In Australia, horses with one eye are not permitted to race and for a young horse with an otherwise bright future that can present a challenging dilemma for an Australian breeder.
Earlier this morning we reported on the smart debut win at Scottsville of two year-old filly Big Sugar, John Singleton's first winner as an owner in South Africa, and you guessed it – she has only one eye!
Click here to read the story.
Big Sugar lost an eye as a foal with Strawberry Hill Stud's Racing and Bloodstock Manager Duncan Grimley taking up the story.
"She's a lovely filly and when she lost the eye we did wonder what to do with her," Grimley said.
"Charles Laird had bought quite a few horses from us and I'd always said we
might give him one to train if the right opportunity came along and this filly
was it."South Africa allows horses to race there with one eye and be imported that way.
"We were initially thinking Singapore, but they allow them to race there with one eye if they lose it there, but they cannot be imported that way."
By champion sire More Than Ready (USA) from slick stakes-winner Sugar Babe, Big Sugar was sent to South Africa as a yearling in March of this year along with all the other Australian yearling purchases for South African buyers from the early sales.
"Charles loves her and thinks she will measure up to the better juveniles so he has put her away for the time being now to be aimed at those good races later on next year," Grimley said.
"If she can gain Black Type and is good enough to warrant bringing home to go to stud, then we'll certainly do that…. Maybe she could come back via Frankel in the UK!"
