Eight Carat

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.

Background
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.

Racing career
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.

Breeding record
During her career as a broodmare, Eight Carat produced five Group One winners:
 * Diamond Lover (1982, by Sticks and Stones), won the 1987 Railway Stakes (New Zealand)
 * Kaapstad (1984, by Sir Tristram), won the 1987 VRC Sires Produce Stakes
 * Marquise (1991, by Gold and Ivory), won the 1996 Captain Cook Stakes
 * Octagonal (1992, by Zabeel), won ten Group Ones including the 1995 Cox Plate and 1997 Chipping Norton Stakes
 * Mouawad (1993, by Zabeel), won the 1997 George Ryder Stakes, Futurity Stakes (Australia), Australian Guineas

Daughters as broodmares
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:
 * Don Eduardo winner of the 2002 Group 1 AJC Derby
 * Peruzzi multiple Group winner and Antwerp multiple Listed winner.

Diamond Lover is the grand dam of:
 * Viscount (Multiple Group 1 winner and Champion 2YO);
 * Helsinborg (Listed winner); Viking Ruler (Group 1 winner);
 * Kempinsky (Group 2 winner);
 * Diamond Like (Listed winner).

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
 * (Danewin): Elegant Fashion, Vitesse Dane, County Tyrone, Excites and Toulouse-Lautrec;
 * (Commands): Undue and Paratroopers.

Cotehele House is the grand dam of:
 * Emerald Dream (Group 1 winner)
 * Special Bond (Listed winner)
 * Taimana (Group 2 winner).

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.

Sons as sires
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:
 * Niello, winner of the 2003 Spring Champion Stakes and 2004 Canterbury Guineas and Rosehill Guineas
 * Lonhro, world champion miler of 2004, who also stood at Woodlands Stud.

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.

Colombia stood at Newmarket Lodge in New Zealand. 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.

Honours
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.

In 1996 Eight Carat was named Broodmare of the Year by the international journal Owner-Breeder (USA).

Eight Carat died in 2000, aged 25 at Sir Patrick Hogan's Cambridge Stud. She is buried alongside Sir Tristram (IRE).