Tenjiku becomes the first winner for Varsfontein Stud-based stallion Erik The Red (JC Photos).
Cape Breeders
Varsfontein Stud’s well bred young sire Erik The Red came up with his first winner when his two-year-old son Tenjiku scored at Turffontein on Saturday.
Just one day later, he produced a second winner, Polar Light.
The Alec Laird trained gelding Tenjiku had finished seventh on debut before running third and second in his two subsequent outings.
Dispatched a 17-10 tote favourite for Saturday’s 4Racing Welcomes You Maiden Juvenile Plate (1400m), Tenjiku duly lived up to his billing.
Under Diego De Gouveia, Tenjiku kept going strongly in the closing stages to hold on and win by nearly a length and a half.
Bred by Varsfontein Stud, the gelding is out of Kawakami, whose high-class sire Master Of My Fate hails from the same family as Erik The Red.
Tenjiku, who has a full-sister on offer at the 2025 Cape Yearling Sale, was a R260 000 buy from the 2024 Cape Yearling Sale.
He hails from the first crop of his Erik The Red, winner of six of ten starts, headed by the G2 Cape Thoroughbred Sales Cape Merchants.
Erik The Red filly Polar Light got off the mark when she won the Download The Race Card Online www.goldcircle.co.za Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) (1100m) at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
The two-year-old, making just her second start, defied her starting price of 80-1 with a convincing display.
Under Jacey Botes, the Paul Lafferty-trained filly stormed home to get up and win by over a length and a half.
Bred by Varsfontein, Polar Light is out of the Gimmethegreenlight mare Different Light.
Sunday’s winner was a R120 000 buy from the 2024 Cape Yearling Sale.
To date, Erik The Red has had three runners either win or finish in the money.
Also victorious in the G2 Epol Umkhomazi Stakes and G3 Kepu Cape Of Good Hope Nursery, Erik The Red is one of more than 100 stakes winners for his sire Captain Al.
The latter is also responsible for current boom sire One World as well as proven G1 stallions Captain Of All and William Longsword.
Bred on the Captain Al/Western Winter cross as G1 winners Carry On Alice and Tap O’ Noth, Erik The Red is out of the Western Winter sired G1 Majorca Stakes winner Covenant.
This is the family of top-class sire Master Of My Fate, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf hero Pluck and South African Triple Crown winner Malmoos. The latter was sired by Captain Al, making Erik The Red and Malmoos bred on very similar lines.
Erik The Red has 12 lots on offer at the Cape Yearling Sale and 18 lots on offer at the Premier Yearling Sale.
