Bloodstock South Africa sold thoroughbreds dominated feature race action over the past weekend.
On Friday, the BSA purchase Sweetie Darling won the East Cape Breeders Stakes at Fairview. The following day, saw Bloodstock South Africa alumni Ukudumu and Absolutely Yes land the Listed Irridescence Stakes and G3 Langerman respectively, while Sunday saw BSA buy Legal Counsel capture the Kwazulu-Natal Breeders Mile.
Speedy filly Sweetie Darling caused a 40-1 boilover when she won Friday’s East Cape Breeders Stakes (Non-Black Type) (1200m). Under a great ride from Chad Little, the Glen Kotzen trained three-year-old just prevailed, in a ding-dong finish, to land Friday’s R150 000 contest by a short-head. Bred by Patricia Devine Investments (Pty) Ltd, Sweetie Darling races for Messrs B J and R Fegen. By the underrated stallion Royal Mo, Sweetie Darling is out of the twice winning Captain Al mare Captain’s Darling.
Saturday saw a pair of promising two-year-olds in the form of Ukuduma and Absolutely Yes claim feature race success at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
The classy Ukuduma made it two wins from two starts when she won Saturday’s Listed Irridescence Stakes (1500m) for Vaughan Marshall and Gavin Lerena. In a thrilling finish, Ukuduma dug down deep to hold off runner up Electromagnetism and score by a short-head. Bred by Klawervlei Stud, Ukuduma races for Mukund Gudjadhur, Grant Knowles, John Koster and Delma and Lance Sherrell. The daughter of Vercingetorix and dual G1 winner Thunder Dance was a R2 600 000 buy from the 2024 National Yearling Sale.
Absolutely Yes, a R800 000 buy from the 2024 National Yearling Sale, made it back to back feature race wins when he landed Saturday’s G3 Langerman (1500m). Under a fine, front running ride from Muzi Yeni, the Justin Snaith trained gelding kept finding to post a near half a length score. Absolutely Yes, who had won the Listed Somerset 1200 previously, races for Greg Bortz, Leon Ellman and Gina Goldsmith. A winner of three of just five starts, the Danon Platina sired Absolutely Yes is out of the high-class Tiger Ridge mare Maybe Yes, winner of five races including the G2 KRA Fillies Guineas.
Former National Sale graduate Legislate is having a fine run of success this season, and his son Legal Counsel provided his sire with another good win when he won Sunday’s KwaZulu-Natal Breeders Mile (1600m). Under an inspired ride from Andrew Fortune, the Justin Snaith trained three-year-old proved far too strong for his rivals and powered away to score by nearly a length and a half. Bred by Blue Sky Thoroughbreds, Legal Counsel was a R450 000 purchase from the 2023 August Two Year Old Sale.
His win on Sunday took the gelding’s tally to four from just eight starts, with Legal Counsel having banked R653 639 in prize money. A half-brother to Listed Lady’s Slipper Stakes winner Luna Wish, Legal Counsel is out of the twice winning Silvano mare Imperial Wish. The progressive gelding is owned by Jonathan Bloch, Etienne Braun, Tony Cotterell, Jessica Koster, and the Stonebridge family.
Image: Chase Liebenberg
