Trippi colt Charles Dickens is likely the best of the 18 individual G1 winners Drakenstein Stud have produced. He is being led in by Gaynor Rupert, Drakenstein Stud’s owner and their driving force, and by Kevin Sommerville, the stud farm’s racing manager. (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
Sarah Whitelaw
Many of South Africa’s top thoroughbred stud farms have produced high-class gallopers who have excelled all over the world. South African bred thoroughbreds have made their mark both on racetracks and at stud both locally and internationally, and are a fine reflection on the country’s breeders.
From the likes of Colorado King, Hawaii, Horse Chestnut, Bold Tropic, Crimson Palace, Victory Moon, J J The Jet Plane, London News, Jay Peg, Vercingetorix, Variety Club, Irridescence, Perfect Promise, National Colour, National Currency, and Soft Falling Rain (as well as the dams of stellar performers Pluck, Oleksandra and In The Congo), South Africa has produced a slew of high-class runners who have shone both here and overseas.
But which farms have enjoyed the most success at G1 level in recent times? Over the past three seasons, the following South African stud farms have led the way in terms of producing G1 winners.
DRAKENSTEIN STUD
Established in 2004, Drakenstein Stud has already produced 18 individual Grade One winners. The farm, based just outside of Franschoek, had a phenomenal season in 2022-2023, a season which saw Drakenstein Stud crowned both Equus Champion Breeders and Equus Outstanding Breeders (and Equus Champion Owners). The aformentioned season saw Drakenstein Stud bred horses capture all of the G1 Hollywoodbets Durban July, G1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met, G1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas, G1 Cape Derby, G1 Splashout Cape Derby, G1 Daily News 2000, G1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, G1 H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, and G1 Woolavington 2000. Drakenstein bred runners Winchester Mansion and See It Again ran first and second in the 2023 July, with Drakenstein having bred no fewer than seven of the runners in the 2023 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Over the past three seasons, Drakenstein Stud has been responsible for breeding, at the time of writing, 12 individual Grade One winners, with Drakenstein Stud bred runners claiming a staggering no fewer than 17 Grade One races over that period. During those three seasons, Drakenstein produced an impressive 49 individual stakes winners and a further 29 stakes placed runners.
Its current stallion roster includes the Drakenstein bred Jet Dark, a multiple Equus Champion whose five G1 victories include back to back wins in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.
VARSFONTEIN STUD
Home to dual Champion Sire Gimmethegreenlight, homebred successful sire Master Of My Fate, and exciting young stallion Erik The Red (like his close relative Master Of My Fate bred by Varsfontein), Varsfontein Stud, already breeders of more than 30 G1 winners, has long been established as one of South Africa’s premier stud farms.
Year in and year out, Varsfontein produce high-class thoroughbreds, with their latest alumni including Equus Champions Bless My Stars and Sandringham Summit, as well as Triple Crown winning sire Malmoos. Between the period of 2020-2021 and 2022-2023, Varsfontein were responsible for producing six Grade One winners, with Varsfontein thoroughbreds notching up seven Grade One wins during the period, including the G1 WSB SA Derby, G1 WSB SA Classic, and G1 Premiers Champion Stakes (twice). Varsfontein also bred G2 winner Alexandra Rose -whose daughter Oleksandra won the G1 Jaipur Stakes in 2020.
During the aforementioned three seasons, Varsfontein Stud supplied 24 black type winners and a further 20 black type horses.
WILGERBOSDRIFT & MAURITZFONTEIN
A few years ago, Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein became a joint breeding venture, and since then, the combination has proved a powerful one indeed. Over the past three years, Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein have been responsible for six Grade One winners, with thoroughbreds bred by Wilgerebosdrift & Mauritzfontein capturing ten Grade One races during the period between 2020-2021 and 2022-2023. The combination’s tally of big race wins during the aforementioned period include the 2022 G1 Hollywoodbets Durban July, the 2020 G1 WSB Gauteng Summer Cup, the 2022 G1 World Sports Betting SA Derby, and the 2021 G1 Cape Town Met.
Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein bred fillies also enjoyed notable success in the G1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes in this period, with the Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein bred Summer Pudding winning that feature in 2021, and fellow Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein filly Desert Miracle victorious in the 2023 renewal.
During those three seasons, Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein produced 39 stakes winners and a further 29 stakes horses.
Wilgerbosdrift is currently home to the Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein bred champion Hawwaam, a half-brother to the Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein bred G1 winners Golden Ducat and Rainbow Bridge, whose first yearlings go on sale in 2024.
MAINE CHANCE FARMS
Maine Chance Farms have bred numerous stars over the years, and are responsible for, among others, South Africa’s reigning Horse Of The Year Princess Calla. During the period of 2020-2021 and 2022-2023, Maine Chance Farms produced four G1 winners, who between them, thus far, have won seven Grade One contests between them. Princess Calla, who joins Free My Heart as a South African Horse Of The Year bred by Maine Chance, was voted Horse Of The Year and Equus Champion Older Female of 2022-2023, enjoyed a magnificent season in 2022-2023 where she won all of the G1 South African Fillies Sprint, G1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes and G1 The HKJC Champions Cup.
Other recent G1 winners bred by Maine Chance include Bavarian Beauty (Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes), Chansonette (WSB Cape Fillies Guineas) and Pomp And Power (Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby). Between 2020-2021 and the most recently concluded season, Maine Chance Farms came up with 23 stakes winners, and a further 20 stakes horses.
The Robertson farm is home to some outstanding stallions, notably Vercingetorix (sire of Chansonette and Pomp And Power) and Querari (whose progeny include Bavarian Beauty).
SUMMERHILL
Now owned by Henning Pretorious, 11 times South African champion breeders Summerhill Stud currently stands as Summerhill Equestrian. Summerhill was responsible for five Grade One winners in the period of 2020-2021 to 2022-2023, with the farm supplying 13 stakes winners in that time.
Their five Grade One winners, who captured six Grade One races between, was headed by Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara winner, and Equus Champion War Of Athena. The latter won six graded races with her Triple Tiara sweep sitting alongside a triumph in the G1 Woolavington 2000 -where War Of Athena accounted for subsequent Horse Of The Year Princess Calla by over two lengths.
Other G1 winners for Summerhill in the period mentioned above included Under Your Spell and Battle Force -who captured the G1 Allan Robertson Championship and G1 Golden Horse Sprint on the same day.
KLAWERVLEI STUD
Breeders of prominent sire (and Dubai G1 winner) Vercingetorix and the highly promising Met winning sire One World among many others, Klawervlei Stud were responsible for four individual Grade One winners in the period between 2020-2021 and 2022-2023. (Klawervlei produced 24 stakes winners (and another 16 stakes horses) in total during that time, with Klawervlei bred horses filling the first four placings in the 2021 G2 World Sports Betting Guineas).
Star of these was 2021 G1 Vodacom Durban July/2022 G1 WSB Cape Town Met winner Kommetdieding, who himself now stands at Klawervlei. Other G1 winners for Klawervlei in this time frame were Linebacker (Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby/Daily News 2000), Russian Rock (Cape Guineas) and Anfields Rocket (WSB SA Classic).
Klawervlei horses finished first and second in the 2021 Vodacom Durban July where Kommetdieding vanquished Linebacker into second place.
