For the second time in recent weeks, the late Captain Al made the headlines as a broodmare sire.
Back at the end of November, Captain Al mares were responsible for a pair of graded stakes winners when Vars Vicky (Var) captured the Gr3 Betway Merchants and Alula’s Star (Red Ray) won the Gr3 Joburg Tourism Magnolia Handicap respectively, on Betway Summer Cup day.
Alula’s Star is out of the Captain Al mare Solar Voyager while multiple graded stakes winner Vars Vicky was produced by Captain Al’s daughter Seminole.
Alula’s Star wins the Gr3 Magnolia (Pic – JC Photos)
Captain Al broodmare daughters again came up trumps at Turffontein on Saturday.
Saturday’s Gr3 Lebelo Sprint winner Taikonaut (Twice Over) is out of Captain Al’s classy daughter Earth’s Orbit, while runner-up Supreme Warrior (Vercingetorix) is out of the Captain Al sired mare Sovereign Flo.
Captain Al was also broodmare sire of Lebelo Sprint fifth place finisher Vars Vicky.
Captain Al broodmare success – winner Taikonat (gold/ red cap), second placed Supreme Warrior (blue cap) and fifth placed Vars Vicky (yellow cap) are all out of Captain Al daughters (Pic – JC Photos)
Earth’s Orbit, a four-time winner who finished third in four graded races including the Gr2 Choice Carriers Fillies Championship, has already shown promise, with the Captain Al daughter arguably unlucky not to have two graded stakes winners to her name.
Earth’s Orbit’s Listed World Sports Betting Perfect Promise Sprint winning daughter Mercury Rising (Gimmethegreenlight) was eventually declared a non-runner, after passing the post first, in the 2022 Gr2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes.
Earth’s Orbit is also dam of the useful Veronica Mars (Legislate), who finished second in last season’s WSB Sign Up Now Listed Ladies Mile.
Captain Al’s great run of success has also seen the former champion sire leapfrog up the Leading Broodmare Sires list this season. At the time of writing, Captain Al ranks third on this premiership, and is currently behind only Jet Master and Western Winter.
Captain Al is also broodmare sire of Gr1 Vodacom Durban July/Gr1 WSB Cape Town Met winner Kommetdieding (Elusive Fort), who is set to take up stud duties in 2023.
Other notable performers produced by Captain Al mares include the Gr1 winners Eden Roc (Var), Gunner (Gimmethergeenlight), Potent Power (National Emblem),Same Jurisdiction (Mambo In Seattle), and Vernichey (Vercingetorix), as well as such graded stakes winners as Basadi Faith (Master Of My Fate), Due Diligence (Silvano), Ghaalla (Var), Pretty Betty (Master Of My Fate) and William The Silent (Var).
Al Mufti
Captain Al’s champion sire Al Mufti also made headlines as a broodmare sire recently, albeit in Australia. His star daughter Alderry looks to have produced a promising filly in the form of Fretta. A daughter of Frankel, Fretta stamped herself a horse to follow when winning on debut at Sandown-Lakeside recently.
Fretta is out of one of the very best daughters of Al Mufti in the form of Alderry. The latter won the Gr2 Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile, while at stud produced Gr1 SA Derby winner Al Sahem (Silvano), the latter’s Gr1 placed own brother Almutawakl as well as Jacaranda Handicap queen Seehaam (by Silvano’s son Vercingetorix).
