Bloodstock South Africa graduates got off to the perfect start in 2022, when BSA buy Jet Dark won Saturday’s G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and fellow BSA purchase Captain’s Ransom captured the G1 Cartier Paddock Stakes at Kenilworth on the same day.

Remarkably, yet another Bloodstock South Africa sold thoroughbred, Hoedspruit, claimed victory in Saturday’s G2 Glorious Goodwood Premier Trophy -making it a truly Super Saturday for BSA graduates!

Winner of the 2021 G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (1600m), the Justin Snaith trained Jet Dark successfully defended his title with a fluent win in Saturday’s R1 500 000 race.

Under S’Manga Khumalo (unbeaten in two starts aboard the colt), the Drakenstein Stud bred Jet Dark overcame a slow start by powering home to score by two and a quarter lengths, with last season’s G1 Vodacom Durban July winner Kommetdieding and reigning South African Horse Of The Year, and BSA graduate, Rainbow Bridge finishing second and third respectively.

Jet Dark, who gained an automatic berth to this year’s G1 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile following his Queen’s Plate win, has now won six of 11 starts for earnings of inexcess of R2 million.

Owned by Nick Jonsson and Tommy Crowe, the four-year-old was a R200 000 buy from the 2019 National Yearling Sale.

Jet Dark, Equus Champion 3YO Colt and Champion Miler of 2020-2021, is a son of Drakenstein’s Champion Sire Trippi and the winning Jet Master mare Night Jet.

The Moutonshoek bred star Captain’s Ransom showed her class when scoring a courageous win in Saturday’s G1 Cartier Paddock Stakes (1800m).

Unbeaten this season, the Captain Al filly, one of four graded stakes winners on the day for trainer Justin Snaith, stayed on gamely to land the Paddock Stakes by a head, under a strong ride from Richard Fourie.

One of two graded stakes winners on the day for owner Suzette Viljoen, Captain’s Ransom has now won nine of just 11 starts, with her previous triumphs including the 2020 G1 World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas, 2021 G1 Majorca Stakes and 2021 G2 World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas.

Knocked down to John Freeman for R225 000 at the 2019 National Yearling Sale, Captain’s Ransom is out of the Red Ransom mare Cinna’s Ransom.

Justin Snaith, Richard Fourie and Suzette Viljoen also teamed up with Hoedspruit to score a last gasp win in Saturday’s G2 Glorious Goodwood Premier Trophy (1800m) at Kenilworth. Winner of the Listed Nelson Mandela Bay Racing Algoa Cup two starts back, four-year-old Hoedspruit, bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, launched a strong late run down the inside of the track to get up and win by half a length.

A wonderful advert for the Cape Yearling Sale (he was a R280 000 buy from the 2019 Cape Sale), Hoedspruit has now won six of 15 starts, including last season’s G3 World Sports Betting Legal Eagle Stakes, for earnings of more than R640 000.

Himself a son of Horse Of The Year, and former National Sale graduate, Legislate, Hoedspruit is out of the Trippi mare Londalozi -a full-sister to G2 Betting World Oaks third place getter Shingwedzi and a three-parts sister to Listed Perfect Promise Sprint winner Lesedi La Rona.