Hawwaam’s First Yearlings To Set Sales Alight
Picture: Hawwaam looking a picture at Wilgerbosdrift Stud (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)
Sarah Whitelaw
There will be plenty of interest in the first yearlings by Equus Champion Hawwaam, with these yearlings set to go through various sales rings in 2024. Hopes are high that Hawwaam can follow in the footsteps of his paternal half-brother Vercingetorix, like Hawwaam a son of Silvano, and became a top-class stallion.
One of 110 stakes winners for his sire, Hawwaam made an instant impression. A beautiful yearling, Hawwaam was lame after getting injured in the paddocks, which appeared to make his chances of making the National Sale forlorn. However, the colt recovered and was eventually sold to Shadwell South Africa for R1 000 000 at the 2017 National Yearling Sale (his full brother Celestial City was knocked down for R7 000 000 at the National Sale three years later).
Sent into training with Mike de Kock, Hawwaam won his first three starts in impressive style. After making a winning debut over 1400m, he was jumped up in class when contesting the G2 Dingaans on only his second lifetime start. A win in that feature was followed by a gutsy triumph in the G3 Tony Ruffel Stakes, before losing his unbeaten record when finishing second in the G2 Gauteng Guineas.
However, Hawwaam made amends for that setback by winning his next five races in a row. After claiming the G1 SA Classic by five and three quarter lengths, he went on to win both the G1 Premier’s Champions Challenge and G1 Daily News 2000 (a race won previously by the aforementioned Vercingetorix) and was named Equus Champion 3YO Colt for 2018-2019.
At four, Hawwaam added wins in a Pinnacle Stakes (downing G1 winning sprinter Chimichuri Run over 1200m) and the G2 Premier Trophy before tasting defeat in both the G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and G1 Sun Met.
However, Hawwaam bounced back to claim both the G1 H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes and G1 World Sports Betting Premier’s Champions Challenge, before connections elected to take their star colt overseas.
The son of Silvano never raced after leaving South African shores and he was retired to Wilgerbosdrift having won ten of just 13 starts and earned R6 769 775 in prize money.
It is safe to say that Hawwaam retired to stud as a highly attractive commercial prospect. Not only is he a champion son of a six times South African champion, Hawwaam is out of an exceptional broodmare in the form of Halfway To Heaven.
Herself a daughter of seven times South African Champion Sire Jet Master, Halfway To Heaven was a smart, if hot tempered performer, who won seven times including the 2013 G3 Two Oceans Racing Prix Du Cap and the same year’s Listed Off To Stud Handicap.
However, Halfway To Heaven, described as a “good sized mare with good legs” has proved a considerably superior broodmare. Her first three foals were all G1 winners, and Halfway To Heaven was South Africa’s Broodmare Of The Year in 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. Her first foal was Rainbow Bridge, South Africa’s Horse Of The Year in 2020-2021, Hawwaam her second and dual G1 winner Golden Ducat was the third foal produced by Halfway To Heaven. All three were sired by different stallions -a further feather in the cap for Halfway To Heaven!
Wilgerbosdrift’s Shane Van Zyl is delighted by what he has seen from Hawwaam’s first crop.
He says, “We are very happy with our Hawwaam yearlings and had some great feedback from other studs. Unfortunately, Hawwaam got injured in his first season at stud, and was out for a month so we only had six mares covered by him that year. We have one very nice one going to the Cape Sale out of a mare called Ortega by Tiger Ridge very classy with alot of scope. We have entered two colts for the National Sale – one out of Espumanti and one out of Dashing Scarlet- both of whom are classy with scope and very good conformation.
I definitely think he throws a very classy looking horse with scope (which he gets from Silvano) and a bit of substance(provided by his broodmare sire Jet Master) and good conformation and legs.I am looking forward to see what they will do on the track!”
Hawwaam, bred on the same Silvano/Jet Master cross as G1 Cape Guineas winner Kilindini and the G1 Woolavington 2000 winners Silver Darling and Silvano’s Pride, has 11 members of his first crop on offer at this month’s Cape Racing Premier Yearling Sale Powered By Tattersalls and two yearlings on offer at next month’s Cape Yearling Sale.
His draft for the Premier Sale this year includes Pivotal Role, a half-brother to South Africa’s reigning Horse Of The Year Princess Calla, and Capranica, a half-brother to this season’s G3 Cape Mile winner Montien.
Hawwaam’s two lots on offer at the Cape Yearling Sale are a filly out of a full-sister to the stakes placed Fleeced, and the aforementioned colt out of Ortega.
