Wilgerbosdrift’s two young stallions Flower Alley and Soft Falling Rain are both set to make their South African sales debut at the 2018 Cape Premier Yearling Sale later this month.
Former G1 Travers Stakes winner, and top class stallion, Flower Alley enjoyed a magnificent year in 2017, and was both sire and broodmare sire of G1 winners last year.
Already sire of G1 winning champions I’ll Have Another and Lukes Alley, Flower Alley caused a big international sensation last year when his son Bullards Alley romped to a record breaking 10.75 length win in the G1 Pattisons Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine.
In the process, Bullards Alley accounted for such major international G1 winners Erupt (Grand Prix de Paris) and Johnny Bear (G1 Northern Dancer Stakes).
To date, Bullards Alley has won six times and over $900 000 in prize money.
His sire Flower Alley is also damsire of outstanding, and unbeaten Japanese filly Lucky Lilac who won the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at Hanshin.
Flower Alley, also damsire of 2017 G3 Tempted Stakes winner Daisy, has six members of his first South African crop on offer at the 2018 Cape Premier Yearling Sale. His draft includes a filly out of a stakes winning daughter of Giant’s Causeway (Lot 29), a filly from the same family as recent G3 Magnolia Handicap winner My Friend Lee (Lot 39), a filly out of Elliodor G2 winner Red Dor (Lot 121), a filly out of a half-sister to Derby winner St Tropez (Lot 154), a half-sister to G2 The Debutante winner A Womens Way (Lot 183), and a filly out of a winning Fort Wood half-sister to G3 Acacia Handicap winner Amur Affair (Lot 238).
Locally bred champion Soft Falling Rain, a half-brother to recent Listed Java Handicap winner and Summer Cup contender Let It Rain, was a globetrotting star who won major group/graded races in three different countries.
An unbeaten G1 SA Nursery winner locally, Soft Falling Rain won his first seven races in a row, including the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas and G2 Godolphin Mile. He made history when defying a rough trip to become the first 3yo ever to win the prestigious Godolphin Mile and later went on to win the G2 Joel Stakes, over 1600m at Newmarket, in impressive fashion.
One of 16 G1 winners by Danzig horse National Assembly, Soft Falling Rain is out of a mare by the triple champion sire Giant’s Causeway, who is also broodmare sire of 2017 US Horse Of The Year elect, and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, Gun Runner.
The champ, bidding to follow in the footsteps of outstanding South African bred sires as Captain Al, Dynasty and Jet Master, has seven members of his first crop on the 2018 Premier Sale.
Soft Falling Rain’s draft includes a filly out of Var’s stakes placed daughter Garibondy (Lot 14), a filly out of a winning sister to Gold Bracelet winner Razzle Dazzle Rose (Lot 31), a ¾ brother to National Assembly sired G1 winning champion Historic Lady (Lot 46), a close relative of G3 Champagne Stakes winner and top producer Viva (Lot 67), a half-brother to G2 winner My Sanctuary (Lot 157), a colt out of Var’s G3 winning daughter Valdivia (Lot167), and a colt out of a three time winning half-sister to the National Assembly sired champion National Colour (Lot 180).