Alumni of BSA auctions came to the fore on the last big South African race meeting of the 2024-2025 season at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.
Remarkably, Bloodstock South African sold thoroughbreds picked up no fewer than seven feature races on Sunday, and captured all of the G1 HKJC Champions Cup, G1 Mercury Sprint, G1 Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes, G1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Premiers Champion Stakes, and G3 World Pool Gold Cup.
The evergreen Gladatorian picked up his biggest win, and provided trainer Stuart Ferrie with his first G1 win as a conditioner, when he captured Sunday’s G1 HKJC Champions Cup. South African horseracing’s final Grade 1 of the season, the Champions Cup produced a grandstand finish, with the Vercingetorix 5yo getting up in the final strides to catch Hollywoodbets Durban July winner The Real Prince, who looked a winner inside the distance. Gladatorian is raced by a Mauritian partnership of the Late Agasthamuni Gujadhur, E G Hart de Keating, M L Jean Hardy & outgoing Gold Circle CEO Michel J L Nairac, who enjoyed a dream afternoon. Bred by Erasmus Thoroughbreds, Gladatorian was a R400 000 buy from the 2021 National Yearling Sale. Out of the stakes winning Dynasty mare Harvard Crimson, Gladatorian has won ten of 27 starts for earnings of R2,852,275.
Star stayer King Pelles ensured that he would be crowned Equus Champion Stayer of 2024-2025, when he ran out a clear-cut winner of Sunday’s G3 World Pool Gold Cup. Trained by Gareth Van Zyl, the Duke Of Marmalade gelding showed his considerable class when storming home, under a confident S’Manga Khumalo, to win South Africa’s most famous marathon horse-race by nearly a length and a quarter. It was a Gold Cup clean sweep for Bloodstock South Africa, with BSA buys King Pelles, Holding Thumbs and Future Swing finishing 1-2-3- in the 3200m contest. Bred by Drakenstein Stud, King Pelles was a R475 000 buy from the 2022 National Yearling Sale. The half-brother to G1 SA Derby winners Hero’s Honour and Legend Of Arthur races for Lucky Vest 12 CC (Nom: Mr Ravi Padayachee), Messrs D D MacLean, G J Player & N V Parmanand. Now a four time graded stakes winner, King Pelles has won seven of 22 starts for earnings of R1 501 818.
Varsfontein Stud’s homebred star sire Master Of My Fate had an excellent day on Sunday, with his two-year-old daughter Golden Palm winning the G1 Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes and his two-year-old son Jan Van Goyen victorious in the same day’s G1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Premiers Champion Stakes.
The Alan Greeff trained Golden Palm, a leading contender for Equus Award honours, made it four wins from five starts when she bounded home, under Richard Fourie, to land the 2025 Thekwini Stakes by a convincing 2.8 lengths. Bred by Varsfontein Stud, and owned by Peter Moor, the once beaten filly was a R260 000 buy from the 2024 August Two Year Old Sale.
Golden Palm’s paternal half-brother Jan Van Goyen made an equally eye catching impression, when that Mike and Mathew De Kock trained colt romped home to land G1 Premiers Champion Stakes as he liked. Under Callan Murray, Jan Van Goyen made it three wins from just four starts with a near three and three quarter length win. Bred by Mr and Mrs Trotter and Messrs Alexander and Campbell, Jan Van Goyen races for Mesdames D L Erasmus & L Huntingford & Mr H W Leyenaar. A sixth G1 winner for Master Of My Fate, Jan Van Goyen was a R600 000 buy from the 2024 KZN Yearling Sale.
Tony Peter and Gavin Lerena teamed up to win Sunday’s G1 Mercury Sprint with the progressive Buffalo Storm Cody, a R410 000 purchase from the 2023 Cape Yearling Sale. A first G1 winner for his sire Buffalo Bill Cody, Buffalo Storm Cody once again showed the benefits of a gelding operation when he stayed on gamely to account for some of South Africa’s top sprinters by over a length and a half. Bred by Narrow Creek Stud, the Kestorm Investments owned three-year-old has won five of 12 starts, with Buffalo Storm Cody’s initial G1 win taking his earnings to R1 035 000.
The exciting filly Princess Of Gaul, a R600 000 buy from last year’s National Yearling Sale, made it two wins from two starts with a courageous performance in Sunday’s G2 World Pool With Race Coast Debutante Stakes. Under Craig Zackey, the Dean Kannemeyer trained two-year-old fought on gamely down the inside of the track to claim her biggest win by a neck. Owned by Alac (Pty) Ltd, the Clive Murphy bred Princess Of Gaul had created a big impression on debut when she won by nine and a half lengths at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.
Trainer Peter Muscutt looks to have a good sort on his hands in the form of I Salute You. The latter picked up his second Listed win this season when he stormed home, under Richard Fourie, to win Sunday’s Listed Michel Nairac Appreciation Stakes Darley Arabian by nearly a length and a half. Bred by Shadwell Stud, the Soqrat colt was a R450 000 purchase from the 2023 August Two Year Old Sale. Owned by Messrs Tony Zackey, E C Abraham, T Herdon, K Nattar & Miss Trinisha Pillay, I Salute You has won five of 12 starts, with his victories including the 2025 Listed World Sports Betting Sledgehammer.
