Wilgerbosdrift’s G1 winning resident sire Right Approach died recently at the age of 18.
The son of Machiavellian was a top class racehorse, who began his career with Sir Michael Stoute before, in a deal brokered by Form Bloodstock, he was purchased by a syndicate which included Bernard Kantor, Larry Nesdatst, Mary Slack and golfing superstar Lee Westwood and sent to Mike de Kock in Dubai.
Right Approach, at one stage was a leading fancy for the 2002 Epsom Derby-won eventually by top sire High Chaparral, won or placed in 10 of 15 outings and banked in excess of £800 000 in prize money. However, it is for dead heating for first place in the 2004 G1 Dubai Duty Free, that Right Approach will forever be remember. He dug down deep to tie for first place with the top class German runner Paolini, and had such high class G1 winners as Crimson Palace, Bright Sky and 2000 Guineas winner Refuse To Bend struggling in his wake.
Right Approach was also second to Dubai Destination in the 2003 G1 Queen Anne Stakes, and came back to finish third in the 2005 Dubai Duty Free (when 3.75 lengths off Australian star Elvstroem), and was also placed in the G1 Singapore Airlines International Cup and G2 Jebel Hatta.
Retired to stud at Wilgerbosdrift in 2006, Right Approach’s first crop yielded Mauritian star Green Keeper and 21 other individual winners. Subsequent crops produced the graded stakes winners Eventual Angel, Fantastic Mr Fox, Halve The Deficit and Whiteline Fever, with the latter capturing two runnings of the G2 Hawaii Stakes and earning over R1.8 million.
Another son of Right Approach, Red Barrel, captured the 2011 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup, while Right Approach was also responsible for Listed Thukela Handicap/Listed KZN Guineas Trial Easy Lover.
The blue blooded Right Approach lacked nothing for pedigree –he shared his champion 2yo sire Machiavellian with such top class stallions as Street Cry and Medicean, as well as highly successful local sire Kahal, while in female line he traced back to the great mare Feola. Machiavellian, also broodmare sire of top sires Shamardal, Dark Angel and Zoffany, left behind a total of 71 stakes winners, and is without question one of Mr Prospector’s most influential sire sons.
Feola is one of the cornerstones of the modern stud-book with her descendants including such outstanding racehorses and stallions as Aureole, Deep Impact, Round Table, Pulpit and Tale Of The Cat.