Saturday’s Gr3 Got The Greenlight Stakes winner Greaterix is so fast that Mike de Kock doesn’t want to work him with other horses at home.
But speed is the number one attribute of a good horse.
That he has so much of it, helped Greaterix to break away from the pack in Saturday’s 1400m contest at Turffontein. He held on from a strong-finishing Fire Attack to win by the best part of a length.
“Greaterix came back distressed after the Dingaans, he went too fast up front that day. We gave him two weeks off after that and he just needed it on Saturday. He may just be a very fast horse and not a typically classic horse, but we have to try the Gauteng Guineas next month because he will be fitter and he has lots of ability,” added the veteran trainer.
Jockey Muzi Yeni said that Greaterix was his top three-year-old, and that he was still learning to race. “He’s a young horse, they clipped his heels and he was never comfortable. I had to let him roll a bit early, his win was full of merit and I’m looking forward to him going a mille.”
Greaterix, by Vercingetorix out of Semra, races for Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s Al Adiyat, in partnership with Mike de Kock, George Ragunan, Chris Haynes and Noeline Malherbe.
His victory on Saturday saw him become the latest stakes winner descended in female line from the prolific Empiric (Voodoo). Got The Greenlight also-ran Musical Score (Oratorio) is another descended from Empiric.
Empiric, whose dynasty has become known as the ‘E’ family, is ancestress of numerous high-class performers around the world, with her progeny faring particuarly well in South America and South Africa.
Greaterix, whose dam Semra won three times and ran third in the Listed Queen Palm Stakes, is the best horse produced by his dam to date.
Semra’s third dam is one of Empiric’s greatest daughters, Elysee. The daughter of El Gran Capitan is one of an elite number of mares to have produced a trio of Gr1 winners, with Elysee responsible for Epoque and champions Ecurie and Empress Club. The latter is widely regarded as one of the greatest horses to grace the South African turf, while her half-sister Ecurie was ARCSA Champion 2YO Filly of 1984.
Epoque, while not a champion, was also a top-class performer, winning five black-type races, including the Gr1 SA Fillies Guineas and Gr1 Garden Province Stakes. Epoque left more of a mark on the stud book than her illustrious half-sisters, throwing five winners including Listed Michael Roberts Handicap winner Eminent (Model Man), the Gr3 placed Ever Seeking (Secret Prospector), and the stakes placed Evangelista (Model Man). Ever Seeking, in turn, produced triple Gr1 winning champion, and successful sire, Elusive Fort – the broodmare sire of Saturday’s Betway Gr3 Mother Russia Stakes third Miss Lia as well as Gr3 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery winner Easyjadeasy (Model Man).
Ever Seeking also produced Elusive Fort’s full-sister Esprit, the dam of triple graded stakes winner Elusive Silva (Silvano) and granddam of the promising Empire State (Rafeef), while Evangelista’s daughter Summer Angel threw the graded stakes winners Exit Here (Jay Peg) and Eventual Angel (Right Approach).
Other stakes winners descended from Epoque include Zimbabwe champion Peggson (Jay Peg) and the versatile Cat Daddy (Ideal World).
Epoque was sired by Oak Dancer, while Ecurie and Empress Club were daughters of Liloy and Farnesio respectively.
Elysee also produced Empress Club’s full-brother Ethique, who sired graded stakes winners Boy Jayson, Exceptional and Technique as well as Gr1 Gold Bowl winning champion Kelly.
However, Elysee is but one daugher of Empiric to have made their mark on the stud book.
Empiric’s daughter Escolastica (Great Host) founded her own dynasty, with Escolastica’s descendants including South African champions Escoleta Fitz (Fitzcarraldo) and her son Hermoso Mundo (Ideal World), as well as the top-class European galloper Rio De La Plata (Rahy). The latter, winner of the 2007 Gr1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, won group races in Britain, France and Italy, was produced by Escolastica’s granddaughter Express Way (Ahmad).
Ideal World’s son Hermoso Mundo (Pic – JC Photos)
The late Candy Stripes enjoyed great success when mated to descendants of Empiric, with this combination producing South African raced champions like Candy Critic (out of Empiric’s great granddaughter Tough Dancer) and Eventuail (whose third dam was a full-sister to Elysee), to name but three.
The Equalize sired Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Emerald Beauty was produced by the Candy Stripes mare Emerald Girl, another descendant of Empiric.
This is also the family of recent Listed World Sports Betting Cape Summer Stayers Handicap hero Holding Thumbs, who, like Greaterix, was sired by Vercingetorix.
Bred on the same Vercingetorix/Jet Master cross as recent Anthonij Rupert Wyne Gr2 Premier Trophy first and second place finishers Rascallion and Magic Verse, Greaterix looks sure to keep his illustrious family in the news.
