The premature loss of Lancaster Bomber (War Front) was a sad setback for the South African thoroughbred industry. This fact was underlined further on Saturday.
Lancaster Bomber colt Legend Of Arthur won Saturday’s TAB Gr1 SA Derby, while his top-class daughter Beach Bomb claimed her second consecutive graded race in North America.
Richard Fourie has Lancaster Bomber’s son Legend Of Arthur (outside) in front as Gavin Lerena and Wild Intent chase for second down the inside – Jarryd Penny and Solar Sail (centre) were not disgraced (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
In landing the Derby, Legend Of Arthur became the fifth Gr1 winner for his sire, who sadly left just two crops behind him.
The progressive Legend Of Arthur is one of six black type horses to have emerged from his sire’s second and final crop.
Lancaster Bomber’s second crop is headed by star colt Eight On Eighteen, a winner of four of eight starts including this season’s World Sports Betting Gr1 Cape Town Met and SplashOut Gr1 Cape Derby.
Eight On Eighten (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Other smart performers to have emerged from this crop include Gr2 Western Cape Fillies Championship runner-up Beware The Bomb and Listed Wolf Power 1600 runner-up Chestnut Bomber.
Legend Of Arthur is out of the top-class producer Grail Maiden, whose sire Galileo also ranks as the broodmare sire of War Front’s Gr1 winners Fog Of War, Full Count Felicia, Roly Poly and U S Navy Flag.
Coincidentally, Saturday’s SA Derby winner is the second SA Derby winner for Grail Maiden, whose son Hero’s Honour won the classic in 2018.
The blue-blooded Beach Bomb, whose feats are also yet another tribute to her outstanding dam Beach Beauty, made it back to back graded wins in the US when she won the Gr3 Orchid Stakes on Saturday.
Winner of both the World Sports Betting Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas and Cartier Gr1 Paddock Stakes in South Africa, Beach Bomb had won the Gr3 The Very One Stakes presented by MyRacehorse at the beginning of March.
Beach Bomb is one of five stakes winners and three Gr1 winners to have emerged from Lancaster Bomber’s first crop. This crop, born in 2020, also include 2023 Hollywoodbets Gr1 Cape Guineas winner Snow Pilot and this season’s Maine Chance Farms Gr1 Majorca Stakes victress Rascova.
The ill-fated Lancaster Bomber (War Front) – winners aplenty (Pic – Drakenstein)
By the same sire as the increasingly successful Fire Away, Lancaster Bomber was from a hugely successful family, and one which has made a considerable mark on the South African turf.
A half-brother to triple Gr1 winner, but disappointing sire, Excelebration (Exceed And Excel), the Gr1 Tattersalls Gold Cup winning Lancaster Bomber was one of four group/graded stakes winners produced by his dam Sun Shower (Indian Ridge). The latter’s fifth dam Fantan also ranked as the granddam of South African champion Politician (Oligarchy), and is also ancestress of top-class, Al Mufti sired local gallopers as Al Nitak, The Sheik and Top Seller.
Lancaster Bomber has been responsible for 83 winners from 157 registered foals, giving him the more than respectable percentage of 53% winners to foals. His first crop yielded a smart 6% stakes winners to foals, with anything above 4% considered successful.
With several potential sire sons, and some very well-bred daughters, likely to go to stud, the Lancaster Bomber influence could be felt for seasons to come.
