Picture: Crack filly Majorca, who was bred at Klawervlei Stud by Ralph Koster, who was the grandfather of today’s Klawervlei owner John Koster.
Maine Chance Farms have announced they will be sponsoring the prestigious Gr 1 weight for age Majorca Stakes, a 1600m event for fillies and mares which these days is run on WSB Met day.
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE NEW SPONSORSHIP
This year’s Met actually heralded the 60th anniversary of the first running of the Majorca Stakes, so it will be the 61st anniversary when run this season.
This article first takes a look at the horse the race is named after and then looks at some achievements by horses and trainers in the Majorca Stakes.
𝗠𝗔𝗝𝗢𝗥𝗖𝗔 (1959) B.m. by Preamble II- Majolica II by Niccolo Dell’arca.
Written by Richard. A. Bidnick
Majorca was out of the first crop of foals sired by Preamble II. She would set the stage for his becoming a major sire in South Africa with her outstanding racing career. Majorca was one of the best fillies seen in South Africa since Kings Pact. She was bred by the Kosters out of the imported mare Majolica II.
Unfortunately she was born in the same year as Colorado King, Hifrac and Doctor John all excellent three year olds who won classic races.
She was an impressive racehorse with good looks and a passion for racing and she was spared little rest.
She had a busy season at both two and three years of age as she was heavily raced. She showed good form as a two-year-old to win both the The Breeders Free Handicap at Kenilworth and the JG Hollis Memorial Plate over 1600m at Clairwood in June of 1962.
As a three-year-old she competed with the best racehorses in the country. On January 1, 1963 she participated in the Queen’s Plate a rare event then and now for a three-year-old filly and she ran an outstanding race to finish 3rd, one length behind the winner Time to Shine with the great Jerez finishing far behind her. Time To Shine established a new race record in the process.
Her next Cape adventure was in the Cape of Good Hope Paddock Stakes which was then and is still today the top filly and mare race in the country. She ran the field into the ground and won by more than 4 lengths.
She then went on to run in the Cape of Good Hope Guineas running against one of the all-time greats, Colorado King. She finished third behind “The King”, but she really stamped her greatness with an outstanding run in the Cape of Good Hope Derby run on February 23, 1963.
Majorca lead the field for most of the way and when they headed into the straight she was more than 7 lengths ahead of the field. She was running great guns and even Colorado King’s jockey said that he never thought he would be able to catch her but shortly before the finish line something made Majorca jolt and she lost a little ground and Colorado King was just able to get up and pass her at the line in track record time of 2:29.6!
It was an amazing performance for both Colorado King and Majorca and they were both given great accolades after this race. Majorca went on to win the Country Cousin Handicap and place in the Gordon’s Gin Handicap and she lead the field well into the straight in the 1963 Rothmans July but finished unplaced. Her hard runs during the Cape Summer Season must have taken a toll on her as she competed in 4 top level races in a two months..
She was retired early in her fourth year and had a long stud career producing the stakes winners Haiti (1965) by Oligarchy, Aegean (1968) and Samothrace (1969) both by Jerez (1957).
Her name lives on today as the WFA Grade 2 Majorca Stakes is run on Met day in January each year.
Total Stakes in SAF over 3 seasons – R16,420 Runs: 25 Wins: 7 Placed: 11
Majorca Stakes achievements:
Legendary trainer Terrance Millard won the Majorca seven times and one of his winners, Peacable Kingdom filly Fast Piece, won it twice, in 1976 and 1977.
Millard’s first Majorca winner was Kentucky Belle in 1972 and he rounded off a golden era with the great Olympic Duel in 1990.
Peter Kannemeyer won it twice in succession with the top class Northfields filly Alpine Silk, in 1986 and 1987.
Clodagh Shaw won it twice in succession with Donatella (Fine Edge) in 1999 and 2000.
Mike Bass won it twice in a row with Inara (Trippi) in 2015 and 2016.
Justin Snaith won twice it twice in a row with Captain’s Ransom (Captain Al) in 2021 and 2022.
The victory roll of honour has become littered with other big names like Ecurie (1985), Wainui (1989), Paraca (2003), Sun Classique (2007), Dancer’s Daughter (2008), Mother Russia (2009), Ebony Flyer (2012), Beach Beauty (2014) and it was won last season by Equus Horse Of The Year Princess Calla.
