Paul Peter has high hopes for two of his success stories this new season, Electric Gold (Flying The Flag) and Vanderbilt (What A Winter), and at the same time has backed the decision to move the Galileo sire Flying The Flag down to Advocate Altus Joubert’s Riethuiskraal Stud in the Western Cape.
Electric Gold has rattled off three wins on the trot since being stepped up to 1600m.
Peter said, “He is a very, very nice horse. We are aiming him at the Dingaans. I think it is an excellent decision to move Flying The Flag down to Riethuiskraal. I rate him as a stallion. All of the Flying The Flags I’ve had have won.”
Electric Gold was bred by Bush Hill Stud and is out of the Goldkeeper mare Gold Lass, who has produced seven winners, including the Peter-trained Grade 3 Epol Magnolia Handicap runner up Ouro.
Peter also trains the four-time winning Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein-bred Flying The Flag mare Roha, who is out of the placed Silvano mare Lalibela, a half-sister to four stakes-placed runners including Dingaans runner up Tigray (Fort Wood). Lalibela has produced the six time-winner and Listed-placed Holy Land as well as seven-time winner Timkat.
Bush Hill Stud’s owner Warwick Render said advocate Joubert plans to send “a bunch” of his mares to Flying The Flag having been given the thumbs up by Peter.
Flying THe Flag’s number of mares had dwindled at Bush Hill over the last couple of seasons.
Joubert bought the farm Riethuiskraal from acclaimed novelist Wilbur Smith in April 2000 and developed it into a stud farm.
Joubert has bred several champions and other outstanding horses, the most notable being National Colour, Crimson Palace, Flirtation and Lambarina.
Meanwhile, Peter said the big horse Vanderbilt would be stepped up in trip to see whether he was a potential Grade 1 WSB Summer Cup horse.
He arrived in his yard a maiden, sent by owners Suzette and Basie Viljoen from the Eastern Cape having started his career in Cape Town.
He is unbeaten in five starts with Peter and appears to be getting better and better.
The handicappers raised him nine points for his 4,25 length win over 1600m last time and he is now merit rated 98.
Peter said, “He is a massive horse, he weights nearly 600kg, so he is filling out now and getting stronger. His family stay (he is a half-brother to the Peter-trained Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara and Equus Horse Of The Year heroine Summer Pudding). The only stamina question is because he is by What A Winter.”
