Fifth South African winner for Flower Alley


Wilgerbosdrift’s exciting resident stallion Flower Alley was responsible for a fifth individual South African first crop winner when his 2yo daughter Smiley Kylie got off the mark at Greyville on Sunday.

Under jockey Warren Kennedy, the Gareth Van Zyl trained filly stayed on gamely to score a cosy, 0.4 of a length maiden win over 1400m on the polytrack.

(Another Flower Alley filly, Rose Dancer, finished fourth to Smiley Kylie having finished second two starts back).

Making just her second official start, the Wicklow Stud bred Smiley Kylie had been second over 1000m at her only other start.

Her G1 Travers Stakes winning sire Flower Alley is also responsible for this season’s winning two-year-olds Keep Smiling, Rille, Alibi Guy and Parterre.

A son of Distorted Humor from the same family as outstanding sire and broodmare sire Lyphard, Flower Alley is also responsible for 40 black type performers the world over, with his star performers including the G1 Kentucky Derby/Preakness Stakes winning champion I’ll Have Another.

Flower Alley, who himself made just one start at two, has two lots on the upcoming KZN Yearling Sale, namely a colt (Lot 31) from the immediate family of Equus Champion French Navy, and a filly (Lot 123) out of an Ideal World granddaughter of G3 Anglesey Stakes winner Air Of Distinction.