The Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein bred Our Emperor picked up the first feature race win of his career when victorious in the G3 Heineken Chairman’s Cup on L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate day at Kenilworth this past Saturday.
Trained by Brett Crawford and ridden by Greg Cheyne, Our Emperor defied a muddling pace to notch up a head victory at the expense of the well supported Master’s Eye, with former East Cape Derby winner Captain Splendid back in third.
Owned by Messrs Abery, Knowles, Ressell and Shirtliff, Our Emperor was a R475 000 purchase at (when consigned under the name of Oracle).The lightly raced four-year-old has won four of just ten outings and was third previously in the G3 Mahala TV Cape Summer Stayers Handicap.
Our Emperor is a son of the Wilgerbosdrift bred champion and outstanding sire Dynasty, who was also responsible for Saturday’s G2 Glorious Goodwood Peninsula Handicap winner Eyes Wide Open.
The gelding was one of two winners on Saturday for Wilgerbosdrift’s Jet Master mare Express Queen.
The latter’s daughter Platinum Class scored her second career win when victorious for Justin Snaith and owners Drakenstein Stud in the Cape Of Good Hope FM 74 Handicap –the final race on LQP day. A daughter of Silvano, Platinum Class has won or placed in four of her seven outings with both her wins coming over 1200 metres.
Her dam Express Queen, whose relatives include champion sprinter Thatching and successful South African sire Golden Thatch, won four times with her victories including the 2006 G3 Umzimkhulu Stakes.