Wilgerbosdrift’s inform stallion Flower Alley has made a good start to the new season and the former Travers Stakes winner struck yet again when he came up with two smart winners at the Vaal on Tuesday.
His first success on Tuesday came when his son Archimedes won the sixth race on the Vaal card.
Trained by Philip Labuschagne, Archimedes was given a fine ride by Jason Gates to claim the Book For Charity Mile 28 October Graduation Handicap (1400m) on Tuesday. Gates sent his mount to the front, and the pair kept finding more in front. Despite appearing beaten, the four-year-old fought back gamely to pick up his second win by a long neck, with former G1 Gold Medallion runner up Now I Got You back in second spot.
Bred by Riethuiskraal Stud, the gelded Archimedes is out of the Bellotto mare Bellotto Flash.
Flower Alley struck again in the very next race when his progressive son Total Surrender won the seventh race on Tuesday. One of three winners on the day for trainer Lucky Houdalakis, the lightly raced Total Surrender made it three wins from just five starts when he won Tuesday’s 4Racing.TV MR 80 Handicap (2000m). Under Craig Zackey, the four-year-old showed plenty of heart in fending off Youcanthurrylove and Silvano’s Song to win by nearly three-parts of a length.
Bred and owned by David Shawe, Total Surrender, yet to finish out of the first two, is out of the Fort Wood mare Passionate Kiss.
Flower Alley had a wonderful season in 2022-2023, when the son of Distorted Humor came up with six stakes winners of 13 black type races including G1 HKJC Champions Cup/Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes/G1 South African Fillies Sprint winner Princess Calla.
The sire of Kentucky Derby winning champion I’ll Have Another has four lots on offer at this week’s August Two Year Old Sale including a half-brother (Lot 75) to the stakes placed Captain’s Flo, and a full-brother (Lot 273) to last season’s dual Oaks winner None Other.