Bloodstock South Africa sold thoroughbreds had a fantastic few days this past weekend, with BSA alumni picking up no fewer than six graded or listed races in South Africa during that period.
BSA graduate Buster Barnes added to this tally when he won the Zimbabwe Guineas at Borrowdale on Saturday.
Graduates of BSA dominated feature race action in Fairview on Friday, with the Ascot Stud bred pair of Fairy Knight and Three Rocks winning the Listed Ibhayi Stakes and Listed Lady’s Pendant respectively.
Both Fairy Knight and Three Rocks are trained by Alan Greeff and both three-year-olds were ridden to victory on Friday by Richard Fourie.
Knocked down to Pine Lodge Stud for R120 000 at the 2022 National Yearling Sale, Fairy Knight was rewarded for consistency when he ran out a brilliant, four and a quarter length winner of the 2024 Ibhayi Stakes (1400m), the first leg of the Eastern Cape Sophomore Challenge.
The gelding, who races for Pine Lodge Stud and the Halo Syndicate, has now won five of 11 starts and he has already earned R454 525 in prize money.
A second Ibhayi Stakes winner for his sire Global View, Fairy Knight is out of the Lecture mare Fairy Queen, a dual winner who ran second in the G1 Allan Robertson Fillies Championship.
Ascot’s G1 South African Classic winning sire Heavenly Blue came up with his first stakes winner when his daughter Three Rocks, a member of her sire’s first crop, won the Lady’s Pendant on Friday afternoon. The classy three-year-old kept finding in the closing stages to post her first black type win by a length.
Owned by the ASSM Racing Syndicate, Three Rocks has now won six of just nine starts with the filly having also finished third in this season’s G2 wsb.co.za Southern Cross Stakes.
A R100 000 purchase from the 2022 August Two Year Old Sale, Three Rocks, a half-sister to this season’s G3 Flamboyant Stakes winner Rockie Reef, is out of the unraced Rock Of Gibraltar mare Rockie Bright.
Horses sold at Bloodstock South Africa auctions claimed three graded stakes races at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, with One Stripe landing the G3 City Of Cape Town Cape Of Good Hope Nursery, Double Grand Slam taking the G3 SplashOut Prix Du Cap and Thunderstruck victorious in the G2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes.
Knocked down to Central Route Trading for R100 000 at the 2023 August Two Year Old Sale, exciting two-year-old One Stripe made it two wins from just three starts when running out a smart winner of the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery.
Under an inform Bernard Fayd’Herbe, the Vaughan Marshall trained colt powered home down the inside of the track to get up and win Saturday’s R1 000 000 contest by a length and a quarter. In the process, the Drakenstein Stud bred colt provided his Drakenstein based sire One World, also sire of Cape Of Good Hope Nursery fourth place finisher, with his first stakes winner.
One Stripe, who races for Rikesh Seewgoolam, is out of the Silvano mare Silver Stripe, whose three career wins included a triumph in the Listed Spook Express Handicap.
Classy filly Double Grand Slam made a big impression when she romped home to win Saturday’s Prix Du Cap by an emphatic three lengths, with her beaten opponents including fellow BSA graduate, and Equus Champion, Mrs Geriatrix. Trained by Justin Snaith, and ridden to victory by Grant Van Niekerk, the three-year-old races for Dave MacLean, Gary Player and Suzette Viljoen. Bred by Varsfontein Stud, the daughter of Vercingetorix was a R1 000 000 buy from the 2022 National Yearling Sale. Third, behind champion Princess Calla, in the G1 City Of Cape Town Majorca Stakes prior to Saturday’s win, Double Grand Slam has now won three of eight starts and she looks an exciting prospect.
Star sprinter Thunderstruck, himself a R1 000 000 buy from the 2021 National Yearling Sale, justified favouritism when he ran out a courageous winner of the Diadem Stakes on Saturday. Appearing beaten close home, the Sean Tarry trained colt fought back bravely and got up to win by a long neck. Bred by Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm, and owned by Wilgerbosdrift (Pty) Ltd, Thunderstruck has now won six of 16 starts with his previous victories headed by the 2022 G1 Gold Medallion. A son of Ridgemont’s highly successful sire Rafeef, the well bred Thunderstruck is out of the Var sired G2 Post Merchants winner Varikate.
Varsfontein Stud’s great run continued at Turffontein on Sunday, when the Varsfontein bred One Fell Swoop won the G3 National Currency Sprint for Tony Peter, Suzette Viljoen and Kaidan Brewer. A three-year-old daughter of the much missed Lancaster Bomber, One Fell Swoop dug down deep to hold off a flying Ziyasha and land Saturday’s 1100m sprint by just under half a length.
Now a four time winner from just eight starts, One Fell Swoop was a R480 000 buy from the 2022 Cape Yearling Sale.
The well bred filly is out of the Philanthropist mare Imperadora, who also ranks as the dam of this season’s G2 Cape Merchants runner up Countdown.
