Bloodstock South Africa sold thoroughbreds dominated the finish to the G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate run at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Not only did BSA buy Jet Dark win South Africa’s most prestigious one mile race, but fellow BSA graduates Rainbow Bridge and Do It Again finished second and fourth respectively, giving Bloodstock South Africa a remarkable a 1-2-4 finish in the 2021 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.
The race was also a tremendous triumph for trainer Justin Snaith, who saddled Jet Dark, Belgarion and Do It Again to finish first, third and fourth.
Bred by Drakenstein Stud, Jet Dark (the only three-year-old in the race) powered home under a strong ride from Grant Van Niekerk to land the R1 000 000 feature by three-parts of a length, while vanquishing multiple G1 winner Rainbow Bridge to second and last season’s G1 Vodacom Durban July hero Belgarion to third. In the process, the colt booked himself a berth in this year’s G1 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF.
Jet Dark, the first three-year-old since Gimmethegreenlight to win the Queen’s Plate, took his tally of wins to four from just seven starts, and his earnings to R759 100 with his sparkling triumph in Saturday’s race.
A R200 000 buy from the 2019 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale, the colt had previously won last season’s G3 Beaumont Stud Langerman and had been a close up fourth in the G1 Cape Racing Presents The Cape Guineas at his penultimate start.
Jet Dark races for Nick Jonsson and Tommy Crowe, who look to have an attractive future prospect on their hands!
One of 80 stakes winners for Drakenstein’s champion sire Trippi, Jet Dark is out of the winning Jet Master mare Night Jet -a half-sister to Thukela Handicap winner Brown Penny and Darley Arabian victor Night Trip.
Jet Dark was one of two BSA graduates to land a graded feature on Saturday, with the Drakenstein Stud bred Silver Host putting up an impressive display to win the G3 Okapi Chairman’s Cup (2500m) on the same card. Winner of the G3 City Of Politician Stakes last season, the Justin Snaith trained gelding pulled clear, under Richard Fourie, to post a two and a quarter length win, over former G1 Gbets Cape Derby winner Atyaab, in the 2021 Chairman’s Cup.
Owned by Drakenstein Stud, in partnership with Nick Jonsson and the Estate of the Late Jack Mitchell, Silver Host has now won four of 12 starts.
The son of multiple champion sire Silvano was a R2 600 000 buy from the 2018 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.
Bloodstock South Africa graduates also enjoyed a feature race double one day earlier, with multiple Equus Champion Celtic Sea capturing the G2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes for a second year running and Elusive Fortune landing the Listed Ardmore Jamaica Handicap on the first day of the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate festival.
