Picture : Gaynor Rupert’s Cayton Park Stud in the U.K. has the same racing colours as Drakenstein Stud (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Drakenstein Stud have just come off a phenomenal season in which they were champion breeders and champion owners and had a record 20 stakes winners of 35 races and they are now building up a presence in British racing through their overseas breeding operation Cayton Park Stud.
Cayton Park Stud Ltd’s director is Gaynor Rupert, who is of course the owner of Drakenstein Stud.
On Saturday they ran the first-timer Dubawi colt God’s Window in a maiden for two-year-olds over the straight mile course at Doncaster.
He started joint favourite with two other horses in the ten horse field.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained colt was eased back by Kieran Shoemark from a low draw in order to slot in towards the rear of the field, which stuck to the centre of the course.
Shoemark produced him down the inside as they approached the two furlong pole.
God’s Window stayed on strongly under a hands and heels ride to win cosily.
Doncaster is a major racecourse and maiden races at such courses are contested by those who are thought to be above average.
Otherwise, they would be transported to lesser courses in order to subsequently start off in handicaps off lower marks.
So this was a most promising performance.
God’s Window duly holds an entry in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy Stakes to be run over the same course and distance on October 28. This race, formerly known as The Racing Post Trophy, is one of the biggest pointers to the following season’s classics.
God’s Window is well named being out of a Nathaniel mare called Perfect Clarity.
The iconic Mpumalanga landmark God’s Window commands a panoramic view of the Lowveld 900 metres below and provides a particulary stunning sight on a clear day.
God’s Window is the second Cayton Park Stud-bred homebred to win in eyecatching style on debut on a major racecourse in the UK in the last couple of months.
On July 27 their homebred Teofilo filly Clifton Bay, who is trained by Andrew Balding and was ridden by William Carver, won by 2,50 lengths on debut over seven furlongs in soft going at Newbury.
She was ignored in the betting and started at 16/1.
However, she came home in impressive fashion on the outside rail in the Maiden Fillies Stakes.
She is out of the South African-bred Grade 1 winner Same Jurisdiction.
Same Jurisdiction is from the first crop of Mambo In Seattle and was out of the lightly raced one-time winning Captain Al mare, Diana De Carlo. Same Jurisdiction was bred by Klawervlei Stud (and pinhooked by Duncan Barry and John Gatt for R25 000 at the 2012 Cape Mare & Weanling Sale) before being purchased by Howells Racing for R270 000 on the 2013 KZN Yearling Sale. She was trained by Duncan Howells and raced in the interests of Messrs I.F.M. van Schalkwyk, D.C. Howells, L.C. Vermaak, Dr R.H. Katzwinkel and Mrs M.A.M. Powell before Drakenstein Stud Farm purchased an interest at the end of her 2yo racing season. After finishing second to Inara in the 2016 Gr1 Majorca Stakes, Drakenstein Stud bought out the remaining partners and decided to campaign the filly in the U.K.
Her best peformance in six starts in Britain and Ireland, trained by Ed Dunlop, was a fourth place finish in a Group 3 over seven furlongs at Donaster and a second place in a Conditions Stakes event over seven furlongs at Leicester.
Same Jurisdiction’s first foal, an 85-rated filly by Nathaniel called Grand Providence, also trained by Balding and running in the Drakenstein colours, has won twice and never been furter back than third in seven starts.
It will be interesting to see whether either Clifton Bay or Grand Providence one day stand at Drakenstein Stud.
