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Picture: The Dean Kannemeyer-trained William Rufus is one of the recent William Longsword runners to have caught the eye. (Wayne Marks)

 

John Messara, founder of the leading Australian stud farm Arrowfield, said a sire should never be judged until the end of his second crop’s four-year-old season.

Arrowfield were majority shareholders in Danehill and stood the like of leading sires Snippets, Danzero, Flying Spur, Redoute’s Choice and Snitzel, so Messara should know. 
 
Klawervlei Stud’s William Longsword is proving this point as the figures of his second crop are taking off in their three-year-old season.
 
This is not surprising considering he tends to produce scopey sorts and his progeny should be followed this season.
 
William Longsword’s last 14 runners have yielded three winners and nine places and he has stormed into third place on the leading sires of three-year-olds table for this season.
 
His has had 13 individual three-year-old winners of 15 races.
 
Only former national champion sire Gimmethegreenlight and Querari, who has become a perennial fixture in the top five active sires, are ahead of him on the three-year-old log.
 
William Longsword is in eighth place on the overall log with 17 individual winners of 20 races and has a winners to runners strike rate of 20.5%.
 
However, he is progressive in the latter figure as proved by his second crop, whose winners to runners strike rate is 22.8%.
 
Yesterday, at Hollywoodbets Durbanville, William Longsword had an impressive winner over 1400m in  the Dean Kannemeyer-trained William Rufus, who was having his third start and his first beyond a sprint distance. 
 
William Rufus used his good natural speed to get into the box seat without much effort.
 
Barnbougle set a cracking good pace but the good looking William Rufus, who has plenty of substance, was doing it easily behind him.
 
In the straight he soon struck the front and drew clear to win by a comfortable 1,25 lengths under Keagan de Melo.
 
Interestingly, there were no fewer than five races over 1400m on the day and William Rufus, despite only winning a maiden plate, recorded the fastest time.
 
William Longsword had six runners on the day for one winner, two seconds and two thirds. The only unplaced runner, Betty Boop, is a talented long-striding sort who will relish a return to a more galloping course like the Kenilworth Summer course.  
 
William Rufus could be a feature race contender.
 
Another William Longsword who could step up to the plate is the Vaughan Marshall-trained Professor Snape, a striking grey gelding with a big action. He came from way back at the tight Hollywoodbets Durbanvville course to win his maiden over 1600m third time out. His overall form has been well franked and he should continue to progress.    
 
William Longsword has time on his side as he was retired to stud half-way through his three-year-old season after winning both the Grade 1 Cape Guineas and the R6,534,000 CTS 1600.
 
His father Captain Al also won the Cape Guineas and went on to be SA Champion Sire.
 
William Longsword is one of 25 Grade 1 winners sired by Captain Al and one of five who are at stud.
 
He stands with paternal half-brother Captain Of All at Klawervlei Stud, while One World stands at Drakenstein Stud, Erik The Red stands at Varsfontein Stud and Malmoos stands at Ridgemont Highlands.
 
William Longsword will have nine lots at the forthcoming Cape Racing Sales Ready To Run & 2YO Unbroken Sale.
 
John Koster of Klawervlei Stud mentioned Lot 3, Lot 19 and Lot 92.
 
Lot 3 is a filly who is closely related to Captain Al’s three-time Grade 1-winning champion Celtic Sea, because she is out of four time-winning twice Grade 3-placed Fort Wood mare Cashel Palace, who is a half-sister to Celtic Sea.
 
Lot 13 is a colt out of a Storm Cat mare so there will be a lot of speed.
 
Lot 92 is out of stalwart broodmare Secret Of Victoria, who has produced two individual Grade 1-winning fillies by Captain Al, the three-time Grade 1-winner All Is Secret as well as The Secret Is Out.