The Peter Muscutt-trained Fire Away colt Except Temptation becomes freshman sire Fire Away’s third individual winner under Aldo Domeyer at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth today (Wayne Marks).
The import of the two War Front sires Lancaster Bomber and Fire Away might prove to be another master stroke by the country’s leading breeders.
The pair both had winners at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth today.
The Wilgerbosdrift Stud-based Fire Away’s progeny were winless in six 800m events, but over further he now has a 60% strike rate, albeit in just five outings.
The Peter Muscutt-trained Drakenstein Stud-bred Except Temptation became his third individual winner today when impressing on debut over 1200m under Aldo Domeyer.
Fire Away is the only freshman sire of the season to have had three individual winners so far.
Except Temptation was in touch throughout and after taking the lead fended off a few late challengers.
Aldo Domeyer said he had been given a good feel by this horse in track work on Saturday and on the way down today.
He added some of the others in the field, looking around, did not look like slouches, and he thought the form would stand up nicely.
He said the colt had shown him a nice rhythmical action, although he was still unfocused and had run in snatches.
There looks plenty more to come from this one.
Muscutt confirmed he never wound up his two-year-old first-timers and added any of them that won had a lot of potential.
Except Temptation earned a R100,000 BSA Juvenile bonus cheque and earned R10,000 for both Muscutt and owner PM Murugasa under the Cape Racing raider incentive scheme.
The colt cost R260,000 at the BSA Cape Yearling Sale.
Lancaster Bomber is leading the freshman sire champiinship, which is decided on stakes, thanks to the Glen Kotzen-trained filly Rascova, who has won two races including a R500,000 Listed event.
Today, the Justin Snaith-trained Lammerskraal Stud-homebred filly Siddeley became the late sire’s second individual winner.
She was coming off a good third on debut and led from start to finish, which Snaith pointed out was quite a feat into a South Easterly wind over the tough Kenilworth 1200m course.
Furthermore, her time was 0,90 second quicker than Except Temptation’s and more than a second quicker than the other Maiden Juvenile Plate on the day.
This augurs well for the big filly, whom Richard Fourie said had given him the impression in trackwork she needed a mile.
“She could still be anything,” he said.
Meanwhile, War Front was the second leading sire for turf races in North America last year.
He was a dirt horse in his racing career and won a Group 2 over six furlongs and was second in two Group 1s over seven furlongs and six furlongs respectively.
He was retired to stud at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. Expectations were initially moderate, and his stud fee dipped to a low of $10,000 in 2011. That same year though, his first crop turned three and several of them became stakes winners, both in America on dirt and then in Europe on turf. “He started out with more of a reputation as a dirt sire”, said Walker Hancock, president of Claiborne. “It wasn’t until he had two winners at Royal Ascot (Declaration of War and War Command) on the same day that he got dubbed a turf sire.”
Thanks in part to the support of Coolmore Stud, he started attracting better quality mares and his stud fee steadily increased. His stud fee for 2018 and 2019 was $250,000 (increased from $200,000 for 2016 and $150,000 for 2015 and 2014). This was tied for the highest fees in North America for 2019 and was among the highest in the world.
He currently stands for $100,000.
Fire Away’s best career win was in the Group 2 Dixie Stakes over a mile and half-a-furlong on the dirt at Pimlico.
He hails from an Argentine female line, with very solid bottom female-line connections and he is a half-brother to Group 1 Belmont Derby winner Mr Speaker (Pulpit).
Lancaster Bomber’s best career win was in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup over a mile and two-and-a-half furlongs at The Curragh, but he had a number of notable Group 1 seconds on turf, including in the Breeders Cup Mile, the Woodbine Mile Stakes, The St. James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and as a two-year-old in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf and in the Dewhurst.
His passing was a big loss.
War Front is by Danzig and examples of Danzig line sires in recent times in SA are Duke Of Marmalade, Querari, Rafeef, Oratorio, Time Thief and Wylie Hall
War Front’s pair of stallions in SA look sure to make an impact.
