Bloodstock South Africa enjoyed tremendous success at Turffontein on Saturday, when BSA alumni MK’s Pride and Aragosta won the G1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes and G1 World Sports Betting SA Derby respectively.
The Paul Peter trained MK’s Pride picked up a well deserved first G1 victory when downing a high-class field to win Saturday’s Horse Chestnut Stakes.
Under a well judged ride from Muzi Yeni, who was winning the Horse Chestnut Stakes for a second year in a row, the powerful four-year-old powered home to land Saturday’s R1 000 000 feature by three-parts of a length over Argentine bred gelding Puerto Manzano, with the well backed favourite, and last out G1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met victor, Kommetdieding, having to settle for third place.
Bred by Summerhill Stud, the Koos Nkale owned MK’s Pride took his tally of wins to nine with his G1 triumph on Saturday.
The colt had previously captured the 2021 G2 Ilha Bela Hawaii Stakes and 2021 G2#ThisIsRacing Joburg Spring Challenge, and also famously downed champion War Of Athena when victorious in the 2020 Peermont Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup.
Offered for sale at the 2019 Ready To Run Sale, MK’s Pride is a first G1 winner for Bush Hill Stud’s G1 SA Nursery/G2 Dingaans winning stallion Willow Magic. The latter has three lots on offer at the National Yearling Sale later this month.
MK’s Pride, who is out of the winning Admire Main mare Ikimasu, has a Hat Puntano half-brother (Lot 424) on offer at this year’s National Sale.
Trainer Mike de Kock made it back to back SA Derby wins when he sent out the Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein bred gelding Aragosta to land Saturday’s G1 World Sports Betting SA Derby.
A first G1 winner for Ridgemont Highlands’ sensational young stallion Rafeef, Aragosta also provided jockey Richard Fourie with one of three graded wins on Saturday with an off the pace victory.
Knocked down to Form Bloodstock for R220 000 at the 2020 National Sale, Aragosta blasted clear of his rivals to win the 2022 SA Derby a shade cosily by half a length, with fellow BSA graduates Zeus and London Roads taking second and third places respectively.
Now a four time winner from just eight starts (he had previously landed the G3 Sea Cottage Stakes earlier this season), Aragosta races for Mike de Kock, Murray Makepeace, JJ van der Linden and the Malherbe family.
The great run of Bloodstock South Africa sold thoroughbreds continued at Hollywoodbets Greyville the following day when BSA graduates Supreme Quest and Waterberry Lane captured Sunday’s G3 Umzimkhulu Stakes and G3 Byerley Turk respectively.
Winner of the 2021 Bloodstock SA Sales Cup, the Corne Spies trained Supreme Quest proved far too strong for her rivals when romping home to a near one and a half length win in Sunday’s 1400m feature for three-year-olds with fellow BSA buy Kailene back in second spot.
Ridden to victory by Anton Marcus, the Gold Star Stud bred filly races for Corne Spies Racing (Pty) Ltd.
A daughter of Querari and the Lecture mare Supreme Lecture, Supreme Quest was a R90 000 buy from the 2020 National 2YO Sale.
The classy Waterberry Lane, who races in the silks of the late Michael Rattray, scored an emotional victory when romping home to an impressive score in Sunday’s G3 Byerley Turk. Under Keagan De Melo, the Dean Kannemeyer trained gelding pulled well clear in the closing stages of Sunday’s feature to win by two and a half lengths.
Another graded winner over the weekend bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, the son of Soft Falling Rain was winning his second graded race, with Waterberry Lane having also triumped in last season’s G2 Durban Golden Horseshoe.
Out of the Fort Wood mare Gain Ground, and another feather in the cap of his ill-fated sire, Waterberry Lane was a R250 000 purchase from the 2020 Cape Yearling Sale.
