Horses bred by Wilgerbosdrift, in partnership with Mauritzfontein, enjoyed a memorable weekend, when picking up three feature race victories.
First to score was the Wilgerbosdrift owned Chinkapin who stamped her East Cape Oaks claim when capturing the Oaks Plate at Fairview on Friday.
The 3yo daughter of Marchfield, who was winning for a second time, stayed on smartly to account for race-favourite, and stablemate, Widow’s Lamp by a length and a quarter.
The well-related Chinkapin, who is trained by Yvette Bremner, is a half-sister to three winners, most notably the now retired Gr1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes winner Nightingale and former Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks second Oriental Oak.
Her dam Quickwood, a full-sister to exported Gr1 SA Guineas winner Heir Apparent, was a very smart racemare in her own right-winning four times up to 1400m, including the Gr3 Magnolia Handicap.
Chinkapin has an Ideal World half-sister, by the name of Peace Flower) on offer at the 2018 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.
Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein made it a quick feature double when Sabbatical won the Listed East Cape Guineas for trainer Justin Snaith, jockey Grant Van Niekerk, and owner Fred Crabbia on the same card.
The 3yo son of Silvano made it back to back wins when digging down deep to hold off What A Summer by a short head. (The Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein bred Kimberley Star finished third).
Sabbatical, who has now won two of three outings since relocating to the Eastern Cape, is the second stakes winner produced by the Rich Man’s Gold mare Gap Year.
The latter, a four time winning half-sister to Wilgerbosdrift bred champion Asylum Seeker, is also dam of Sabbatical’s Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes winning own brother Whistle Stop.
Sabbatical and Whistle Stop have a full-brother on offer at the 2018 National Sale, in the form of Backpacker (Lot 420).
Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein also bred progressive three-year-old Gambado, who ran on strongly to record his maiden feature race win in Saturday’s Listed Derby Trial at Turffontein.
The gelded son of Mambo In Seattle and Al Mufti mare Solo Dancer is trained by Alec Laird and was steered to victory by jockey Randall Simons. Now a two time winner of over R200 000, Gambado was a R50 000 buy from the 2016 Val De Vie Yearling Sale.
The Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein bred Platinum Class was another to impress over the weekend, with the Drakenstein Stud owned filly making it three wins on the bounce at Kenilworth on Saturday.
A 3yo daughter of Silvano, Platinum Class has now won four of nine outings and looks to be going from strength to strength.
A half-sister to recent Gr3 Chairman’s Cup hero Our Emperor, Platinum Class has a Soft Falling Rain half-brother (by the name of Chaac) on offer at next month’s Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.