Graduates of Bloodstock South Africa dominated feature race action at Turffontein on Saturday. Horses sold off past BSA auctions claimed no fewer than seven black type races at Turffontein this past weekend, with Bloodstock South Africa sold thoroughbreds Royal Victory, Purple Pitcher and Thunderstruck winning the G1 World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge, G1 TAB SA Derby and G1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint respectively.
Top-class four-year-old Royal Victory claimed his second G1 victory this season when he powered home to land Saturday’s R2 000 000 World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge for Nathan Kotzen, Muzi Yeni and winning owners Peter Victor, Brandon Wiese and Natasha Sturdy. Unleashed late, the Ambiance Stud bred Royal Victory stormed home to win by half a length. It was a fifth win, and third graded victory, for Royal Victory who had won the G1 Betway Summer Cup earlier in the season.
A son of inform Irish champion Pathfork, Royal Victory was a R90 000 buy from the 2021 National Yearling Sale, and he has now earned close on R5 million in prize money.
His four time winning dam Kailani, a three-parts sister to G2 winner No Worries, has a Querari filly (Lot 207) on offer at the upcoming National Sale and, no doubt, she looks sure to be very popular indeed.
Star three-year-old Purple Pitcher confirmed his status as a top-class colt when he ran out a game winner of Saturday’s G1 TAB SA Derby. Winner of the G1 TAB SA Classic last time out, the Robyn Klaasen trained colt was made to work for victory by his paternal half-brother Pure Predator but, under Kabelo Matsunyane, he dug down deep to claim the final leg of South Africa’s Triple Crown by a neck.
Bred by Bush Hill Stud, Purple Pitcher has now won seven of 12 starts, with the Mr Pooe owned three-year-old having also prevailed in the G2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans back in November.
A son of the much missed New Predator, Purple Pitcher was a R170 000 purchase from the 2022 KZN Yearling Sale.
He shares his dam Heliantha with five other winners including 2022 G3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes winner Miss Daisy.
Star sprinter Thunderstruck stamped his own Equus Award claims when he ran out a convincing winner of the G1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint on Saturday. Winner of the G2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes, the Sean Tarry trained colt was given a peach of a ride by Richard Fourie, with Fourie bringing his well travelled mount with a late rattle to win Gauteng’s premier sprint by a long neck.
Bred by Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm, four-year-old Thunderstruck, also victorious in the 2022 G1 Gold Medallion, has now won seven of 17 starts and a stud career beckons for the well bred colt.
Owned by Wilgerbosdrift, Thunderstruck was originally knocked down to Form Bloodstock for R1 000 000 at the 2021 National Yearling Sale before being bought back by current connections at the 2022 May Online Auction.
One of two graded stakes winners on Saturday for his sire Rafeef, Thunderstruck is out of the Var sired G2 Post Merchants winner Varikate.
The inform Rafeef is also the sire of BSA graduate Frances Ethel, who made it four wins from five starts when winning Saturday’s G2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks for the Crawford yard.
Under Kabelo Matsunyane, the three-year-old stormed home to win the Oaks impressively by a length and three quarters.
Owned by Messrs Chinsammy, Knowles, H P Sambor, Mrs Vanashree & Mr Anant Singh and Team Valor International, Frances Ethel was bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein.
The filly, who won the Listed Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial prior to her win on Saturday, was a R160 000 purchase from the 2022 KZN Yearling Sale.
Equus Champion Sandringham Summit, a R1 700 000 purchase from the 2022 National Yearling Sale, bounced back to winning ways when he won the G2 TAB Hawaii Stakes at Turffontein. Destined to stand at Varsfontein Stud, the home of his birth, the David Nieuwenhuizen trained three-year-old made it five wins when from ten starts when defeating fellow G1 winner and BSA graduate Lucky Lad by a length and a quarter on Saturday.
A Gimmethegreenlight half-brother to the Clifton Stud based G1 winner Eden Roc, Sandringham Summit was the Equus Champion 2YO Colt of 2022-2023.
Fire Attack looks to be another top-class two-year-old purchased off a Bloodstock South Africa sale -if his win in Saturday’s G2 TAB SA Nursery is anything to go by! Under a well judged ride from Diego De Gouveia, the Alec Laird trained colt colt unleashed a devastating turn of foot which saw him rocket home in the closing stages to score by two and a quarter lengths.
Bred by Ndoro Stud, Fire Attack is owned by Messrs G A Basel, G C Cornwall, L Clark & Canine Solutions CC.
Runner up in the Listed HKJC World Pool Event 6 April Storm Bird Stakes on his penultimate start, Fire Attack was a R450 000 buy from the 2023 National Yearling Sale.
The colt is a son of the very promising young stallion Fire Away, with Fire Attack’s dam Bonnie Beers a half-sister to the dam of current high-class galloper Dave The King among others.
Ascot Stud continue to produce high-class stakes winners and it was the Ascot Stud bred Rule Book who prevailed in Saturday’s Listed 4Racing Caradoc Gold Cup, with the five-year-old booted home by Kaidan Brewer to score by a neck.
Trained by Alec Laird, Rule Book, who races for Grant Cornwall, has now won seven times with the gelding having finished third in the Listed TAB Aquanaut Handicap last month.
A son of Ascot Stud’s Galileo horse Global View, Rule Book (a half-brother to Listed Aquanaut Handicap winner Royal Honour) was a R190 000 buy from the 2020 National Yearling Sale.
Bloodstock South Africa alumni also fared well at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday where BSA graduate Princess Izzy won the Listed Sweet Chestnut Stakes for Luyolo Mxothwa, Brett Crawford and Suzette Viljoen.
Bred by Varsfontein Stud, Princess Izzy, who has now won three of nine starts, was a R650 000 purchase from the 2022 August Two Year Old Sale.
The three-year-old is a daughter of Varsfontein’s consistently successful sire Master Of My Fate and the unraced What A Winter mare Destiny Dancer. The latter is a three-parts sister to both former Equus Champion, and triple G1 winner, Capetown Noir, and G3 August Stakes hero Across The Ice.
South Africa’s most successful sale, the National Yearling Sale, is set to take place at the TBA Complex in Germiston on April 18th and 19th, and the catalogue can be viewed online at www.bsa.co.za
