Gimmethegreenlight, who is on track to be crowned South Africa’s Champion Sire for 2022-2023, registered his 55th stakes winner on Saturday when his son Gimmeanotherchance won the Listed The Sharks Gatecrasher Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Remarkably, Gimmeanotherchance is the fifth Gatecrasher Stakes winner to have emerged from his sire’s first eight crops, preceded by Barahin (2018), Kaydens Pride (2019), Gold Season (2020), and Cosmic Highway (2021).
Both Barahin and Cosmic Highway went on to win multiple graded stakes, with Barahin winning the 2018 Gr2 Durban Golden Horseshoe, 2019 G2 Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile and 2019 Gr3 Jubilee Handicap, and Cosmic Highway victorious in the 2021 Gr3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery and 2022 Gr2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes.
Cosmic Highway wins the Gatecrasher in 2021 under Keagan de Melo (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Gimmethegreenlight’s dominance is also reflected in the running of the 2018 Gatecrasher Stakes, where his sons Barahin and Green Haze finished first and second respectively.
The Gatecrasher Stakes, however, is by no means the only race that Gimmethegreenlight has enjoyed multiple successes with.
The Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes has been twice won by sons of Gimmethegreenlight (Gunner, Got The Greenlight), the Gr1 Daily News 2000 twice (Surcharge, Got The Greenlight), Gr2 Cape Merchants (Gimme A Prince, Vikram) and Gr2 Gauteng Guineas.
The latter race was won by Gimmethegreenlight son National Park in 2019, while Gimmethegreenlight son Eye Of The Prophet won the same race in 2023.
While Gimmethegreenlight’s record in the Gatecrasher Stakes is notable, he is by no means the only current active South African stallion to dominate one particular feature race.
Querari was responsible for three consecutive winners of the Listed Lady’s Slipper Stakes, with his daughters Luna Wish, Herrin and Homely Girl, winning the Lady’s Slipper in 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively.
The late Captain Al dominated a number of South African feature races, including the Gr3 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery. Daughters of Captain Al won the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery in 2009,2011, 2013, 2015 and 2019, an impressive achievement by a stallion who headed South Africa’s Leading Sires of 2YOs list on eight occasions.
Barahin wins the Gatecrasher under Bernard Fayd’herbe in 2018 (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
In 2009, Captain Al fillies Flower’s Angel, Possible Dream and Sleek N Sassy finished 1-2-4 in the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery, while in 2013 Captain Al daughter Wheredowego beat fellow Captain Al fillies Pure Power and Alascan Maiden into second and third place respectively in that year’s renewal of the race.
However, these feats pale in comparison to the streaks achieved by the likes of Asbestos II (Asterus), Jet Master (Rakeen), and Silvano (Lomitas), with the former sire of five Cape Derby winners in a row (Feltos, Menlo, Mineral, Convalesce and Restore), and Jet Master progeny Pocket Power, River Jetez and Past Master winning the Gr1 J&B Met from 2007 to 2011.
The late Silvano came up with five Vodacom Durban July winners albeit over a period ranging from 2010 to 2022, with Bold Silvano victorious in 2010,
Heavy Metal winning in 2013, Power King (who beat half-brothers Punta Arenas and Tellina into second and third respectively) scoring in 2015, Marinaresco winning the July in 2017 and Sparkling Water scoring in 2022.
