Gary Player-bred Dave The King made it back-to-back wins in the weekends Gr1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge under Callan Murray.
The son of Global View and current Equus Horse Of The Year looks on target for his KZN season Gr1 double, an effort that helped the big bay five-year-old to achieve the revered award last year.
He gave father-son training duo Mike and Mathew De Kock their first Gr1 win partnership. Owned by Larry Nestadt, breeder Gary Player and Ralphs Racing in partnership, it’s the 8th career victory for the grandson of Jet Master – the latter proving his mettle once more as a powerful broodmare sire with two feature winners on the day, earlier producing Quickstepgal who won the Ridgemont Devon Air Listed in facile fashion.
Dave The King defeated Oriental Charm into second, the son of Vercingetorix looking to be on song ahead of the Hollywoodbets Durban July – and to possibly emulate the more recent double of Do It Again.
It’s the third career Gr1 win for Dave The King. His paternal grandsire Galileo featured prominently over the weekend once more, as grandson Lambourn won the Betfred Epsom Derby.
Varsfontein sire Gimmethegreenlight produced a feature double on the day, as Malmesbury Missile finished full of running for his winning connections, the Arundel family of ITSSA Business Solutions in partnership with World Sports Betting – the partnership enjoying their first Gr1 together last weekend with Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint winner Mia Moo.
Malmesbury Missile, trained by Justin Snaith, showed tremendous grit to win the Hollywoodbets Sharks Gatecrasher Listed over 1400m. Another Stakes Winner for Drakenstein Stud and a Gr3 winner in his penultimate start, the 2yo colt is out of Gabor by Kingsbarns (Galileo). He has had six runs for two wins and yet to miss a cheque. His dam was crowned Champion 2YO Filly of her year, and this is the family of Silver Operator and Black Skimmer.
Green Sapphire, the second feature winner for Drakenstein Stud on the day gave trainer Sean Tarry a double on Saturday. The daughter of Gimmethegreenlight out of Trippi mare Sapphire Gem is now a 5-time winner, and it’s her second Graded Stakes victory to date. She beat Callmegetarix by just .40 of a length, ridden by Smanga Khumalo in the Gr2 HKJC World Pool Tibouchina Stakes. After the weekend, Drakenstein are boasting 26 Stakes Winners for the season – their all-time best being 35 in 2022.
Clifton Stud’s Madison Valley, bred on the successful cross of Mambo In Seattle out of an Al Mufti mare, Valdovino, also won the same race second year running to take the Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cricket Listed Cup Trial. Owned by Sid Moodley and trained by Frank Robinson, the gelding made a winning return at long odds, relishing the 1800m on offer at Hollywoodbets Greyville and accounting for the likes of Hotarubi, Underworld, and Litigation. He is an entry into the Hollywoodbets Durban July. He is a half-brother to Hong Kong Gr3 winner Chefano (Formerly Vacquero in South Africa).
Quickstepgal lives up to her name and powers away from the pack. Images: Candiese Lenferna
There are several Vercingetorix fillies featuring this season and Quickstepgal bred by Marsh Shirtliff of Greenacres Trust, is enjoying a phenomenal season as a breeder with several Graded Stakes winners including Gr1 winner Fiery Pegasus and Elegantrix, the latter recently finishing second to Direct Hit in the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship for two year old fillies. Quickstepgal annihilated the field of the Ridgemont Devon Air Listed by almost three lengths, a big powerful filly trained by Tienie Prinsloo for owner Rakesh Singh of Sandringham Summit fame. Quickstepgal is another granddaughter of Jet Master to feature on the day, and she has a full sister on offer at the KZN Yearling Sale as Lot 202, consigned by Hemel n Aarde Stud.
Quickstepgal was a R450 000 KZN Yearling Sales graduate herself. Sold as Lot 5 of her year, Tienie Prinsloo explained that she was “one of the first horses I looked at when I arrived at Suncoast for the sale that year, and she was the last – she was the only one I was interested in!” Her Gr3 placed dam, Victoriana, is a daughter of the great Hammie’s Hooker, the family of Gem King and Susan’s Dream.
Victoriana has produced four winners to date, her most prominent being Quickstepgal who looks likely to be headed to the Gr2 Golden Slipper on Hollywoodbets Durban July Day.
Well done to all concerned on a tremendous days racing.
Text and images: Candiese Lenferna
