Star three-year-olds Malmoos and War Of Athena, both graduates of Bloodstock South Africa sales, showed their class when scoring impressive victories in Saturday’s G1 World Sports Betting SA Classic (1800m) and G1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic (1800m) respectively. 

Malmoos and War Of Athena are poised to win this season’s Triple Crown and Triple Tiara respectively, with the talented three-year-olds having previously captured the G2 World Sports Betting Gauteng Guineas and G2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas respectively.

The Mike de Kock trained Malmoos, the second top lot sold at the 2019 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale, made it six wins, from just seven starts when he captured Saturday’s SA Classic in fluent fashion.

Under regular rider Luke Ferraris, Malmoos picked up the first G1 victory of his career when staying on to score a comprehensive two length score in the 2021 SA Classic, while scoring for owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum.

The World Sports Betting SA Classic proved a triumph for BSA, with BSA graduate Malmoos scoring, and Bloodstock South Africa graduates Catch Twentytwo and Flying Carpet finishing third and fourth respectively in the Turffontein feature.

It was a fourth graded victory for Malmoos, who had previously captured all of the G2 World Sports Betting Gauteng Guineas, G2 Avontuur Estate Concorde Cup and G3 Palacebet.co.za Live Games Graham Beck Stakes.

Bred by the Varsfontein Stud, Malmoos was knocked down to Shadwell South Africa for R4 400 000 at the 2019 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale when selling under the name of Vasco Da Gama.

A 25th G1 winner for deceased champion sire Captain Al, the blue blooded Malmoos, a full-brother to dual G3 winner Captain Splendid, is out of Fort Wood’s Spook Express Handicap winning daughter Justthewayyouare, a half-sister to Varsfontein’s very impressive stallion Master Of My Fate.

The Paul Matchett trained War Of Athena made it four graded stakes wins in a row when she outclassed her rivals to win Saturday’s G1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic in decisive fashion.

Under Muzi Yeni, the Summerhill Stud bred three-year-old unleashed a dazzling turn of foot which saw War Of Athena mow down her rivals and bound away to win by just over a length and three-quarters. Fellow BSA graduate Netta stayed on for second, with yet another Bloodstock South Africa purchase, Magical Flight, taking third spot.

Owned by Mr Roy Wentzel and Dr Rosemary Waterman-Wentzel, War Of Athena has now won seven of her 13 starts for earnings of R1 176 300.

A first G1 winner for the Dynasty sired Cape Guineas winner Act Of War (War Of Athena is from her sire’s very first crop), War Of Athena was a R30 000 buy from the 2019 Ready To Run Sale.

The brilliant filly is out of the placed Requiem mare Qaphela -a half-sister to Syringa Handicap heroine Ithala and G3 Pretty Polly Stakes winner Mzwilili.

Dubawi’s G1 SA Nursery winning son Willow Magic has made a bright start to his stud career, and he came up with his first graded winner when his son MK’s Pride, who was offered for sale at the 2019 Ready To Run, downed a high-class field to capture the G2 Ilha Bela Hawaii Stakes (1400m) at Turffontein on Saturday.

Trained by Paul Peter, and ridden to victory by Warren Kennedy, the Summerhill Stud bred MK’s Pride made it back to back wins when staying on gamely to defeat dual Equus Champion Got The Greenlight and capture Saturday’s feature by half a length for owner Koos Nkale.

The colt has now won five of just eight starts for earnings of R807 600.

Yet another Bloodstock South Africa graduate to pick up a feature race this weekend was the Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein bred filly Santa Therese. The latter made it four wins from just six starts when storming home to capture the Listed Breeders Guineas (1600m) at Fairview racecourse on Friday afternoon.

Trained by Alan Greeff, Santa There was ridden to victory by Greg Cheyne for owners Celso and Lee Scribante and Mr and Mrs Steven Jell.

A daughter of Wilgerbosdrift’s bang inform sire Flower Alley (who has some outstanding lots entered for the upcoming Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale), Santa Therese is out of dual winning Tiger Ridge mare Santa Clarita.

Friday’s Breeders Guineas winner was a R160 000 purchase from the 2019 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.