Drakenstein Stud had remarkable Gr 1 success with homebreds in 2023 (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)
Sarah Whitelaw
No fewer than 23 horses won 29 G1 races run in South Africa last year. In terms of individual G1 wins for 2023, South Africa’s reigning Horse Of The Year Princess Calla topped the log having scored three times at G1 level last year.
Four horses won a pair of G1 races in South Africa in 2023, namely Desert Miracle, Gimme A Prince, Isivunguvungu, and See It Again.
But who were the top sires and broodmare sires of Grade One winners last year? And how did home breds fare in Grade One races in comparison to horses purchased off sales?
Leading Sires of Grade One winners in 2023
South Africa’s Champion Sire of 2022-2023, Gimmethgreenlight, was responsible for four Grade One winners of five Grade One races in 2023. His quartet of top level winners last year were Bless My Stars, Lucky Lad, Sandringham Summit and Gimme A Prince, with the latter victorious in both the G1 Pongracz Cape Flying Championship and G1 Golden Horse Sprint in 2023.
Former champion sire Trippi was another stallion to have an outstanding year in 2023, with his sons Charles Dickens, Jet Dark, Trip Of Fortune and Winchester Mansion all winning Grade One races, with Jet Dark and Winchester Mansion providing their sire with a rare Met/July double with two different horses in one year. Trippi’s former stablemate Lancaster Bomber confirmed his premature death was a sad loss to South Africa, with his first crop runners Beach Bomb and Snow Pilot victorious in the G1 World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas and G1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas respectively.
Unfortunately enough, the other stallions responsible for two Grade One winners in South Africa last year, namely Dynasty and Duke Of Marmalade, are also now deceased. While Duke Of Marmalade was responsible for both G1 WSB SA Derby winner Son Of Raj and G1 Woolavington 2000 winner Rain In Holland, Dynasty’s daughters Desert Miracle and Make It Snappy captured the G1 Schweppes Majorca Stakes and G1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes and G1 Cartier Paddock Stakes respectively in 2023.
Leading Broodmare Sires of Grade One winners in 2023
The wonderful Dynasty also made his mark at the highest level as a broodmare sire in 2023. Charles Dickens (out of the G2 winning Dynasty mare Demanding Lady) won the 2023 G1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, while the impeccably bred Beach Bomb (out of Dynasty’s star daughter Beach Beauty) won the G1 World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas last year.
Another much missed stallion Silvano was also broodmare sire of a pair of Grade One winners in 2023, with Silvano mares Bandola and Star Express responsible for 2023 G1 winners Bavarian Beauty and Bless My Stars respectively, while the late Kahal was also broodmare sire of a pair of Grade One winners last year, with both Mrs Geriatrix (Allan Robertson Championship) and Royal Victory (Betway Summer Cup) out of daughters of Kahal.
However, it was Captain Al, South Africa’s Leading Broodmare Sire of 2022-2023, who was broodmare sire of the most Grade One winners in South Africa last year. Captain Al, who is currently atop of South Africa’s Leading Broodmare Sires premiership for 2023-2024, was broodmare sire of three Grade One winners last year, who won five Grade One races between them. Reigning Horse Of The Year Princess Calla (out of the Captain Al mare and G2 Sceptre Stakes winner Princess Royal) won all of the South African Fillies Sprint, Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes, and HKJC Champions Cup, Sandringham Summit (out of the G2 winning Captain Al mare Townsend) won the World Pool Moment Of The Day Premiers Champion Stakes, and Snow Pilot (out of Captain Al’s dual G1 winning daughter Snowdance) won the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas.
Sales ring vs homebreds?
Remarkably, six horses bred and owned by Drakenstein Stud won Grade One races in South Africa during 2023, with Drakenstein bred and owned runners Beach Bomb, Charles Dickens, Rain In Holland, Snow Pilot, Trip Of Fortune and Winchester Mansion all scoring at the highest level in 2023.
Other horses to win Grade One races for their owner-breeders in 2023 were Desert Miracle (twice), Gimme A Prince (twice), and Son Of Raj, while 2023 G1 Cartier Paddock Stakes winner Make It Snappy was leased by her breeders Ridgemont to Hollywood Syndicate.
Al Muthana, winner of the 2023 L’Ormarins King’s Plate, began his racing career for his breeder Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum before being sold to his current connections, while Anfields Rocket (sold for just R11 000 in 2020), was also sold by original owner Grant Maroun to the Hollywood Syndicate.
South Africa’s reigning Horse Of The Year Princess Calla was a R600 000 buy from the 2019 Cape Premier Yearling Sale, while G1 Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes winner Bavarian Beauty was a R250 000 buy from the 2022 Premier Sale.
Equus Champions, and 2023 G1 winners, Bless My Stars, Jet Dark, Mrs Geriatrix and Sandringham Summit are all past graduates from the National Yearling Sale, with Kestorm Investments putting up R250 000 to acquire Bless My Stars from the 2021 National Sale. Nick Jonsson went to R200 000 to buy now retired champion Jet Dark from the 2019 sale, while Sandringham Summit was knocked down to Rakesh Singh for R1 700 000 at the 2022 National Yearling Sale.
Charismatic filly Mrs Geriatrix did not make her original reserve but was later bought by Sean Tarry for R200 000 with Mrs Geriatrix having gone through the ring at the 2022 National Sale, while her eventual stablemate and Gold Medallion winner Lucky Lad was snapped up by Antony Beck for R850 000 at the same sale.
Summer Cup winnr Royal Victory was bought by Nathan Kotzen for R90 000 at the 2021 National Sale while dual Grade One winner in 2023 See It Again was a R120 000 buy from the 2021 Cape Premier Yearling Sale.
Champion sprinter Isivunguvungu, a dual Grade One winner in 2023, was purchased by Hollywood Syndicate privately in 2020, while 2023 World Sports Betting Premier’s Champions Challenge winner Puerto Manzano was bought for the equivalent of R550 000 by Justin Vermaak in Argentina.
