Futura is pictured winning The Met by 2,75 lengths in 2015 (Picture: Hamish Niven)
Sarah Whitelaw
When Note To Self won the 2026 G1 Hollywoodbets Durban July, he put the spotlight firmly on his sire Futura.
A son of 2003 July winner Dynasty, Futura was responsible for a pair of graded stakes winners on July day, with Note To Self’s July win being preceded by fellow Futura gelding Ahead Of The Facts’ triumph in the G3 Durban Gold Vase.
However, Futura’s good season has not been limited to July day. His other notable performers in 2025-2026 include G2 TAB SA Derby winning filly Curious Girl, Listed Pocket Power Stakes winner Future Free and Zimbabwe Derby victor Robin Of Locksley. The champion came up with another notable win when Futura filly Spoil Yourself won the Port Elizabeth Gold Cup.
South Africa’s Horse Of The Year, Champion Older Male and Middle Distance Horse in 2014-2015, Futura is one of 18 G1 winners for Dynasty. (Another champion son of Dynasty, Legislate, is the sire of 2026 July runner up, and likely Equus Champion, Wish List)
Futura, a G1 winner at three, four and five, enjoyed his finest season in 2014-2015, when the bay won both the G1 J&B Met and G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, with his other G1 successes being back to back victories in the G1 Champions Cup.
While enjoying arguably his breakout season in 2025-2026, Futura has consistently sported good statistics. His first crop produced no fewer than seven stakes winners, led by the graded stakes winners Nourbese, Pink Tourmaline, Vihaan’s Pie and Warrior. Subsequent crops have unleashed further high-class performers including G1 Woolavington 2000 runner up Light Of The Moon, dual G3 winner The Futurist, multiple graded stakes winner Future Swing and Future Pearl. The latter was crowned Equus Champion Stayer in 2022-2023 after reeling off wins in all of the G3 World Sports Betting Gold Bowl, G3 DStv Gold Vase, and G3 World Pool Gold Cup. Future Pearl would go on to win the 2024 G3 Tabgold Derby.
At the time of writing, the Drakenstein Stud based Futura has a higher AEPR (Average Earnings Per Runner) for the current season than the likes of Querari, Master Of My Fate, The United States and Gimmethegreenlight.
Note To Self is himself a member of one of the best families in the South African studbook. A half-brother to four winners, notably this season’s Listed Ridgemont Gatecrasher Stakes winner Viking Leader (whose sire Erik The Red hails from the same family as Note To Self and Viking Leader), Note To Self is out of the unraced Judpot mare Guiding Light.
In turn, Guiding Light is a half-sister to both G3 Flamboyant Stakes winner Hashtagyolo (whose daughter Amelia’s Legacy ran a close second in this season’s Listed Flamboyant Stakes), this season’s Listed Sophomore Sprint winner Green Gateway and the G2 placed dam of G3 Protea Stakes winner Karangetang.
Note To Self’s fifth dam is the South African blue-hen Soho Secret, whose champion son London News won the July in 1996. Soho Secret, who won the Listed Breeders Guineas and ran third in the G1 RDF Fillies Cup, was named South African Champion Broodmare of 1995. Not only did the daughter of Regent Street produce 13 winners headed by London News and the latter’s multiple stakes winning full-sister Secret Pact, she is the ancestress of a host of top-class performers.
Note To Self, G1 winners descended in female line from Soho Secret include champions London News, Kings Gambit, and Promisefrommyheart as well as Covenant, Lady Brompton, and Triple Crown winner Malmoos.
Other notable descendants of this wonderful family include leading sire Master Of My Fate, the promising stallion Erik The Red, G2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winning sire Pluck and the latter’s G3 winning half-sister Three Hearts.
Interestingly enough, inbreeding to Soho Secret is starting to prove fruitful. This pattern has already produced the aforementioned Viking Leader (inbred to Soho Secret’s daughter Secret Pact), as well as Listed Champion Juvenile Cup winner King Prawn.
