Gimmethegreenlight is comfortably clear in the race for the national champion sire title and both he and Vercingetorix added a stakes win apiece over the weekend, although the latter has dropped to fourth place on the log and What A Winter has moved up into second place.
Sean Tarry’s good trot continued as he won two Graded races on Saturday at Turffontein Standside with Lucky Lad and Rain In Holland (Grade 2 Colorado King Stakes).
Lucky Lad is a smart Varsfontein Stud-bred Gimmethegreenlight colt and he ran on well to catch the leader, the Mike Azzie-trained first-timer filly Amber Rock, who is also by Gimmethegreenlight, to win the Grade 3 Protea Stakes over 1100m by 0,40 lengths. Third place went to the Mike de Kock-trained Varsfontein Stud-bred Gimmethegreenlight colt Gimmeanotherchance, although he was beaten by five lengths.
Lucky Lad is unbeaten in two starts and it was a fine performance as he gave the runner up and third-placed horses 5,5kg and 3kg respectively.
Lucky Lad cost R850 000 at the National Yearling Sale.
He runs in the famous brown and white Beck silks and is owned by AR and ABL Beck.
On Sunday on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf the Andre Nel-trained Vercingetorix five-year-old gelding Cape Eagle made it four wins on the trot and five wins in his last six starts when cosily winning the Listed King’s Cup over 1,30 lengths under Robert Khathi.
He was receiving 5,5kg from the runner up Captain Fontane.
Cape Eagle controlled the pace in the front and Captain Fontane was too far back in the seven horse field, after being dropped out from a wide draw, as the race turned into a sprint for home.
Gimmethegreenlight is about R3,3 million clear of What A Winter on the national sires log.
He has now had nine individual stakes winners this season of ten races.
Vercingetorix increased his stakes tally for the season to five individual winners of six races, but he is more than R4 million behind Gimmethegreenlight in stakes.
