Drakenstein Stud has announced that champion Charles Dickens has had his first two mares scanned in foal.
The champion Charles Dickens has commenced the next phase of his illustrious career (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The first with a confirmed pregnancy to the son of Trippi is the Captain Al mare Captain Gambler, who won the Irridescence Stakes and finished third in the Gr1 Investec Cape Derby.
Out of the stakes-placed import Skip Poker, she is a half-sister to stakes winners Liquid Mercury and Gold Poker Game.
Donovan Dillon gets Captain Gambler up to beat Whose That Girl in the 2016 Irridescence Stakes (Pic – Supplied)
Outside mare Miss Daisy is also in foal. Winner of the Gr3 Princess Charlene Starling Stakes, the five-year-old daughter of Crusade is a half-sister to last season’s Gr1 SA Classic/SA Derby hero Purple Pitcher.
Voted both the champion 3YO Male and Champion Miler in 2022-23, homebred Charles Dickens was retired to stud following his brilliant win in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate. The chestnut also counted the Gr1 Cape Guineas and Gr1 Gold Challenge amongst ten career wins.
At the time of his retirement, he topped the Merit Ratings at 132, the same as fellow Drakenstein-bred See It Again.
His popularity as a racehorse was always going to spill over to his stallion career and it comes as no surprise that he will cover a full book of mares, with Drakenstein giving him access to some of its most prominent mares.
Worthy of mention are former Horse of the Year Oh Susanna, Captain’s Ransom, Singforafa, Louvre, Lady Of Power. as well as champions Rain In Holland, Silver Darling and Clouds Unfold. The multiple Gr1 winner Snowdance, who struck gold with her first foal, the Gr1 Cape Guineas winner Snow Pilot, is also on the list.
Other proven producers amongst Charles Dickens’s harem is Gr2 winner My Sanctuary, the dam of Gr1 winning Silvano siblings Safe Passage and Silver Sanctuary, as well as See It Again’s dam Supreme Vision and Snowdance’s three-part sister Sempre Libre, the dam of last season’s Gr3 Langerman winner Eight On Eighteen.
Charles Dickens stands his first season at a fee of R50,000 live foal. Read more here.
