Exciting filly Ciao Bella, who ran out an impressive winner of the Gr2 Western Cape Fillies Championship at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, certainly lacks nothing in terms of pedigree.
By champion sire Gimmethegreenlight, Ciao Bella is out of a three time Gr1 winning and champion daughter of a top sire in the form of Dynasty. Her charismatic dam Bela-Bela is a half-sister to no fewer than six stakes winners, including short-lived champion Rabiya (Jallad).
Ciao Bella at the pull-up after winning Saturday’s Gr2 Western Cape Fillies Championship (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Ciao Bella’s outstanding granddam Mystic Spring was sired by 1990 Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Royal Academy, one of the very best sire sons of Nijinsky II, and a horse who has more than made his presence felt -both in South Africa and further afield.
From a handful of runners, Royal Academy made a big impression in South Africa, with his superb broodmare daughter Mystic Spring joined by the likes of July winning champion Eyeofthetiger, Gr1 Cape Guineas winner Express Way, Gr3 Winter Derby runner-up Marine Academy, Gr3 Winter Guineas/Gr3 Winter Classic winner Royal Chalon and Lavery.
The latter, winner of Ireland’s Gr1 Phoenix Stakes in 1998, went on to show smart form in South Africa, where his efforts included a third place finish in the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship of 2001.
Royal Academy’s 2000 Guineas runner-up son Tamburlaine retired to stud in South Africa, and he left behind Zimbabwe star Control Freak (dam of this season’s promising three-year-old Quantum Theory as well as former Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship runner-up Cavivar), and the graded stakes winners Katy’s Lane, Mike’s Choice, Reflective Image and Sharp Mistress.
Chijmes – game and gutsy performer (Pic – JC Photos)
Another son, Krisflyer International Sprint winner Ato, is the sire of the game Chijmes, who defeated subsequent Gr1 Gbets Cape Derby winner Atyaab when he won the 2019 Listed Sea Cottage Stakes.
Interestingly enough, Royal Academy’s relative Goldkeeper is the sire of Bela-Bela’s top-class half-sister Secret Of Victoria. The latter won both the Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes and Gr2 Sceptre Stakes and also produced a pair of Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship winning own sisters in the form of All Is Secret and The Secret Is Out.
Royal Academy’s influence was felt globally with the bay leaving behind Gr1 winners in all of Australia, Brazil, Britain, France, Hong Kong and North America, to name but a few places. In total, Royal Academy left behind 167 stakes winners, while his daughters have produced more than 200 stakes winners.
His name looks likely to appear in pedigrees for years to come, through the deeds of multiple champion sire Fastnet Rock (whose dam Picadilly Circus was sired by Royal Academy), while Royal Academy’s Gr1 Blue Diamond Stakes winning son Bel Esprit, famed for siring unbeaten champion Black Caviar, is broodmare sire of Hong Kong superstar Beauty Generation as well as dual Gr1 winning Australian sire Ole Kirk among others.
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