Cappy’s Girl having a quick browse of the Race Coast Premier Yearling Sale catalogue and looking for any sign of competition (Picture Supplied)
Prominent owner and breeder Suzette Viljoen spoke of the magnificence of the late Equus Horse Of The Year Captain’s Ransom’s first and only foal and also revealed an interesting statistic that her and her husband Basie have as owners.
Champion stallion Captain Al’s best daughter Captain’s Ransom only had one foal, a filly called Cappy’s Girl, who was by Captain’s Ransom’s stablemate and chief rival for the Equus Horse Of The Year Award, Jet Dark (Trippi).
Suzette said, “Captain’s Ransom’s baby Cappy’s Girl is a yearling now. She is not going to the Sales! She’s beautiful. She’s really a replica of her Mom. She looks a lot like her Mom. The only difference is her Mom had two white feet and she only has one. Her face looks so much like her Mom’s and her personality is her Mom’s too. She is really, really looking well. We went for Jet Dark because he was her main rival for Horse Of The Year and Jet Dark’s babies are also looking well, so we are very, very happy with the way she looks and the way she moves … she just looks different class!”
Jet Dark probably broke a record for average price for a South African stallions’s first progeny at the Sales, averaging R877,500 for 20 lots sold at the recent Race Coast Premier Yearling Sale.
If Cappy’s Girl did appear on a Sale she would be the centre of attention and there would be a good chance she would fetch a new South African record price.
Suzette said, “They actually said to me I should put her on the Sale to let her go through the ring and qualify for all of the incentives etc, but I didn’t want to make a fool of anyone. People would be putting their hands up to buy the horse and I know I am never going to sell her, for me it feels like I’m making a fool of someone and I would never do that. If I put a horse on the Sale with a reserve and she goes past the reserve I will let the horse go, but I will never put a horse on a Sale that I know I am not going to sell.”
In another interesting aspect to the owners of the newly founded Hopes and Dreams Stud, Suzette and Basie Viljoen believe they have owned the first Graded winner for all of Legislate, Royal Mo, Buffalo Bill Cody and Hawwaam.
“I’m not sure if those stallions had any Listed winners before our horses won their Graded races, but I checked it up and it does look to be true that our horse Hoedspruit was the first Graded winner for Legislate, our horse Royal Aussie was the first Graded winner for Royal Mo, our horse Pistol Pete was the first Graded winner for Buffalo Bill Cody and our horse Perfect Miracle was the first Graded winner for Hawwaam.”
A quick look at the statistics confirms the statistic to be correct.
Suzette continued, “Now we are just hoping we can have the first Graded winner for our own stallion Frantastic!”
She said the son of Frankel covered about 40 mares in his first season, including some of Suzette and Basie’s mares, and in his second season he covered 30.
His first crop are weanlings at present.
“His foals are beautiful, they are so correct and really stand out,” said Suzette, “I am really critical of my own stock, but his foals are really looking well. I hope they grow up to look like that, but we are very happy.”
Frantastic won two races over a mile and ten furlongs respectively and had a British Official Rating of 92.
However, he is a full-brother to the top class dual Gr 1 winner Cracksman, who is the sire of the unbeaten Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner and Cartier Horse Of The Year Ace Impact.
Frantastic was a very exciting acquisition for South African breeding and the racing community are looking forward to seeing his Sales progeny and also his runners.
