The Wilgerbosdrift bred champion, and resident sire, Hawwaam, gained another handsome update to his stellar pedigree when his full-brother Celestial City made a smart, winning debut at Turffontein on Tuesday afternoon.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, four-year-old Celestial City, a R7 000 000 yearling buy, made the perfect start to his racing career when he captured Tuesday’s Furious Room Coffee Shop Now Opened Maiden Plate (1600m).
Under Calvin Habib, the Sean Tarry trained colt quickened up smartly over the closing stages to win convincingly by half a length.
A son of Silvano, Celestial City is the fifth winner produced by Wilgerbosdrift’s outstanding broodmare Halfway To Heaven, South Africa’s Broodmare Of The Year in 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.
Winner of seven races, including both the G3 Prix Du Cap and Off To Stud Handicap, Halfway To Heaven’s first three foals were 2020-2021 South African Horse Of The Year Rainbow Bridge, the brilliant Hawwaam and dual G1 winner Golden Ducat.
The latter, winner of both the G1 ARF Commemorative Cape Derby and G1 World Sports Betting Champions Cup (while beating Rainbow Bridge into second), recently made an eye catching return to racing when he finished third, to multiple Equus Champion Jet Dark, in the G3 Cape Mile and that son of Philanthropist holds an entry for the upcoming G2 Green Point Stakes.
Halfway To Heaven’s five time G1 winning son Hawwaam, the Equus Champion 3YO Colt of 2018-2019, has some exceptional first foals on the ground this year, and he looks a very exciting addition to the local stallion band.