FIFTH G1 WIN FOR HAWWAAM HALF-BROTHER


Wilgerbosdrift’s exciting new stallion Hawwaam gained a notable update to his pedigree on Saturday when his brilliant half-brother Rainbow Bridge captured the G1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge (1600m) at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Under Luke Ferraris, the ever-green six-year-old powered home to account for progressive three-year-old Catch Twentytwo by a long neck, with former G1 Tsogo Sun Sprint hero Chimichuri Run a further two plus lengths away in third.

In the process, the Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein bred gelding took his tally of G1 wins to five -with Rainbow Bridge’s previous top-level wins coming in all of the 2019 G1 Sun Met, 2021 G1 Cape Town Met, 2019 G1 World Sports Betting Champions Cup and last year’s G1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge.

Trained by Eric Sands, Rainbow Bridge has now won his last three starts in a row -the G1 Cape Town Met, G2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes and G1 Gold Challenge.

A leading contender for Equus Award honours at the end of the season, Rainbow Bridge has now won 11 of his 22 starts for earnings of over R8.105 million.

He is one of three G1 winners produced by the Jet Master sired G3 Prix Du Cap winner Halfway To Heaven, whose five time G1 winning son, and Equus Champion, Hawwaam is set to retire to Wilgerbosdrift later this year.