The late Tiger Ridge more than made his presence felt at Turffontein on Saturday afternoon.
The son of Storm Cat is the broodmare sire of the brilliant Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 SA Fillies Classic winner Gimme A Nother (Gimmethegreenlight), and is also damsire of exciting two-year-old Pistol Pete (Buffalo Bill Cody) – a three and a quarter length winner of the HKJC World Pool Event 6 April Listed Storm Bird Stakes.
JP van der Merwe salutes as Gimme A Nother charges to victory (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The regally bred Gimme A Nother, now unbeaten in six starts, with four of her wins coming in graded stakes, was produced by Tiger Ridge’s high-class daughter Nother Russia, while the unbeaten Pistol Pete is out of the Tiger Ridge daughter, Oklahoma Sky.
Nother Russia, Equus Champion Older Female in 2017-2018, won eight of 18 starts with her four graded victories including back to back runnings of the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes.
Pistol Pete’s dam Oklahoma Sky was not in the same league as her paternal half-sister, but she did win five times and ran third in the Listed Milkwood Stakes.
Nother Russia is closely inbred to Storm Cat – the sire of Tiger Ridge and broodmare sire of Windrush, damsire of Nother Russia.
Tiger Ridge is also the broodmare sire of champion sprinter Isivunguvungu (What A Winter), who is set to continue his career in North America.
Out of the Tiger Ridge daughter Miss Tweedy, Isivunguvungu won six of 15 starts here, including both the 2023 Jonsson Workwear Gr1 Computaform Sprint and 2023 Gr1 Mercury Sprint and he was crowned Equus Champion Sprinter of 2022-2023.
Other notable performers produced by Tiger Ridge mares include US graded stakes winner Nicodemus (Candy Ride), California Derby victor So Conflated (Eskendereya), South African Gr1 winners Pearl Of Asia (Pathfork) and Orchid Island (Silvano), and the graded stakes winning half-sisters Maharanee (Flower Alley) and Marigold Hotel (Querari).
Tiger Ridge (Storm Cat – Weekend Surprise)
At the time of writing, Tiger Ridge ranked 11th on South Africa’s Leading Broodmare Sires premiership for 2023-2024.
Tiger Ridge’s relatives also got in on the act on Saturday.
His half-brother A.P. Indy is the sire of Judpot, broodmare sire of Saturday’s Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes winner Main Defender (Pathfork), while Black Minnaloushe, like Tiger Ridge a son of Storm Cat, is the broodmare sire of Wilgerbosdrift Listed Acacia Stakes winner Silver Hills (Silvano).
Tiger Ridge’s dam, the outstanding producer Weekend Surprise (Secretariat), also features as the granddam of Mambo In Seattle (Kingmambo), with the latter broodmare sire of the Storm Bird Stakes runner up Fire Attack (Fire Away).
His multiple champion sire Storm Cat, whose champion son Giant’s Causeway is the broodmare sire of One World, South Africa’s Leading First Season this season, was a truly exceptional stallion whose daughters produced over 300 stakes winners, headed by Gr1 winners and successful stallions Speightstown, Sky Mesa, Lord Kanaloa, Churchill and Gleneagles, among others.
