Thesecretadversary is one of those horses who could build a following just through his good looks as he is solidly built and has an unmistakable white face (Picture: Sky Sports Racing)
Following Isivunguvungu’s win in the USA on Friday there was further reason to celebrate South African horseracing success abroad on Saturday when Gaynor Rupert led in a homebred winner at Royal Ascot.
Gaynor Rupert’s UK operation Cayton Park Stud bred the St. Mark’s Basilica colt Thesecretadversary together with Coolmore and she part-owns this three-year-old together with Mrs John Magnier.
Running in Drakenstein Stud’s familiar blue colours with a white square the Ireland-based James Stack-trained colt converted 20/1 odds in a field of 14 to win the Gr 3 Jersey Stakes for three-year-olds over seven furlongs on Saturday under Seamie Hefferman.
The Secretadversary jumped well from draw two in the straight race and the solidly built horse with the unmistakable white face traveled well just off the leading line.
At the three furlong mark he moved up to join the leaders still traveling with plenty in hand.
Hefferman got to work at the two furlong mark and gave him his first backhander a few strides later.
He kept at the horse in rhythmical style and The Secretadversary kept going resolutely to hold off his fellow Irish-bred contemporrary Take Charge Star (Starspangledbanner), who jumped from draw one and helped ensure a boil over result as he jumped at 50/1 odds. This pair were a convincing 4,5 lengths clear of the third-placed 25/1 shot Morris Dancer (Palace Pier), while 80/1 shot Green Sense (Starman) was beaten 6,5 lengths into fourth. There was then a shorthead back to fifth-placed Neolithic (Sioux Nation) and the 11/10 favourite Saber Strike (Night Of Thunder) was next best.
Thesecretadversary won a Listed race as a two-year-old over seven-and-a-half furlongs at Tipperary and was placed fifth in the Gr 1 Summer Stakes over a mile on dirt at Woodbine under Frankie Dettori in his next start.
He won his three-year-old debut in the Gr 3 Ballylinch Stud Red Rock Stakes over seven furlongs and 42 yards by 2,5 lengths under Hefferman at Leopardstown.
He followed that with a 12,25 length fifth in the Gr 1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and then finished a five length sixth in the Gr 1 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh.
Considering his seven furlong form he was good value at 20/1 on Saturday and it might have been his low draw which was offputting in a week in which the high draws looked to have a distinct advantage in the races down the straight.
The fact that Thesecretadversary broke this trend and won in commanding style shows just what a fine performance it was.
Hopefully he can go on to bigger things and perhaps stand at stud at Drakenstein one day.
His sire St. Mark’s Basillica, who is by Siyouni out of a Gr 3-winning Galileo mare, is making waves.
As a racehorse he won the Gr.1 Dewhurst Stakes, the Gr.1 French 2000 Guineas, the Gr.1 French Derby. the Gr.1 Eclipse Stakes and the Gr.1 Irish Champion Stakes and he was a European Champion two-year-old and World Champion three-year-old.
Thesecretadversary is from St. Mark’s Basilica’s first crop and so is the Aidan O’Brien-trained Diamond Necklace, who is unbeaten in five starts including three Gr 1s and those Gr 1s iunclude the French 1000 Guineas and French Oaks.
