than 80% of his mares in foal last season - and libido remain excellent, and he is clearly a wonderful stallion to deal with. The Black Swan sire, who stamps his stock but benefits from covering mares with substance, has proved to be a very versatile stallion, with Elusive Fort’s progeny ranging from dual Southeaster Sprint winner Elusive Trader to G1 SA Derby winner Out Of Your League, and he has long since proved capable of siring both high-class colts and fillies.

Other notable progeny of Elusive Fort include Gr1 winning fillies Lauderdale and Siren’s Call, Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks winner Secret Potion, Gr2 Umkhomazi Stakes winner Swing Upon A Star, Gr2 Dingaans winner Catch Twentytwo and Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas runner up Safe Harbour.

Elusive Fort is set to cover another good book of mares this year, with his prospective mates including Ignition Lady, dam of the Elusive

Fort sired graded stakes winners Big Burn and Catch Twentytwo.

Kommetdieding’s own dam Adorable (Captain Al) is, in the meantime, back in foal to Elusive Fort, and hopes are high for this mating. Having produced the likes of Kommetdieding and the stakes-winning siblings Ernie and Freedom Charter, when sent Captain Al mares, it is not surprising that Elusive Fort will, once again, be covering his share of Captain Al mares this season.

Elusive Fort also looks poised to make his mark as a broodmare sire in years to come, with his daughter Siren’s Call having already produced a high-class performer in the form of Sound Of Warning (Trippi). The latter was victorious in both the 2021 Gr3 Strelitzia Stakes and 2021 Gr3 Magnolia Handicap, having amassed more than R500 000 in prize money.