Fortress Of Fire cruises in on debut at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday. (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
War Front is making a big impact in South Africa through three sons standing here, the late freshman champion sire Lancaster Bomber, Fire Away and Declarationofpeace.
Peter Blyth of the KZN Midlands stud farm Clifton Stud did not waste time seeking War Front’s blood and it could pay dividends judging by the ease of the debut win of the Michael Roberts-trained Fire Away colt Fortress Of Fire at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
Peter said, “I was in love with Fire Away from the day he arrived in South Africa, because he is by War Front and War Front is by Danzig and of course I have always been mad about Danzig. Going back some time we bought Allied Flag, who was by Danzig, and he produced Classic Flag who won the July, say no more! I’ve always leaned towards Danzig and the closest you can get to him at present is War Front. He is the last living son of Danzig. Lancaster Bomber has done really well and we have Declarationofpeace here in KZN … he has started well and we hope he continues to do so because he is right on our doorstep.”
Fortress Of Fire is not only interesting from the sire side.
His granddam was the classy daughter of Joshua Dancer, She’s A Winner.
Trained at Clairwood by Corinne Bestel, She’s A Winner won her debut over 1200m at Scottsville by 2,25 lengths and followed up by beating Forest path by 2,25 lengths in the Gr 2 Godolphin Barb over 1200m, also at Scottsville. Forest Path went on to win the Gr 1 Golden Horseshoe and Gr 1 SA Classic and finished third in the July. She’s A Winner was joint favourite for the Gr 1 Allan Robertson, but nothing went right and she was never the same horse again.
Peter recalled, “She went wrong and it was such a pity, because she had so much talent.”
She’s A Winner, who was owned by Eric Buhr, Judy Patterson, Peter Adelson and Hilton Witz, was retired to Clifton Stud and produced three winners from five runners and also produced some useful broodmares herself, including the placed Var mare Luneberg. Luneberg produced Cliff Hanger, a Canford Cliffs colt who followed in his grandmother She’s A Winner’s footsteps by winning the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb, trained by Yogas Govender and ridden by Billy Jacobson. He was subsequently bought out of the yard by Laurence Wernars.
Fortress Of Fire’s dam She’s A Fortress was trained by Corinne Bestel and won four races for Eric Buhr and Judy Patterson.
Eric now races She’s A Fortress’ two runners to date, both bred by Clifton Stud, Amafort, a Mambo In Seattle filly who has won one race for Michael Roberts, and Fortress Of Fire who made an impressive debut at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
Fortress Of Fire ran in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m and was allowed to drift out to 10/1.
However, he won like a 1/5 shot under Rachel Venniker.
He was well way from draw nine of nine and sat about half a length off the leader Warofdynamite. At the 400m mark a number of horses were in the leading line, but at this point Rachel began driving with the hands. He quickened superbly before drawing off in effortless fashion and with ears pricked for the last 100m won by 3,30 lengths from the 11/10 favourite Gotta Go Eddie, a Hollywood Racing Gimmethegreenlight colt trained by Mike de Kock.
Fortress Of Fire also looks to be following in his grandmother’s footsteps and it would be no surprise to see him also winning the Goldolphin Barb, which would be an obvious target over 1100m at Holywoodbets Scottsville on April 27, with the Gold Medallion being run on May 31.
Fire Away has been in the news lately, largely for his one-two in the Gr 1 TAB SA Classic with the Fabian Habib-trained Confederate and the Alec Laird-trained Gr 2 SA Nursery winner Fire Attack.
However, there are plenty of other promising Fire Aways in the country, including the Peter Muscutt-trained Miltary Command, who runs in the R1.5 million CRS Cape Slipper on Saturday.
Declarationofpeace has only had three runners to date and two winners, including the Muscutt-trained Spacebound, who won by four lengths on debut at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
Lancaster Bomber only produced about one-and-a-half crops and is proving to be a huge loss as he already has four Gr 1 winners, Beach Bomb, Snow Pilot, Rascova and Eight On Eighteen.
It is exciting times for Clifton Stud, Eric Buhr and the Roberts yard, and the next run of Fortress Of Fire is keenly anticipated, while the War Front stallions are sure to be popular at the Sales.
