Ahead of Sunday’s CRS Breeze Up and Unbroken 2yo Sale, it’s good to reflect on history. The old cliché which is muttered-when it comes to Ready To Run Sales of seeing a winner gallop past you rather than seeing it walk around sales complexes-could not be more appropriate.
Ready-to-run’s new age poster boy – One Stripe (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Buyers from all around the country have descended upon gallops over the decades whether they were held at the fabled Summerhill Stud or racecourses around the land. Some of the famous graduates from South African Ready To Run Sales include plenty of great names.
Arguably the most famous name among the South African Ready To Run Graduates was Igugu. The Mike de Kock trained winner of the 2011 Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara was given the monicker of ‘as priceless as an uncut diamond’ by commentator Nico Kritsiotis. Part owned by Andre and Joyce McDonald with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Makhtoum; her silverware claims did not stop there. Anthony Delpech rode her to her most famous wins.
Her victory in the 2011 Hollywoodbets Durban July was memorable when she turned over Pierre Jourdan. Many wrote off her chances being a three-year-old filly with the maximum weight a horse her age could carry. She claimed Africa’s greatest race with ease. Her best win though must have been at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth when winning the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met against all odds. De Kock reported that she came into the race with a poor preparation and against one of the best fields the Cape Town Met had attracted, she overcame adversity and won a race that no ordinary filly would have won.
Surcharge was always going to be an attractive proposition after he galloped. The handsome son of Gimmethegreenlight had everything moving in the right places at the gallops and he was purchased by Ian van Schalkwyk for trainer Stuart Pettigrew. He claimed the Daily News 2000 in the same year that Do It Again, Majestic Mambo and Monks Hood were three-year-olds, one of the strongest crops in recent years. Surcharge also won his generations’ Ready To Run Stakes with ease. He was exported to Australia where he once claimed A$900 000 prize.
Takingthepeace was a short head away from claiming Triple Tiara glory for new, enthusiastic owners while legendary sprinters, Rio Querari, Bold Respect and Sargeant Hardy were all winners Grade 1. Rio Querari won the Computaform Sprint while Bold Respect claimed the Cape Flying Championship and the Golden Horse Sprint. Sargeant Hardy was also victorious in the Cape Flying.
Captain America was such a hero of Brett Crawford’s yard having been picked off the sale for R500 000. The son of Captain Al gave his heart and soul whenever he turned up at the races and that attribute and guts was shown at his gallop when his long, elastic action convinced Crawford to follow through with him. A two-time Grade 1 winner with taking glory in the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge in 2017 before signing off his career taking out the Grade 1 Champions Cup 13 months later. He earned over R6 million through his career.
The latest poster boy of Ready To Run fame is One Stripe by One World who was at the top of plenty observers’ list sale 12 months ago. Vaughan Marshall went to R1.4 Million to acquire the horse who easily put up the best gallop of the day. This was the first justification that trainers who had One World’s progeny in their yard that they could be onto a winner.
One Stripe stayed in Cape Town through winter and became Champion Two-Year Old Colt/Gelding of the Western Cape claiming the Cape of Good Hope Nursery in great style and then revving up for the Winter Nursery a few months later. He ended his two-year-old campaign with three wins from four starts with the promise of happy days ahead as a three-year-old. Many await his summer season with great interest.
Other hard-hitting graduates include Brave Mary who was exported to France, Rabada who was a Daily News 2000 winner, Champagne Haze, Seeking The Stars, Royal Aussie and Red Ray.
