Sean Veale has plenty of time for his customary salute as Holding Thumbs passes the post well clear. (Picture: Wayne Marks).
Cape Breeders
Maine Chance Farms’ star stallion Vercingetorix has had another wonderful week. Vercingetorix’s great run continued when his son Holding Thumbs ran out an impressive winner of the Listed Monaco Sport Of Kings Kenilworth Cup (2400m) at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Sunday.
The Glen Kotzen-trained four-year-old made it three wins from his last four starts when making all to land Sunday’s R200 000 contest in front-running fashion.
Well-ridden by Sean Veale, Holding Thumbs dictated the pace early on and kept finding as the field turned for home. From there, Holding Thumbs kept galloping well to score as he liked by three and a quarter lengths.
The Kenilworth Cup was a great result for Vercingetorix, with another son, Nebraas, finishing fourth.
The classy gelding, who was bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, has won seven of 17 starts, with Holding Thumbs having also triumphed in this season’s Listed World Sports Betting Cape Summer Stayers Handicap.
Holding Thumbs, out of the Fort Wood mare Withbatedbreath, was a R1 100 000 buy from the 2022 August Two Year Old Sale.
His outstanding sire Vercingetorix had also enjoyed feature race success at Turffontein on Saturday, where his daughters Mia Moo and Komati River finished 1-2 in the G3 4Racing Sycamore Sprint.
The champion son of Silvano dominated proceedings at Thursday’s Premier Yearling Sale, where Vercingetorix yearlings made up to R9 000 000.
South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2024-2025, Vercingetorix has an outstanding draft on offer at the National Yearling Sale, including a colt (Lot 28) out of champion Bela-Bela, a half-sister (Lot 49) to champion Captain’s Ransom, and a colt (Lot 249) out of globetrotting Met winner River Jetez.
