Wilgerbosdrift’s Travers Stakes winning stallion Flower Alley enjoyed a good weekend this week, with the son of Distorted Humor supplying winners in both North America and Hong Kong.
Flower Alley’s first success this weekend came when his son Snap Hook won an allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park West on Saturday. The gelding took his tally of wins to six when he ran out a one and a quarter length winner of Saturday’s 1700m race.
Flower Alley, whose 49 black type horses include Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another, went on to taste success at Sha Tin on Sunday, with his son Apex Top scoring impressively.
Trained by Tony Millard, Apex Top swooped late, under jockey Antoine Hamelin to lift Sunday’s So Uk Handicap (1400m) by a short head.
The Flower Alley gelding, winning his first race in Hong Kong, was making just his second start in the 2020-2021 Hong Kong racing season for owners Arthur Tsoi Tai Kwan & Johnny Chan Chi Kwong.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, four-year-old Apex Top, who was produced by the Rich Man’s Gold mare Cosima Liszt, was a R550 000 buy from the 2018 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.
Flower Alley has 13 lots on offer at the upcoming Emperors Palace National 2YO Sale, including a colt (Lot 11) out of G3 Acacia Handicap winner Amur Affair, a half-brother (Lot 169) to speedy Umngeni Handicap heroine Kissable, and a filly (Lot 260) from the family of champions Greys Inn and Smart Call.