| Horsename: | Eight Carat |
| Sire: | Pieces of Eight |
| Grandsire: | Relic |
| Dam: | Klairessa |
| Damsire: | Klairon |
| Sex: | Mare |
| Foaled: | 1975 |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Colour: | Black |
| Awards: | International Broodmare of the Year (1996) New Zealand Broodmare of the Year (1995, 1996, 1997) |
| Honours: | New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame |
Eight Carat (GB) (1975 - 2000) was a British-bred Thoroughbred broodmare. in Australasia. She produced five individual Group One winners, including Octagonal, Mouawad, Kaapstad, Diamond Lover and (Our) Marquise who had 28 stakes wins between them.[1]
Eight Carat was a black or brown mare bred in Britain. She was sired by the Eclipse Stakes winner Pieces of Eight out of Klairessa. Klairessa had little success as a racehorse, but was a sister to both the King's Stand Stakes winner D'Urberville and the mare Lora who produced the 1000 Guineas winner On the House. In addition to Eight Carat, Klairessa also produced a colt by General Assembly named Knesset, who won the Ballyogan Stakes in 1988 and Habibti, the British champion sprinter and Horse of the Year in 1983.[2]
Eight Carat raced for three seasons in England in the late 1970s but showed no discernible ability, failing to win in five races. She was sold for 9,400 guineas in December 1979.[3]
During her career as a broodmare, Eight Carat produced five Group One winners:
Her influence now extends to several generations and includes her daughters:
Diamond Lover
Dam of Tristalove winner of 2 Group 1 races and Champion Race filly:
Diamond Lover is the grand dam of:
She is also the great grand dam of Lucida (Listed winner) and De Beers (Group 1 winner).
Marquise
Dam of Shower of Roses, Group 1 winner.
Cotehele House
Born 1980 by My Swanee: dam of Danewin (b. 1991), winner of 5 Group 1 races, and Champion 3 year old of his year, and Commands, the winner of a Group 3 race. Both Danewin and Commands stood at stud in Australia's Hunter Valley and sired Group 1 winners, including
Cotehele House is the grand dam of:
She is also the great grand dam of Impaler (2x Group 2 winner) and Listen Here (Listed winner). Cotehele House is the great-great grand dam of the 2020 Caulfield Cup and 2021 Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant.
La Brillante
Born 1986 by Sir Tristram): dam of Philidor, Listed winner.
Nine Carat
Born 1989 by Sir Tristram): dam of Court of Jewels, Listed winner.
Eight Carat's sons: Octagonal, Kaapstad, Colombia and Mouawad have all stood at stud.
Octagonal, stood at Woodlands Stud, Cootamundra, New South Wales and was the sire of the two Group One winning brothers:
Kaapstad stood at Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand and was a leading sire and broodmare sire. At stud Kaapstad sired 43 individual stakes winners.[4]
Colombia stood at Newmarket Lodge in New Zealand.[5] He sired Addictive Habit, winner of the 2015 Livamol Classic and Foxbridge Plate. Also Chocolate Fish, the winner of the 2018 Great Northern Steeplechase (6300m).
Mouawad stood one season in Australia at Glenlogan Park Stud in Queensland, however due to fertility problems, he was re-sold again at public auction for A$525,000 to the former Domeland Syndicate and shipped to China. His fate is unknown following the collapse of the Chinese racing industry in 2005.
Eight Carat won the New Zealand Broodmare of the Year a record-equalling three times from 1995 to 1997 due to the deeds of Octagonal and Mouawad.[6]
In 1996 Eight Carat was named Broodmare of the Year by the international journal Owner-Breeder (USA).[7] [8]
Eight Carat died in 2000, aged 25 at Sir Patrick Hogan's Cambridge Stud. She is buried alongside Sir Tristram (IRE).