Many who witnessed Desert Miracle’s scintillating nine-length tour de force at Turffontein on Saturday will agree that this was a mighty impressive performance.
Off the track since her eight-length romp in the Gr2 Golden Slipper on July day, the three-year-old turned her seasonal debut into a similar procession when she blew away her rivals in imperious fashion.
In fact, she could easily have won by a double digit margin, considering that Gavin Lerena eased her off in the end. Mike de Kock’s rising star has now ripped through her last three starts by a combined margin of 19 lengths.
Outstanding Welwitschia skates to victory under Anthony Delpech ahead of an unsighted Dancewiththedevil in the 2011 Gr3 Joburg Spring (F&M) Challenge
Back in July, the trainer remarked that Desert Miracle would be targeted at the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas and that classic is still firmly on the radar – although the connections acknowledge that there are many unknowns, including the travel restrictions related to AHS and the like.
“I want to give her one more run before the Guineas, there are a few options. She’s very good,” remarked De Kock on Saturday.
Well done to owner Mary Slack, who bred the filly from her imported mare Welwitschia, a daughter of English standout sire Oasis Dream.
In a career spanning four seasons, she carried the Slack silks to seven victories.
Mary Slack – belated birthday gift from her progressive colt?
Successful in both the Gr2 Camellia Stakes and Gr3 Joburg Spring Fillies & Mares Challenge, this top class sprinter became the first female winner in almost 25 years to lift the Gr2 Diadem Stakes, in addition to which she finished second to champion All Is Secret in the Gr1 Mercury Sprint and chased home What A Winter and Via Africa in the Gr1 Computaform Sprint.
Welwitschia’s pedigree warrants a closer look.
Her dam Maid For Romance, a daughter of the champion sprinter Pursuit Of Love, managed just one place at three but is a half-sister to the stakes winning trio of Grassy, Savannah Bay and Lady In Waiting, as well as stakes-placed Greenery.
Remarkably, all four were sired by sons of the great Sadler’s Wells.
Sadler’s Wells
Grassy lived up to his name as a dual Gr2 winner on turf and twice ran third in the Gr1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes.
His sire, the grey El Prado, was an Irish Gr1 winner who ended up at stud in America where he made his name as a sire of superior turf horses, amongst which the champion grass horse Kitten’s Joy and Medaglia d’Oro – both of whom have become powerhouse stallions.
Savannah Bay, who won the Gr3 Prix de Lutece, was sired by Sadler’s Well’s successful stallion son In The Wings.
Lady In Waiting likewise proved herself in graded stakes company.
A triple Listed Stakes winner and runner-up in both the Gr1 Nassau Stakes and Gr2 Pretty Polly Stakes, she finally got her due reward when an easy winner of the Gr2 Sun Chariot Stakes. Her sire Kylian lacked nothing in pedigree, being by Sadler’s Wells out of a half-sister to Storm Bird, yet despite his fine pedigree, he proved a disappointing stallion.
Half-sister Greenery is by the mighty Galileo, who seamlessly followed in the footsteps of his legendary sire and has reigned supreme at Coolmore for more than a decade. A stakes-placed winner of two in the States, Greenery produced Gr1 Donn Handicap winner and Claiborne stallion Lea.
Desert Miracle charges clear to win at Turffontein last Saturday (Pic- JC Photos)
Interestingly, Galileo’s influence on the family extends further. He also sired the Gr2-placed stakes winner King Of Wands, who shares the same third dam as Desert Miracle, this the Sharpen Up mare Stinging Nettle.
Furthermore, she is also the third dam of Gr3 winner The Happy Prince, whose sire is Galileo’s champion son Rip van Winkle.
It goes without saying that this particular female family has shown a clear affinity with Sadler’s Wells. That looks set to continue as Desert Miracle is by his excellent grandson Dynasty.
All credit to Mrs Slack, for she also bred the champion son of Fort Wood.
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