Exciting plans for Wilgerbosdrift star mares


Wilgerbosdrift’s star mares will be visiting some of South Africa’s most exciting and best stallions this year.

Triple South African Champion sire Silvano (the sire of, among others, the Wilgerbosdrift bred Met winner Martial Eagle) will once again be covering some of the farm’s choice mares. Among the mares visiting the country’s reigning champion sire are millionaire Espumanti (a daughter of the increasingly successful broodmare sire Dansili), the regally bred Berry Blaze who was third in the G1 SA Fillies Classic, and the brilliant Europa Point. The latter, a Rock Of Gibraltar mare from the same family as Fort Wood, won nine times including both the 2012 G1 Champions Challenge and 2012 G1 Empress Club Stakes.

Silvano’s G1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic winner Orchid Island meets Querari in her first season at stud, while champion sprinter What A Winter is the selected mate for graded stakes winners Sweetie Pie (Gold Circle Oaks) and Gorongosa (Gold Bowl).

The Wilgerbosdrift bred Dynasty has long been one of South Africa’s premier stallions and he will be visited by Equus Champion Alboran Sea, Elusive Quality mare Public Protector, G1 winners Lily Of The Valley and Mubtaahij’s half-sister Saint Mary, and Oasis Dream’s millionaire Welwitschia.

Dynasty’s high class full-sister Clandestine visits champion 2YO sire Var in 2018, while Swallow Stakes winner Loupe is due to be covered by triple G1 winner Oratorio this season.

Outstanding young sire Gimmethegreenlight is set to cover some of the farm’s top mares in 2018, with his mates this season including Equus Champion Rat Burana and her daughter Bang Sue, G1 Majorca Stakes winner Nightingale and Fillies Guineas victress Festival Of Fire.

While outside sires will be covering some stellar mares, Wilgerbosdrift’s exciting resident stallions, Flower Alley and Soft Falling Rain, will also be visiting by some of the farm’s best broodmares.

Travers Stakes winner Flower Alley’s book this season includes G3 winner Express Queen, G3 winner Halfway To Heaven (dam of the unbeaten rising star Rainbow Bridge), Cape champion Rosier, and G3 winner Quickwood (dam of the above mentioned Nightingale).

Soft Falling Rain, whose first yearlings proved something of a sensation earlier this year, is down to cover the likes of Gypsy Pirate (a High Chaparral ¾ to Igugu), the Encosta De Lago sired stakes winner Purely Atomic, G3 Starling Stakes victress Sarasota and G1 Woolavington 2000 winner Zirconeum.

Liberty Dance, dam of G3 Fillies Mile winner Folk Dance, is down to visit Master Of My Fate in 2018, while Cape Fillies Guineas winner Emerald Beauty and her daughter Emerald Lake are down to visit the Wilgerbosdrift bred Equus Champion, and their own relative, Elusive Fort.

Mauritzfontein’s increasingly successful Ideal World will cover nine mares from Wilgerbosdrift this year, including Gap Year (dam of stakes winners Whistle Stop and Sabbatical) and G3 winner Milk And Honey, while champion sire Trippi has been chosen for Redoute’s Choice sired Camellia Stakes winner Honorine.

Redoute’s Choice sired G1 Computaform Sprint winner Rafeef will cover nine mares from the farm in 2018, headed by Equus Champion Laverna and G1 SA Fillies Classic winner Athina, while other stallions supported by Wilgerbosdrift this year include Duke Of Marmalade, The United States, Pomodoro, Erupt and Twice Over.