Wilgerbosdrift’s promising resident sire Flower Alley has been in tremendous form of late, with the G1 Travers Stakes winner supplying a number of promising looking winners.
Flower Alley, whose granddaughter Lucky Lilac ran a smashing second in Sunday’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin, enjoyed success at both Fairview and Kenilworth this weekend.
His lightly raced son Rock Aloe made it three wins from just four starts when he ran out a clear-cut winner over 2000m at Fairview on Friday afternoon. Now a winner of his last three starts on a row (Rock Aloe’s sole defeat coming when third on debut), Rock Aloe put daylight between himself and his rivals when storming home to a 2.25 length win over older rival Frikkie.
One of five winners on the day for inform trainer Alan Greeff and jockey Greg Cheyne, the gelded Rock Aloe (Flower Alley’s only runner at Fairview on Friday) was bred by Wynand Nel.
His sire Flower Alley had more success the following day at Kenilworth when his daughter Rille was rewarded for consistency when she scored over 1800m for trainer Dean Kannemeyer and jockey Keagan De Melo. The 3yo Rille, a smart winner on debut as a two-year-old, has now won or placed in five of only six starts. Rille was bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein.
The sire of more than 40 black type horses the world over, including US champion, and Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another, Flower Alley has now been responsible for 18 winners from his first South African crop thus far. He has five lots on offer at January’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale, including a half-sister (Lot 78) to Fillies Guineas winner Alexis, and a half-sister (Lot 114) to dual G3 winner Goodtime Gal.