Picture: Ilustrador after winning the July under Felix Coetzee
Sarah Whitelaw
During 1990, South African racing fans were treated to a remarkable display by the uber-versatile gelding Ilustrador. (The latter commenced his career as Illustrador but his name was eventually changed to Ilustrador).
The latter went from winning the G3 Rupert Ellis Brown Plate (1200m) to capturing the G1 Gold Cup over 3200m while displaying a level of versatility and class rarely, if ever, seen before in a single South African season.
Ilustrador was bred in Argentina by Haras “La Irenita”. He was sired by Cipayo, Argentine’s Champion 2-year-old male of 1977, who was Argentina’s Leading Sire on three occasions.
Among Cipayo’s more than 60 stakes winners were G1 Santa Margarita Handicap winner Toda Una Dama, Argentine top level winners Cautin, El Asesor, Generadora, and successful sire Fitzcarraldo.
Cipayo, who headed the Leading Broodmare Sires premiership on five occasions, also ranks as the broodmare sire of El Picha, the Joint Horse Of The Year in South Africa in 1999. Cipayo also appears in the pedigree of champion, and once beaten G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, Invasor. (Invasor’s fourth dam Twins was the granddam of Ilustrador).
Ilustrador, who was directly descended in female line from the mighty Pretty Polly, was produced by the winning Vervain mare Disy. Disy was an outstanding producer whose progeny included not only Ilustrador but a pair of Argentine G1 winning full-brothers to that champion in the form of Indalecio and Ishkra, as well as useful South Africa gallopers Agapanto and Vladimir.
Ilustrador, one of a long string of Argentine bred horses to excel for his trainer Terrance Millard, broke his maiden at the third time of asking when victorious over 1600m at Kenilworth. A well beaten second next time out, Ilustrador went on to win two in a row before finishing fifth, beaten seven lengths by Pas De Quoi, in the G1 Cape Derby of 1990.
Subsequently gelded, Ilustrador duly made his way to KwaZulu-Natal where he would rewrite the record books.
Sent off a rank outsider for the G3 Rupert Ellis Brown Plate (over 1200m), and making his first start as a gelding, Ilustrador made a mockery of his starting price when storming home to win going away by a widening two lengths.
He would confirm that result was no fluke when taking on an outstanding field next time out in the G1 South African Guineas. The favourite Face North appeared to have the race won turning into the straight, only for Ilustrador, under a fine ride from Mark Sutherland, to get up in the closing stages and win by a short-head. Further back in running came the likes of Bluffing, Spanish Galliard and Kick The Habit.
Now firmly established as one of the best horses of his genertion, Ilustrador made it three graded wins in a row when he won the G2 Natal Derby. Sent off a well backed favourite, Ilustrador was made to work hard for victory and just bested runner up Dramatic Verve by a neck. It was not an impressive performance, and Ilustrador lost a few supporters following his hard earned Natal Derby win.
However, the Argentine bred proved the doubters wrong when he won the G1 Rothmans July next time up.
Under Felix Coetzee (who had set a new record for numbers of winners ridden during the 1989-1990 season), Ilustrador swept into contention after crossing the subway. From there he stayed on strongly to register a 1.3 length victory.
Remarkably, trainer Terrance Millard saddled the first three home in that year’s July, with Ilustrador vanquishing stablemates Olympic Duel and Jungle Warrior into second and third spots respectively (Jungle Warrior dead-heated with Respectable for third).
Ilustrador was not disgraced when finishing third in the G1 Mainstay International when conceding weight to the two horses who finished in front of him. It was a fine effort in defeat by Ilustrador, with the latter being slowly away and was 15 lengths off the front runners as the field turned for him. Nonetheless, Ilustrador unleashed his customary turn of foot which saw the gelding get up to take third, beaten just over a length by Face North.
Just one week later, the remarkable three-year-old was sent out in the G1 Gold Cup. Under Felix Coetzee, Ilustrador made his move early in the straight and kept going gamely to hold off the lightly weighted Hula King and win by half a length.
Following his remarkable season, Ilustrador was named ARCSA Horse Of The Year, Champion 3YO Colt/Gelding and Champion Stayer for 1990.
Unfortunately, a tendon injury sidelined Ilustrador for 18 months following his Gold Cup win, and he would go on to make just three more starts.
Few, if any horses, have accomplished as much as Ilustrador did in such a short space of time and he will long be remembered as one of the most versatile thoroughbreds to grace the South African turf in the twentienth century.
