The twice Gr 2-winning sprinter Green Plains (Gimmethegreenlight) has a Klawervlei Stud-bred daughter in the first two-year-old race of the season and this filly is by the increasingly prominent sire William Longsword. (JC Photos)
Sarah Whitelaw
Saturday sees the running of the Futurity Plate, with that Hollywoodbets Kenilworth contest the first two-year-old race run in South Africa this season.
The 800m dash has drawn together some very well bred juveniles and there will, no doubt, be plenty of interest in the running of this year’s Futurity Plate.
The two-year-olds set to take part on Saturday hail from some outstanding familes, with a number of South Africa’s top stallions represented in the Futurity Plate.
Black Cheetah: c Querari -Mara, by Var
Himself a son of a G1 winning, champion two-year-old in the form of Oasis Dream, Querari was South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2YOs in 2018-2019. Two of Querari’s three G1 winners, Querari Falcon and Bavarian Beauty, won at the top level at two, with other notable juveniles sired by Querari thus far including Cockney Pride, Maryah, Gobsmacked, and Cosmic Light. Querari had another big season with his two-year-olds in 2023-2024 -his twelve juvenile winners last season included G2 Durban Golden Horseshoe winner Cosmic Speed.
Querari’s well bred son Black Cheetah is a half-brother to Listed Ibhayi Stakes runner up Trip To Maputo (Trippi) and to this season’s G3 Cape Classic winner and potential Guineas contender Great Plains (Danon Platina).
As a winning Var half-sister to Listed Perfect Promise Sprint winning two-year-old Lesedi La Rona, Mara is certainly bred to produce classy, precocious types. Her sire Var, already broodmare sire of such top-class G1 winners as In The Congo, Master Archie, Thunderstruck, October Morn, Tempting Fate and Alesian Chief, was South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2YOs in both 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, with Var siring such high-class two-year-olds as champion Anything Goes and G1 winners Villandry and Eden Roc.
Blown Away: c Fire Away -Howl, by Trippi
By the same sire as champion two-year-olds Air Force Blue, Brave Anna and U S Navy Flag, Fire Away, with two crops to race, has proven more than capable of siring high-class two-year-olds. Among Fire Away’s growing list of high-class performers are such stakes performed two-year-olds as Fire Attack, Luna Halo, My Golly Molly, Fire ‘N Flames, Egyptian Mau, Zil Moris, and Chinaberry.
His son Blown Away, a half-brother to G3 Langerman runner up and G3 Cape Classic third All Out For Six (One World), is out of the winning Trippi mare Howl, a three-parts sister to Trippi’s G2 Cape Punters Cup winning son Hluhluwe, who ran third in the 2023 G1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas. The regally bred Howl is a half-sister to G3 Victress Stakes winner Fresnaye (by Western Winter) and the stakes placed Quick Breeze.
Howl’s own dam Gulf Breeze (by Dubai Destination) is a half-sister to G1 Racing Post Trophy winner, and former SA sire, Medaaly (by Highest Honor) and G2 Queen Anne Stakes winner Charnwood Forest (by Warning), and Gulf Breeze’s dam Dance Of Leaves is a full-sister to late South African champion sire, and G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Fort Wood (by Sadler’s Wells). The latter is broodmare sire of Fire Away’s G3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes winning daughter Egyptian Mau as well as the sire’s G3 Langerman third Zil Moris and stakes placed son My Best Shot.
Blown Away, whose legendary fourth dam Fall Aspen won the G1 Matron Stakes at two, is bred on the same Fire Away/Trippi cross as such smart performers as Andi’s Girl and Explosive Bond.
Demanding Dave: c Horizon -Aunty Carol, by Oracy
A full-brother to recent debut winner Faithful Neo, Demanding Dave is a colt who hails from a tremendous female line. His dam Aunty Carol is a winning half-sister to both the stakes placed A Quiet Rush (Windrush) and to G2 Ipi Tombe Challenge winner Demanding Lady (Dynasty). The latter, Equus Champion Broodmare of 2022-2023, as best known as the dam of dual Equus Champion and three time G1 winner Charles Dickens, but also produced G1Bets Cape Derby/G2 Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile runner up Charles, as well as Listed Hollywoodbets Settlers Trophy hero Somerset Maugham. Charles Dickens, Charles and Somerset Maugham were all sired by Trippi.Demanding Lady, whose numerous high-class relatives include top-class sire Silver Hawk, and G1 winners Muth, War Command and Ridgemont’s new sire Hit The Road, shares her sire Dynasty with Horizon, the sire of Demanding Dave.
North Point: c William Longsword -Little Bristol, by Speightstown
The 2016 Cape Guineas winner William Longsword, whose sire Captain Al was South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2YOs on eight occasions, has had a memorable few months. Last season, his star son Dyce, unbeaten in 2024-2025, won all of the G1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship, G3 New Turf Carriers Merchants and Listed Golden Loom Handicap, while this season, William Longsword gelding Back In Business has won both the G2 Betway Joburg Spring Challenge and Listed Betway Spring Spree Stakes.
The inform William Longsword, whose G1 winning half-sister Real Princess is the dam of current star performers Gimme A Prince and Gimme’s Countess, is also sire of recent Listed Betway National Colour Stakes queen Ice Star.
His son North Point is out of Little Bristol, a Speightstown half-sister to Listed KwaZulu Natal Stakes winner Mirage, sired, like William Longsword, by Captain Al. The blue blooded Little Bristol, whose sire Speightstown is broodmare sire of more than 70 stakes winners including boom young sire Vekoma, is out of the Holy Bull mare Sea Glitter. Sea Glitter, in turn, is a three-parts sister to the Holy Bull sired G1 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, whose half-brother Tiago won both the G1 Santa Anita Derby and G1 Goodwood Stakes.
This is also the family of the Speighstown sired Nashville, winner of four of eight starts including the Perryville Stakes and now standing at WinStar Farm.
So American: c The United States -Hazleton, by Mastercraftsman
Galileo horse The United States made a spectacular start to his stud career when his first starter, Sheela, won the Listed Storm Bird Stakes on debut. The speedy filly would go on to land the G2 4Racing SA Nursery next time out, with Sheela winning three of four starts at two and running third in the G1 Allan Robertson Championship. The United States also made a big impression with his two-year-olds of last season including G1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Premiers Champion Stakes runner up The Specialist, G1 Allan Robertson Championship/G2 World Pool With Gold Circle Debutante second Rodeo Drive, Listed Dahlia Plate hero Kingdundee and Listed Irridescence Stakes second Dixieland Band.
His son So American is out of Hazleton, whose sire Mastercraftsman won both the G1 Phoenix Stakes and G1 National Stakes at two. The dam of one winner thus far, the unraced Hazleton is a half-sister to the useful performer Cavaleiro, who ran third in the 2012 G3 Betfred Derby Trial before contesting that year’s G1 Investec Derby.
A member of a top-class family, Hazleton is out of the Alhaarth mare Khibraat, a three-parts sister to G2 Park Hill Stakes winner Ranin (sired, like Alhaarth, by Unfuwain). This is also the family of numerous international G1 winners including Val Royal, Vahorimix, Sisterhood, and Natski.
Between The Lines: f Horizon -Big Sugar, by More Than Ready
A granddaughter of Dynasty, Between The Lines, whose first four dams were sired by More Than Ready, Exceed And Excel, Zeditave and Marauding, is out of the regally bred winning More Than Ready mare Big Sugar.
The latter is a daughter of speedy Australian G3 winner Sugar Babe, herself a daughter of the hugely influential Exceed And Excel. The latter, Australia’s Champion Sire of 2012-2013, has been responsible for 20 G1 winners including 2024 Yulong Newmarket Handicap hero Cylinder and 2024 Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes victor Montassib. Exceed And Excel, one of an elite band of stallions to have sired more than 200 stakes winners, also made his mark in South Africa, where his daughter Queen Supreme won the G1 Cartier Paddock Stakes twice.
Sugar Babe, in turn, is out of G2 (now G1) Surround Stakes winner On Type, a daughter of top-class sprinter and sire Zeditave. The latter enjoyed plenty of success with his progeny including such G1 winners as top broodmare Assertive Lass and her full-brother Assertive Lad, as well as the likes of Ruffles, Sports and Strategic.
Strategic made his mark in South Africa when his son Strategic News captured the 2007 G1 Steinhoff Summer Cup, while Zeditave mare Love Of Mary produced Listed East Cape Oaks winner Miss Scaramanga, as well as the dam of classy fillies Maryah and Mary O.
More Than Ready, sire of, among many others, South Africa’s reigning champion sire Gimmethegreenlight and 2024 G1 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile hero More Than Looks, has become a top-class broodmare sire, with his daughters having already produced more than 180 stakes winners including this year’s G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice.
Call Of The Karoo: f William Longsword -Green Plains, by Gimmethegreenlight
By a G1 Cape Guineas winner out of a triple graded stakes winning daughter of a multiple champion sire, Call Of The Karoo has plenty to recommend her. She shares her sire with such smart fillies as Bon Vivant, Willy Meet Again, Virginia Sweet, Just Be Lekker, Remember When and recent Listed Betway National Colour Stakes winner Ice Star.
Her dam Green Plains was a triple graded stakes winner and equine millionaire, who won graded stakes races at both two and three, with the daughter of Gimmethegreenlight winning from 800m to 1200m.
Closely related to the Gimmethegreenlight sired G2 Cape Merchants winner Cosmic Highway, Green Plains won three of her first four starts including both the G2 SA Fillies Nursery and G3 Pretty Polly Stakes. Also runner up in the 2017 G1 Allan Robertson Fillies Championship, Green Plains would go on to win the G2 Highlands Camellia Stakes at three. Bred on the hugely successful Gimmethegreenlight/Jet Master cross, Green Plains is out of Savannah Leigh, a winning half-sister to Listed Champion Juvenile Cup winner Juan Pablo. This is also the family of last season’s G2 Durban Golden Horseshoe winner and G1 Gold Medallion runner up Cosmic Speed (Querari)
It is worth noting that Gimmethegreenlight is the sire of William Longsword’s top-class relatives Gimme A Prince and Gimmie’s Countess.
Gathering Winter: f What A Winter -Gathering Fame, by Jet Master
Triple Equus Champion What A Winter has a fine record as a sire of high-class two-year-olds. South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2YOs of 2019-2020, What A Winter, also sire of champion sprinters Isivunguvungu and Russet Air, has sired such graded stakes winning two-year-olds as Dutch Philip, Snow Report, Armando, Clouds Unfold, Miss Cool, Winter Cloud and Distant Winter.
What A Winter also came up with some notable juveniles last season including Winds Of Change and Symphony In White, who ran third in the G1 Gold Medallion and G1 Allan Robertson Championship on the same day.
His daughter Gathering Winter, a full-sister to the winner Final Try and half-sister to Listed Racing Association Stakes runner up Famous And Rich, is out Listed Jamaica Handicap winner Gathering Fame, a daughter of seven time South African Champion Sire Jet Master. Gathering Winter’s granddam is a G3 placed half-sister to former sprint star Cordocelli.
Gathering Winter is closely inbred to multiple champion sire Western Winter -sire not only of What A Winter himself, but also Googol the dam of Gathering Fame. (Inbreeding to Western Winter resulted in What A Winter’s G3 Langerman winning son Snow Report and G2 Heineken SA Nursery winner Miss Cool).
Walk Right In: f Buffalo Bill Cody -Honey Bunch, by Right Approach
Promising young sire Buffalo Bill Cody, whose small first crop includes Listed HKJC World Pool Event April 6 Storm Bird Stakes winner Pistol Pete, G3 Betway Graham Beck Stakes runner up Wolf Mountain and the exciting Artist’s Model, shares his sire Redoute’s Choice, winner of the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at two, with some outstanding two-year-olds. This group includes South African champions Majmu, Musir and Mustaaqeem, Golden Slipper winning champions Stratum and Miss Finland, and champion filly Fashions Afield.
Buffalo Bill Cody’s very first runner was none other than Pistol Pete, who won his first three races by an aggregate of nearly 12 lengths.
His daughter Walk Right In, who is from the immediate family of the once much vaunted Listed East Cape Nursery/Dahlia Plate winner Oomph, is out of the unplaced Right Approach mare Honey Bunch. The latter, dam of two winners, is a half-sister to G2 Gold Circle Oaks winner Sweetie Pie (Fort Wood) and Listed Queen Palm Handicap queen Treaj Pots (Rich Man’s Gold).
Walk Right In is very closely related to exciting three-year-old Artist’s Model, an impressive winner of the recent Model Man Mile. Both horses were sired by Buffalo Bill Cody, and Clackson mare Perfect Valley ranks as granddam of Artist’s Model and the third dam of Walk Right In.
