Sarah Whitelaw
When The Real Prince won Saturday’s G1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate, he emulated his champion sire Gimmethegreenlight.
The latter won the same race, when run as the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, back in 2012, with Gimmethegreenlight a member of a very select group of Queen’s/King’s Plate winning stallions to have sired at least one winner of the race.
In the modern era, only the late Jet Master (winner of the Queen’s Plate in both 1999 and 2000) has been able to sire a Queen’s Plate winner, with Jet Master responsible for four time LQP winner Pocket Power.
The Real Prince, a first King’s Plate winner for his sire, is one of more than 80 stakes winners (and 13 G1 winners) for Gimmethegreenlight, South Africa’s Champion Sire in 2020-2021, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.
The Real Prince was one of two graded stakes winners for his sire on LKP day, with Gimmethegreenlight filly Gimme What I Want winning the same day’s G2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes.
Gimmethegreenlight has consistently produced top-class performers since he retired to stud in 2012. His first crop was headed by five graded stakes winners led by G1 Premiers Champion Stakes winner Gunner, and subsequently crops have proved just as, if not more, prolific. His growing list of champions include Gimme A Nother, winner of the G2 John C Mabee Stakes in the US, as well as the likes of Got The Greenlight, Green With Envy, Got The Greenlight and The Real Prince’s full-brother Gimme A Prince.
Gimme A Nother is not the only Gimmethegreenlight runner to have enjoyed success overseas. His son Yulong Prince, who raced as Surcharge in South Africa, won Australia’s G1VRC Cantala Stakes, while Gimmethegreenlight’s champion daughter Bless My Stars ran second in last year’s G3 Rood & Riddle Dowager Stakes at Keeneland.
A son of the late More Than Ready, and half-brother to G1 ATC Coolmore Classic winner Ofcourseican (the dam of G3VRC Bart Cummings Handicap winner Persan), Gimmethegreenlight is one of five black type performers produced by the twice winning Canny Lad mare Yes She Can Cancan.
The latter, whose sire is also the broodmare sire of legendary Australian sire Redoute’s Choice, was a direct descendant of 1859 1000 Guineas winner Mayonaise, whose numerous star descendants ranged from US Triple Crown winner Citation to the hugely influential sire A.P. Indy.
The Real Prince also hails from an outstanding female line. His Klawervlei Stud bred dam Real Princess, winner of both the G1 South African Fillies Sprint and G3 Poinsettia Stakes in 2016, was South Africa’s Champion Broodmare of 2024-2025.
The daughter of Trippi enjoyed a remarkable run of success last season, when Real Princess’ son The Real Prince won the G1 Hollywoodbets Durban July and Listed City Of Cape Town Jet Master Stakes. His full-brother, Equus Champion Gimme A Prince, won last season’s G1 HKJC World Pool Cape Flying Championship and G2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes, and a full-sister Gimmie’s Countess won the 2024 G3 Baker McVeigh Diana Stakes.
The prolific Real Princess is also the dam of this season’s classy three-year-old Gimmie Rules, a winner of three of his first five starts who ran fourth in this season’s G1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas.
Real Princess, bred on similar lines to Listed Kings Cup winner Trip To Africa as well as to the dam of 2004 Listed TAB Spook Express Handicap victress Explosive Bond, is certainly bred to be good. A daughter of champion sire and top broodmare sire Trippi, she is a half-sister to three stakes winners, notably G1 Cape Guineas winner, and G1 sire, William Longsword.
