Oriental Charm (JP van der Merwe) winning the Gr 2 WSB Green Point Stakes in impressive style. (Pic – Wayne Marks)
In the spirit of enthusiasm and shared opportunity, Greg Bortz and Gina Goldsmith have invited breeders and friends to embark on an exhilarating journey with them and their remarkable racehorse, Oriental Charm.
He is by the Equus outstanding sire, Vercingetorix, this season’s leading sire with 88 winners of 128 races at a winners to runners percentage of 44.9% and 12 stakes (black type) winners of 13 stakes races.
Vercingetorix has had a career 51 stakes winners at 11.8%, including 11 Grade 1 winners. Vercingetorix in turn is by six times national champion sire, Silvano.
His dam, Souk, by champion 3-year-old and Durban July winner Grey’s Inn, was a speedy three-time winner and listed-placed over seven furlongs. Oriental Charm hails from the family of Danehill, Northern Dancer and Halo, one of the most successful sire-producing families in the international studbook.
Oriental Charm had the speed to win first time out over 1250m and the class to stay 2200m, attributes so desirable to South African Breeders.
Over the past eight months, Oriental Charm has won the Cup Trial Gr3, Green Point Stakes Gr2 and the prestigious Hollywoodbets Durban July Gr1, beating nine individual Grade 1 winners in the process.
His Cape summer season concluded with a thrilling performance in the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met Gr1. Oriental Charm is undeniably a classic colt on the rise who is only coming into his own as a four-year-old.
The current owners are committed to funding his remaining racing career until he retires to stud at the end of July, following three races: the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge Gr1, the Hollywoodbets Durban July Gr1, and the HKJC Champions Cup Gr1, with a combined gross stake of R8,000 000. The new shareholders will benefit from a risk-free chance to recover a significant portion of their initial investment.
Brett Crawford expresses immense optimism for the upcoming KwaZulu-Natal season, stating, “Oriental Charm possesses a phenomenal temperament and the heart of a lion. He is a well-balanced colt with perfect confirmation, an overall joy to train.”
On the back of the Cape Racing Sales Summer Sale’s impressive average price of R619 400 and a median price of R500 000, market confidence is at an all-time high.
Oriental Charm offers breeders an opportunity to secure a share in one of the early favourites for the 2025 Hollywoodbets Durban July and the first son of Vercingetorix to be syndicated for breeding. Capitalise on this thrilling chance to be part of racing history!
Oriental Charm will stand at leading breeders Drakenstein Stud Farm and will be managed by Jonathan Snaith.
