One of the most striking aspects of the first session of last week’s CRS Premier Yearling Sale was the dominance of a handful of stallions.
Vercingetorix and Gimmethegreenlight accounted for seven of the top eight lots sold on Day 1, with the former the sire of the top five yearlings sold at the session.
The dam of Thursday’s Premier Sale topseller, Snowdance (Captain Al) wins the 2018 Majorca Stakes (Pic – Hamish Niven Photography)
The late Captain Al shone as a broodmare sire on both the first and second days of last week’s auction.
Remarkably the first three lots sold on the first day are all out of Captain Al mares.
Thursday’s R9 000 000 Vercingetorix colt, Wreath Of Snow, is out of Captain Al’s Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas/Gr1 Majorca Stakes winning daughter Snowdance.
The latter is a granddaughter of Mystic Spring (Royal Academy), as is Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship winner The Secret Is Out. A full-sister to champion All Is Secret, The Secret Is Out’s Vercingetorix filly was knocked down for R4 100 000 at the Premier Yearling Sale.
Captain Al is also the sire of Listed World Sports Betting Sweet Chestnut Stakes winner Really Royal, whose Vercingetorix colt sold for R3 500 000 last week.
The second day of the Premier Sale again saw Captain Al to the fore as a broodmare sire.
His daughter War Path was responsible for a Pomodoro colt, who made R525 000 to top Friday’s sale.
A great granddaughter of French classic winner Houseproud (Riverman), War Path won three times and finished second in the Listed Banyana Handicap.
At stud, she has produced four winners led by Listed Gardenia Stakes winner Bella Chica (Rafeef) and smart Hong Kong galloper Super Commander (Vercingetorix).
Captain Al also enjoyed notable success as a broodmare on the racetrack this past weekend. At Turffontein on Saturday, close relatives Pomodoro’s Jet (Pomodoro) and Mia Moo (Vercingetorix) impressed when winning at Turffontein.
Winner of Saturday’s 4Racing Gr3 Sycamore Sprint, Mia Moo is out of the Captain Al sired Listed Irridescence Stakes winner Leeward. The latter’s full-sister Gorgeous Al is the dam of Saturday’s winner Pomodoro’s Jet, with the latter having won his last three in a row, including the Listed Wolf Power 1600.
Sycamore Sprint third place finisher Chrome Tourmaline (Gimmethegreenlight) is out of the Captain Al mare Cream Of Chrome, while promising two-year-old Tina Lovelace, who won a good race on Saturday, was produced by Captain Al’s daughter Linda Loves Lace.
At the time of writing, Captain Al headed South Africa’s Leading Broodmare Sires premiership for 2024-2025, with his daughters’ runners having already earned in excess of R18,4 million this season.
Star performers out of Captain Al daughters in 2024-2025 include Cartier Gr1 Paddock Stakes winner Double Grand Slam and World Sports Betting Gr1 Cape Town Met/SplashOut Gr1 Cape Derby winner Eight On Eighteen, to name but two.
Captain Al also made news as a sire of sires this weekend when his paternal grandson All Out For Six (by Captain Al’s champion son One World), won Sunday’s R5 million HSH Princess Charlene Big Cap.
