Wilgerbosdrift’s inform sire Flower Alley had a smart looking double at the Vaal on Thursday when two of the stallion’s daughters captured their respective races.
Winner of the G3 4Racing Yellowwood Handicap earlier in the season, Flower Alley filly Gilded Butterfly had been pulled up when apparently going wrong last time out. However, the Stuart Pettigrew trained four-year-old put her last effort well behind her when she ran out a striking winner of Thursday’s fourth race, the Racing240 For Racing. For You Pinnacle Stakes (F&M) (1600m), downing some smart rivals in the process.
Under a positive ride from Kabelo Matsunyane, Gilded Butterfly hit the front a long way from home and galloped on powerfully to score by a length and a half.
Bred by Maine Chance Farms, the classy Gilded Butterfly, who is out of the Silvano mare Gallica Rose, has now won or placed in 12 of just 13 starts, with the filly having won three of her last four outings.
The Lucky Houdalakis trained English Primrose provided Flower Alley with his second success at the Vaal on Thursday when she made all to win the www.tab4racing.com MR 66 Handicap over 1600 metres.
Under a well judged ride from Denis Schwarz, the four-year-old dug down deep in the closing stages to hold on and win by nearly half a length.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, English Primrose, who was winning for a second time on Thursday, is out of the Trippi mare Queen Bess.
Her G1 Travers Stakes winning sire is having another fine season this year, with Flower Alley having supplied five South African stakes winners already this season, and his progeny have already amassed more than R5.2 million in stakes for the 2022-2023 season.