Wilgerbosdrift enjoyed a magnificent season in the 2017-2018 South African racing season.
The farm, in partnership with Mauritzfontein, ended third on the South African Breeders List (by stakes won), with thoroughbreds bred by Wilgerbosdrift/Mauritzfontein banking more than R15.563 million.
Among the numerous flagbearers for Wilgerbosdrift this past season were such stakes winners as Our Emperor (G3 Chairman’s Cup), Luna Child (Breeders Guineas), Sabbatical (East Cape Guineas), and Gambado (Derby Trial).
Horses bred by Wilgerbosdrift alone banked R2.799 million for the recently concluded season, with this tally including the brilliant race mare Nother Russia (Tiger Ridge –Mother Russia).
The latter ended her stellar racing career having won or placed in 17 of 18 races and earnings of R2 850 875 to her name. Nother Russia won eight times, with her victories including back to back triumphs in the G1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes, the 2017 G2 Ipi Tombe Challenge and 2017 G3 Acacia Handicap.
Pleasingly, Wilgerbosdrift’s two resident stallions Flower Alley and Soft Falling Alley’s first South African yearling crops were both warmly received by the market.
Flower Alley had a yearling colt from his first local crop fetch R1.5 million, to the bid of Shadwell South Africa, at this year’s National Yearling Sale, with other yearlings by the G1 Travers Stakes winner at the National Sale making R1 000 000, R800 000, R650 000 and R600 000 respectively.
Remarkably, Soft Falling Rain was Leading First Crop Sire (by Aggregate) at both the 2018 Cape Premier Yearling Sale and the 2018 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.
The former Equus Champion had seven yearlings gross R4 000 000 at the Cape Premier Sale, where his top lot, a colt out of G3 winner Valdivia, make R1.4 million.
Soft Falling Rain also had 28 members of his first crop gross R10 295 000 at this year’s National Sale, a figure which placed the son of National Assembly above such top stallions as Querari, What A Winter, Var and Trippi.