Gaynor Rupert accepts the Equus Champion Breeders award at last Thursday night’s award ceremony from TBA Chairman Bradley Ralph (left) and on stage with her from the left are Drakenstein Stud’s racing manager Kevin Sommerville, Drakenstein’s stud secretary Kira Pickford and Drakenstein’s stud manager Gavin Pickford (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Drakenstein Stud are the champion breeders for the second time and did it with record earnings and they were the most prominent entity at the Equus Awards, which took place at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Thursday evening, while Varsfontein Stud also shone brightly.
Both studs are known for their pursuit of top quality bloodstock to breed with and the dividends are being reaped as they dominated the stakes races of the season.
There were 176 stakes races in South Africa in the 2024/2025 season and Drakenstein-breds won 30 of them, while Varsfontein won 23 of them.
That means between the two studs they won 30% of the stakes races available.
Drakenstein won 17% of the stakes races available and Varsfontein won 13%.
There were 27 Gr 1 races in SA in the 2024/2025 season and Drakenstein-breds won six of them with three horses, while Varsfontein won four of them with three horses.
So the two studs between them won 37% of the Gr 1 races available, with Drakenstein winning 22% of them and Varsfontein winning 15%.
Khaya Stables also excelled as they are a relatively small breeding operation and bred two Gr 1 winners of two races. Khaya Stables board their mares at Varsfontein Stud. So the number of Gr 1 winners born and raised at Varsontein during the 2024/2025 season was five and they won six Gr 1 races between them.
The other two breeders who bred two Gr 1 winners of two races in the 2024/2025 season were Ridgemont and Laurence Wernars respectively.
The progeny bred by Drakenstein Stud earned R40,073,561 last season if restricted races stakes are included and it is believed this is the first time the R40 million mark has been supassed.
Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein-breds earned R34,055,620 and Varsfontein were next best on R28,332,868.
Drakenstein also equalled their own South African record of 21 stakes winners in a season, with Varsfontein not far behind on 15 stakes winners, while Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein had ten stakes winners.
Drakenstein were officially acknowledged as champion breeders at the Equus Awards.
However, they were on stage for a number of other awards too.
They bred the Equus Horse Of The Year Eight On Eighteen, who is by their late resident sire Lancaster Bomber.
The Justin Snaith-trained colt runs in the colours of Nick Jonsson and also walked away with the Equus Three-year-old Champion Colt award and the Equus Champion Middle Distance Horse award.
Furthermore, Eight On Eighteen is part-owned by Drakenstein owner Gaynor Rupert’s husband Johann Rupert.
Drakenstein also bred Eight On Eighteen’s chief rival for the Horse Of The Year award, the Vaughan Marshall-trained One World colt One Stripe, who is now in the USA with trainer Graham Motion.
One Stripe, who is by Drakenstein’s resident sire One World, was named Equus Champion Miler.
Drakenstein also bred the Equus Champion Stayer, the Gareth van Zyl-trained King Pelles, who is by the stud’s late resident sire Duke Of Marmalade.
So it should be noted that all of Drakenstein’s Equus Award winners were by their own resident sires
Drakenstein are also part-owners of the Equus Champion Older female, the Justin Snaith-trained Vercingetorix filly Double Grand Slam.
Varsfontein Stud bred Double Grand Slam and they also bred the Equus Champion two-year-old filly, the Alan Greeff-trained Golden Palm.
The Champion two-year-old colt was the Mr & Mrs R J Trotter, Messrs R E Alexander & B B Campbell-bred Jan van Goyen.
Both of the two-year-old Equus Award winners were by Varsfontein’s stallion Master Of My Fate.
Varsfontein’s former champion stallion Gimmethegreenlight also featured as the sire of Equus Champion Sprinter, the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Khaya Stables homebred gelding Gimme A Prince.
Khaya Stables also walked away with the Champion Broodmare award with Real Princess, dam of Gimme A Prince and of Hollywoodbets Durban July winner The Real Prince and of another stakes winner in Gimmie’s Countess, all trained by Kannemeyer.
The Real Princess is obviously thriving at her Varsfontein Stud base.
However, it was Drakenstein Stud who were the leading light of the Equus Awards.
Jonathan Snaith’s opinion of Drakenstein’s excellence summed it up well.
He said, “Drakenstein start with the finest – and finish with the winners. Excellence in, Champions out.”
Indeed, Gaynor Rupert has gone to great lengths to bring top quality bloodstock on to her farm and so have John Kalmanson and Susan Rowett of Varsontein Stud.
South Africa racing industry people are gratefully reaping the rewards of the excellence of these two stud farms, although that is not to downplay any of the other farms who are all playing a part in ensuring South African-bred thoroughbreds are regarded as possibly the best value in the world when comparing cost to performance.
