Richard Fourie had a choice of two or three Glen Kotzen-trained charges for Saturday’s Grade 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe and opted for the Lammerskraal-bred Visionaire gelding Imposing, who is pictured above as a foal.
He is out of Stawberry Lane and is thus a half-brother to two Grade 1 winners, Solo Traveller (Western Winter), who won the Cape Guineas and Grade 2 KRA Guineas at Greyville, and Redberry Lane (Western Winter), who won the Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes on July day in 2018.
Imposing is also a half-sister to Skylar Lane (Western Winter), who is the dam of the Kotzen-trained Good Traveller (Visionaire).
That makes him a three parts brother to Good Traveller, who was named Equus Champion two-year-old male last season after finishing a one length third in the Golden Horseshoe and then winning the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes.
Imposing is also a half-brother to Strawberry Line (Western Winter), who is dam of Coin Spinner, who is second favourite for Saturday’s Grade 2 Post Merchants.
Good Traveller also runs in the Post Merchants and has a good chance from a good draw.
Kotzen was surprised Fourie chose Imposing above Countdown (Gimmethegreenlight).
He said about the gelding, “He’s a very smart horse. He ran in front of Countdown but I think Countdown had a lot of excuses. Imposing is just lacking racing experience. He’s got all the ability. He’s cracked a good draw and he’s got Richard up. I think he would just need one more run to be really effective but we’re building him up to something big. He is a really smart horse and he’s going to love the extra ground.”
Fourie had maybe looked up the success of the family at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Other close up members of the family to have done well at Greyville are Purple Diamond (Var), who won the Golden Horseshoe, Jalberry (Jallad), who finished second in the Golden Slipper when it was still a Grade 1, Silvano’s pride, who won the Grade 1 Woolavington and Grade 2 Tibouchina, and Flying Ice, who won the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet.
Sally Bruss sent the photograph of Imposing as a foal at Lammerskraal and remembers him to be “a cracker”.
