Bloodstock South Africa sold thoroughbreds dominated feature race action at Turffontein on Saturday.
Not only did BSA alumni win Saturday’s G1 Wilgerbosdrift H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, G1 TAB SA Classic, and G1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic, but they also claimed the same day’s G3 TAB J J The Jet Plane Stakes and Listed TAB Storm Bird Stakes.
Top-class three-year-old Cosmic Speed showed his class when downing older rivals to win the G1 Wilgerbosdrift H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600 metres. One of two G1 winners for jockey Craig Zackey on Saturday, the Sean Tarry trained gelding overcame stamina doubts with a convincing win in Saturday’s R1 500 000 feature. Given a fine ride by Craig Zackey, Cosmic Speed raced just off the pace early on before hitting the front 150m from home. From there, the Querari gelding kept going strongly to win by a length and three quarters. In the process, Cosmic Speed took his tally of wins to four from eight starts and his earnings to R1 648 750. Bred by Maine Chance Farms, the ultra consistent Cosmic Speed has only once been out of the first three placings in eight starts. Raced by Mrs Heinrich Kuhn, Mr Krishen Naidoo and The Hon Mr Justice Kruger, Cosmic Speed showed plenty of pace and promise at two, when he won the G2 Durban Golden Horseshoe and ran second in the G1 Gold Medallion. The 2025 Wilgerbosdrift H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes was knocked down to Sean Tarry Racing for R725 000 at the 2023 National Yearling Sale. Out of the winning Silvano mare Cosmic Dream, Cosmic Speed is a full-brother to G2 The Debutante winner Cosmic Light and half-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Cosmic Highway.
Wilgerbosdrift’s promising young sire Fire Away made headlines on Saturday, when his BSA sold sons Confederate and Fire Attack finished first and second in the G1 TAB SA Classic, the second leg of the TAB sponsored South African Triple Crown. The progressive Confederate was given a fine, front running ride by Craig Zackey in the SA Classic, which saw the pair prevail, over a fast finishing Fire Attack, by nearly three-parts of a length. Trained by Fabian Habib, the Moutonshoek bred three-year-old took his tally of wins to four from eight starts, with Confederate yet to finish out of the first two. Owned by Messrs D Chinsammy, W G de Koker, E Naicker, G J Nassif, J Nassif, G, K & M M Nassif,Tri-Deal Sixteen CC and TKP Racing, Confederate was a R280 000 purchase from the 2023 August Two Year Old Sale. South Africa’s latest rising equine star, a first G1 winner for his sire Fire Away, is out of the Danehill Dancer mare Acquavella, with the latter also dam of G1 Thekwini Stakes/G2 Golden Slipper runner up Dawn Calling.
Yet another Bloodstock South Africa sold three-year-old to pick up a G1 race on Saturday was classy filly Fiery Pegasus. A R330 000 buy from the 2023 National Yearling Sale, the Joe Soma trained filly was given a superb ride by champion jockey Richard Fourie to win the G1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic on Saturday. Richard Fourie bought Fiery Pegasus with a superbly timed challenge which saw the Captain Of All filly power away to win well by an impressive four and three quarter lengths. Bred by the Greenacres Trust & Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud, Fiery Pegasus is owned by Messrs J R Blumberg, D Chinsammy, R G Coppin, E Naicker, B M Nassif, G, K & M M Nassif, Mr B & Mrs K Ncube, MGAS Bloodstock and Kisten Pillay Racing. Fiery Pegasus, who finished second in both the G2 Betway Joburg Spring F and M Challenge and G3 Betway Fillies Mile earlier this season, has won four of ten starts with the filly taking her earnings to R1 167 500.
Out of the four time winning Jet Master mare Scorched, Fiery Pegasus is a full-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Shango.
The remarkable William Robertson, a R500 000 buy from the 2020 National 2YO Sale, picked the 14th win of his career when he romped home to a two and a quarter length triumph in the G3 TAB J J The Jet Plane Stakes on Saturday. Under Ryan Munger, the Corne Spies trained six-year-old proved as good as ever with his impressive latest victory. Bred by Ridgemont Highlands, William Robertson, who races for Messrs R P Macnab, Keegan Govender, Xander Spies & Corne Spies Racing (Pty) Ltd, Waste Glass Recovery (Pty) Ltd, has now a trio of graded wins to his name with the Rafeef gelding also victorious in the 2022 G2 Topbet Mike O’Connor Joburg Spring Challenge and the same year’s G3 Tony Ruffel Stakes.
William Robertson is out of the three time winning Trippi mare Massachusetts, a full-sister to R8.5 million plus earner Illuminator.
Charming Cheetah, a R500 000 purchase from the 2024 KZN Yearling Sale, made the perfect start to his racing career when he won the Listed TAB Storm Bird Stakes on debut. Defying his 66-1 starting price, the Robyn Klaasen trained colt, who provided jockey Rachel Venniker with a quick feature race double, showed his class when downing some blue blooded two-year-olds to score by a neck. The Clifton Stud bred colt, who races for Messrs D Chinsammy, S S Pooe & TKP Racing (Nom: Trevelen Pillay), is a son of the much missed New Predator and the twice winning Judpot mare Endearing. Excitingly, Charming Cheetah has a Declarationofpeace half-brother on offer at this year’s National Sale!
