Bloodstock South Africa sold thoroughbreds had a wonderful run of success in 2024, and their great run continued at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. Not only did BSA graduate alumni One Stripe romp home in the G1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate, but BSA buy Double Grand Slam won the G1 Cartier Paddock Stakes in scintillating style. Yet another BSA purchase, King Pelles, claimed his biggest success when he won Saturday’s G3 Glorious Goodwood Chairman’s Cup in the style of a smart stayer.
Brilliant three-year-old One Stripe showed his class when downing some top-class male rivals to land the 2025 G1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate in tremendous fashion. The colt, who was knocked down to Central Route Trading for R100 000 at the 2023 August Two Year Old Sale, made it back to back G1 wins on Saturday, with One Stripe previously triumphant in the G1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas. Under an inform Gavin Lerena, the three-year-old powered home down the inside of the track to hit the front 200m from home. From there, the Vaughan Marshall trained colt kept galloping in front to score impressively by a length and three quarters. Bred by Drakenstein Stud, the Rikesh Seewgoolam owned sophomore took his tally of wins to six, from just eight starts, with One Stripe’s earnings rising to R4,161,762. One Stripe is a son of Drakenstein Stud’s sensational young sire One World and Silvano’s Listed Spook Express Handicap winning daughter Silver Stripe.
All the rage for Saturday’s Paddock Stakes, the Justin Snaith trained Double Grand Slam lived up to her starting price of 18-10 with a five star performance. One of three winners on the day for champion jockey Richard Fourie, four-year-old Double Grand Slam unleashed a wicked turn of foot which saw her hit the front close home and stay on smartly to land her first Grade One win comfortably by a length and a half. Bred by Varsfontein Stud, Double Grand Slam races for Drakenstein Stud (who enjoyed a wonderful day on Saturday), Dave MacLean and sporting icon Gary Player. It was a first Grade One win for Dave MacLean, one of racing’s most stalwart supporters. A filly bred to be anything, Double Grand Slam was knocked down to Gary Player for R1 000 000 at the 2022 National Yearling Sale. Now a winner of seven of 15 starts (the filly has earned R1,893,088), Double Grand Slam is a daughter of outstanding sire, and National Yearling Sale graduate, Vercingetorix. The blue blooded filly is out of G3 The Debutante winner Princess Peach, a Captain Al full-sister to Listed East Cape Nursery winner Princess Alberta and half-sister to graded stakes winners Sentbydestiny and Badger’s Cove. Safe to say, Double Grand Slam will be a very exciting prospect when she retires to the paddocks!
Gareth Van Zyl had a wonderful day on Saturday, winning a pair of graded races including the G3 Glorious Goodwood Chairman’s Cup with King Pelles. The Drakenstein Stud bred four-year-old caught the eye when storming home, under a well judged ride from Athandiwe Mgudlwa, to account for fellow Bloodstock South Africa graduate Holding Thumbs by a length and three quarters in Saturday’s 2500m contest. Bloodstock South Africa alumni King Pelles, Holding Thumbs, Mucho Dinero made it a clean sweep for BSA as they filled the first three placings in Saturday’s Chairman’s Cup. Owned by Lucky Vest 12 CC (Nom: Mr Ravi Padayachee), Messrs Dave MacLean, Gary Player and N V Parmanand, King Pelles was a R475 000 buy from the 2022 National Yearling Sale. Now a four time winner, with R493,987 in earnings, King Pelles is a son of Drakenstein’s late sire, and former Cartier Champion, Duke Of Marmalade. The gelding, who is out of the stakes placed Galileo mare Grail Maiden, is a half-brother to four winners notably G1 SA Derby winner Hero’s Honour.
The first live Bloodstock South Africa auction of 2025 will be the Cape Yearling Sale, which is set to take place at SARDA on February 23rd.
