Bloodstock South Africa sold thoroughbreds dominated feature race action at Turffontein on Saturday.
BSA horses picked up no fewer than seven feature races on Saturday, with this tally including all four of the Grade One races run on Saturday.
Star three-year-old Fire Attack, who has a full-brother on offer at the upcoming National Yearling Sale, gained a well deserved first G1 success when he won Saturday’s G1 HKJC World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge (2000m) for Alec Laird and Richard Fourie. The gallant chestnut, given an astute ride by Fourie, raced midfield early on before moving up to race in second spot. Fire Attack hit the front 300m from home, and, in a rough finish, stayed on to win by a neck. BSA thoroughbreds Fire Attack, Royal Victory, Purple Pitcher and Atticus Finch filled the first four placings to provide Bloodstock South Africa with a HKJC World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge clean sweep. Bred by Ndoro Stud, Fire Attack was a R450 000 buy from the 2023 National Yearling Sale. The chestnut son of Fire Away, whose full-brother sells as Lot 33 at the National Sale, races for Gary Basel, Grant Cornwall, L Clarke and Canine Solutions CC. The second G1 winner this month for his sire, Fire Away is out of the unplaced Mambo In Seattle mare Bonnie Beers, and hails from the same family as reigning Horse Of The Year Dave The King. The colt has won three of his 11 starts with 5 places for stakes of R2 140 760.
Richard Fourie also steered Bloodstock South Africa purchases Legend Of Arthur and Fiery Pegasus to claim Saturday’s G1 TAB SA Derby (2450m) and G2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks (2450m) respectively. A fourth SA Derby winner for trainer Sean Tarry, Legend Of Arthur was given a superb ride in Saturday’s R1.25 million contest, with Fourie bringing the colt with a sustained late run to win convincingly by a neck. Bred by Drakenstein Stud (who own him in partnership with Bruce and Jo Gardner, Mark Currie and Mr Millar), Legend Of Arthur was a R925 000 purchase from the National Yearling Sale. The blue blooded colt, who had finished third in the G1 TAB SA Classic prior to his Derby win, is a son of the much missed Lancaster Bomber and the stakes placed Galileo mare Grail Maiden. The latter has produced four other winners including fellow G1 SA Derby winner Hero’s Honour and this season’s G3 Glorious Goodwood Chairman’s Cup hero King Pelles.
In contrast to his come from behind ride on Legend Of Arthur, RIchard Fourie gave Fiery Pegasus a bold, front running ride when the pair captured the G2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks. The Joe Soma trained filly, victorious in the G1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic last time out, held a big lead for much of the race, and she kept going gamely to score by a short-head. Bred by the Greenacres Trust in partnership with the Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud, Fiery Pegasus was a R330 000 buy from the 2023 National Yearling Sale. A daughter of Captain Of All, Fiery Pegasus ranks as a real bargain buy, with her latest win taking the filly’s earnings to R1 636 250. A full-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Shango, Fiery Pegasus races for Messrs J R Blumberg,D Chinsammy,R G Coppin,E Naicker,B M Nassif, G, K & M M Nassif,Mr B & Mrs K Ncube,MGAS Bloodstock, Kisten Pillay Racing.
The remarkable William Robertson, a R500 000 purchase from the 2020 National 2YO Sale, brought the house down when he scored a hugely popular win in the G1 TAB Computaform Sprint. Under Ryan Munger, the strapping son of Rafeef powered home to claim his first G1 win by a neck. Trainer Corne Spies has done a fantastic job with this charismatic six-year-old, with William Robertson having won 15 of his 42 starts, with the gelding having earned R3 032 375. Owned by Rob Macnab, Keegan Govender, Xander Spies, Corne Spies Racing (Pty) Ltd & Jannie de Lange’s Waste Glass Recovery (Pty) Ltd, William Robertson is out of the three time winning Trippi mare Massachusetts.
Classy filly Fatal Flaw stamped her Equus Award claims when she won Saturday’s G1 Empress Club Stakes, while beating some talented older rivals. Winner of the G1 World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas earlier in the season, the Brett and James Crawford trained filly showed plenty of courage when fighting off favourite, and G2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas queen, Spumante Dolce to claim the second G1 win of her career by a length and a quarter. Bred by Laurence Wernars, Fatal Flaw races for the ASSM Syndicate. The filly, a R210 000 purchase from the 2023 National Yearling Sale, is a daughter of the ill-fated New Predator and the Rock Of Gibraltar mare Alinga. The latter was a smart performer herself, with Alinga winning five races including the Listed East Coast Handicap. Also victorious in this season’s G3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes, Fatal Flaw has won four of 11 starts for earnings of R1 978 688.
Star four-year-old Main Defender surely ranks as one of the biggest bargain buys of recent times. Knocked down to Tienie Prinsloo for R140 000 at the 2022 Cape Yearling Sale, Main Defender took his earnings to R2 965 875.when he won the G2 Tab Hawaii Stakes (1400m) on Saturday. Under Gavin Lerena, the Tony Peter trained four-year-old hit the front someway from home and kept going to hold off recent G1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes winner Cosmic Speed by half a length. Owned by Messrs J J Habib, G, K & M M Nassif, Main Defender, who has won five graded races, was bred by Jagessar Limited. A son of Irish champion Pathfork and the Judpot mare Alessia, Main Defender, victorious in three of his last four outings, has won ten of 18 starts.
Eastern Cape visitor Golden Palm, a R260 000 buy from the 2024 August Two Year Old Sale, showed her class when romping home to a facile win in the G2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Nursery (1160m) on Saturday. The Alan Greeff trained filly, one of four feature race winners on the day for Richard Fourie, was always travelling strongly and she drew off in the closing stages to win as she liked by two and a quarter lengths. Bred by Varsfontein Stud, the filly, a winner of two of three starts, races for Peter Moor. A daughter of Varsfontein Stud’s highly successful resident sire Master Of My Fate, Golden Palm is out of the dual winning Var mare Croisetete, a half-sister to G1 SA Fillies Classic winner Juxtapose.
