Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein and Varsfontein Stud enjoyed a successful afternoon at Turffontein on Saturday, 31 October, with both breeding operations responsible for two feature winners on the Allied Steelrode ONAMISSION Charity Mile programme.
Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein’s promising Hawwaam gelding Fierceness captured the Gr3 TAB Graham Beck Stakes, while Positive Attitude, a son of Rafeef, added the Listed 4Racing Java Stakes.
Fierceness produced an impressive performance in the R400,000 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m, defeating Wild And Free by 2.25 lengths under Muzi Yeni.
Trained by Mike and Mathew de Kock, the 3yo has now won three of his four starts.
Fierceness is by Hawwaam out of the Soft Falling Rain mare Gin Fizz and was purchased for R1.3 million at the 2025 National Yearling Sale, from the female line of Sparkling Water and Spumante Dolce, the Silvano link working remarkably well with the imported English dam line of Espumanti.
Fierceness adds another Graded success to the Wilgerbosdrift-bred and based Hawwaam.
The stud completed its feature double when 8yo Positive Attitude won the Listed Java Stakes over 2400m for trainer Joey Soma and jockey Richard Fourie.
Positive Attitude is out of the Brazilian-bred Spend A Buck mare Let’s Try Again. He defeated Titans Of War by 3.25 lengths. This is the family of Youth and Hard Buck.
Ridgemont based Rafeef, a Gr1 Computaform Sprint-winning son of Redoute’s Choice and sire of sires Master Archie and Thunderstruck, continues to churn out the Stakes winners, with Positive Attitude adding another Listed victory to his progeny’s achievements.
Varsfontein Stud also celebrated a feature double, with both winners sired by resident stallion Master Of My Fate.
Echo Check captured the Listed TAB Golden Loom Handicap over 1000m for trainer Fabian Habib and jockey Kabelo Matsunyane, recording his fifth career victory and first at stakes level.
The 5yo gelding is out of the 3-time winning Caesour mare Alexa and was purchased for R325,000 at the Bloodstock South Africa National 2YO sale.
Varsfontein’s second feature winner came courtesy of Alice B Toklas, who captured the Gr3 TAB Starling Stakes over 1400m for trainer Sean Tarry and visiting French jockey Mickaelle Michel.
The 3yo filly, out of the Hussonet mare Alice Springs, defeated Flower Island by half a length. She had previously won the Listed Devon Air Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville in June.
Alice B Toklas was purchased for R350,000 at the 2025 Bloodstock South Africa National Yearling Sale.
Both aforementioned Varsfontein-breds are by Master Of My Fate.
The afternoon’s principal feature, the Gr2 Allied Steelrode ONAMISSION Charity Mile, was won by Maine Chance Farms-bred Zeitz, a full brother to the talented Zagreb and The Grey King.
The 5yo son of Vercingetorix defeated Cosmic Speed by half a length under Serino Moodley for trainer Andre Nel and owner Mrs Sabine Plattner of La Plaisance.
Zeitz is out of Redoute’s Choice mare Zappy Choice and was purchased for R625,000 at the 2023 Bloodstock South Africa National Yearling Sale.
The victory was his seventh from 20 starts and added another Graded success to the record of his sire, Maine Chance resident Vercingetorix.
Maine Chance Farms also bred Kubu, winner of the Listed 4Racing Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m.
The 4yo daughter of Futura, out of the Kahal mare Khonza, defeated Tomyris under Richard Fourie for trainer Justin Snaith.
The victory was Kubu’s first at stakes level and her second career win.
Her sire Futura, a son of Dynasty trained by Justin Snaith and standing at Drakenstein Stud, was a 4-time Gr1 winner during his racing career. He has enjoyed a tremendous year at stud, with his son Note To Self the 2026 Hollywoodbets Durban July winner.
Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein’s successful weekend also extended to the international stage, where their homebred champion Gimme A Nother finished second to Kathynmarissa in the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland.
The daughter of Gimmethegreenlight and Nother Russia was beaten three quarters of a length, adding another international achievement to the South African breeding operation’s weekend.
Well done to all concerned.
Image: Zeitz // Candiese Lenferna
