The Drakenstein homebred pair Silver Sanctuary and Hold My Hand give Drakenstein an exacta in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Drakenstein Stud scored a homebred exacta in the Gr 1 R1,5 million Tabgold Woolavington 2000 and it was the third year in succession a Drakenstein homebred had won this race.
On Saturday it was the Mike de Kock-trained three-year-old Silvano filly Silver Sanctuary who beat home the Glen Kotzen-trained four-year-old Gold Standard filly Hold My Hand.
Silver Sanctuary at last shed her bridesmaid tag under a typically professional ride by Richard Fourie.
This Silvano filly has won a Listed race before and has had two Gr 1 seconds, a Gr 2 second and a Gr 2 3rd.
Drakenstein homebreds who won it in the previous two years were the Justin Snaith-trained Silver Darling (Silvano) in 2022 and the Sean Tarry-trained Rain In Holland (Duke Of Marmalade) last year.
A Drakenstein homebred. the Australian-born Street Cry filly Oh Susanna, also won this race in 2018.
Rain In Holland was the first older horse to win the race after it was thrown open to older horses last year.
Mike de Kock has now won the Woolavington six times, starting with the great Ipi Tombe in 2002, Irridescence in 2005, Zirconeum in 2009, Igugu in 2011, Viva Maria in 2012 and Silver Sanctuary this year.
Richard Fourie has now won it three times, following In The Fast Lane in 2014 and Silvano’s Pride in 2019.
The superstar six times national champion sire, the late Silvano, has now won the Woolavington five times and he has won it four times in the last six renewals. Do You Remember got Silvano’s ball rolling in this race in 2013 and has been followed by Silvano’s Pride (2019), Summer Pudding (2020), Silver Darling (2022) and Silver Sanctuary (2024).
