Mary Slack and her daughter Jessica’s Jell’s passion for the sport of horseracing positively beams forth whenever they are in the spotlight (Picture via meta)
It will be fitting if Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein win the 2025/2026 Breeders Championship, because last year marked the 80th anniversary of Harry and Bridget Oppenheimer’s purchase of the Mauritzfontein farm, which is situated 15km from the centre of Kimberley, and their venture into thoroughbred racing and breeding then began.
Harry and Bridget’s daughter Mary Slack founded the Western Cape-based Wilgerbosdrift Stud in 2000, while Mary’s daughter Jessica Jell took over the reins of Mauritzfontein upon the passing of her beloved grandmother Bridget Oppenheimer in October 2013.
When the two farms combined under the banner Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein they became a formidable force and won their first championship together in the 2018/2019 season.
That season they denied Klawervlei Stud a fifth championship in the space of six seasons.
Klawervlei had denied Summerhill Stud a tenth consecutive title in the 2013/2014 season, although Summerhill came back to win a final title in the 2015/2016 season.
Likewise, Klawervlei Stud came back to land another two titles in 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 before Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein wrested the title back in 2021/2022.
Drakenstein Stud then entered the fray to win the title in 2022/2023.
Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein won it back in 2023/2024, but the reigning champions are Drakenstein, who won the 2024/2025 championship.
This season Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein are nearly R6 million in front of second-placed Varsfontein Stud, who are in turn about 3,5 million ahead of Drakenstein Stud.
It would be incorrect to say Drakenstein are having a bad season, because they have significantly less numbers than Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein and they are also somewhat between stallions.
The great Trippi’s last crop are now two-year-olds but there are only a handful of them and his three-year-old crop is smaller than usual.
Furthermore, two of Drakenstein’s best representatives, One Stripe and Beach Bomb, are both campaigning overseas.
Lancaster Bomber was a massive loss to Drakenstein and his second and last crop are now already four-year-olds.
Drakenstein’s record-breaking freshman stallion of the 2023/2024 season, One World, continues to produce and has some particularly exciting two-year-olds, while Drakenstein’s Futura can be relied on to produce some good horses, with the SA Derby favourite Curious Girl being an example.
Drakenstein’s What A Winter is getting on a bit, but still produces stakes winners and is currently in sixth place on the stallion log.
However, Drakenstein are sure to be boosted when the progeny of Charles Dickens, Jet Dark, Oriental Charm, Sharp Frank and A Case Of You begin running as these stallions would surely have been supported with some of their best broodmares.
Furthermore, Drakenstein might not be out of the hunt this season considering they bred the two current favourites for the R10 million Hollywoodbets Durban July, Eight On Eighteen and See It Again and they also bred the exciting King Pelles.
Varsfontein also have a chance of the title considering they bred the like of the exciting Note To Self and they are in fact the leading breeders of stakes winners this season with nine stakes winners of ten stakes races.
Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein’s biggest earner this season, Mocha Blend, has not been seen out for a while.
They are second in the stakes producing figures this season with Keukenhof becoming their seventh stakes winner of the season when winning the Gr 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes over 1400m on Friday night at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Their seven stakes winners have won eight stakes races between them.
Drakenstein have been dominating the stakes winners figures in recent seasons with a record 18 stakes winners of 25 stakes races in 2021/2022, a record 20 stakes winners of 35 stakes races in 2022/2023, a record 21 stakes winners of 31 stakes races in 2023/2024 and they equalled that record with 21 stakes winners of 30 stakes races last season.
However, this season they look to be out of contention of challenging the record again as they have only had five stakes winners of five stakes races.
Ridgemont are in fourth place in the championship just over R10 million off the lead, while Maine Chance Farms are in fifth place and just over R11 million off the lead.
Ridgemont bred the like of Splittheeights and William Robertson and the former must be a July contender.
Maine Chance Farms bred two big July runners, Wish List and Star Major.
Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein will be hoping Mocha Blend is back for the July.
Otherwise they might be relying on the like of Rainbow Lorikeet and Holding Thumps for that lucrative race, while Keukenhof could also become a contender because being by The United States she should stay.
The like of Aristotle could still improve into a July horse.
One Eye On Vegas could win some big money for Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein up to a mile and maybe 1800m, while Pistol Pete is a nice representative for them in sprints.
