The market for yearlings dictates that elite stallions will invariably hog the top of the buyers list, hence it is refreshing when a lesser regarded sire pops up with a million rand youngster.
That happened at the recent Cape Racing Premier Yearling Sale, where Mano Pandaram gave an even million for a colt by Maine Chance-based Erupt, the only son of hugely successful sire Dubawi currently standing in South Africa.
The athletic Erupt – Dubawi ex Mare Nostrum (Pic – Jeremy Nelson)
Consigned by Ridgemont and named Lava Runway, the chestnut is out of High Chaparral mare Being Fabulous, who carried the Wernars silks to victory in the Listed Syringa Handicap and was twice placed at Gr3 level.
Pandaram’s purchase looked a shrewd one, given that Erupt celebrated a new stakes winner barely 48 hours later when his daughter Ripple Effect opened her black type account in the Listed Pongracz Olympic Duel Stakes at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
The three-year-old made her own bit of history, as she is also the first stakes winner owned by new breeding outfit Paardeberg Stud.
This is not the first time that an Erupt youngster broke through the seven-figure barrier.
At last year’s August 2YO Sale, Laurence Wernars went to R1.2-million to secure the Erupt colt out of Lil’ Bacio, the dam of Gr1 SA Derby winner Out Of Your League, Gold Cup runner-up Paybackthemoney and Java Stakes winner Zeus, who notched up his tenth career win at last weekend’s Turffontein meeting.
Incidentally, on that same card Erupt’s son Unzen caught the eye when he made virtually all in a 1400m Pinnacle Stakes whilst defeating such class acts as champion Cousin Casey, dual Gr1 winner and Highveld champion Puerto Manzano, Safe Passage, MK’s Pride and Dave The King.
Robbie Sage’s charge, who came within a head of winning the Listed Wolf Power 1600 in his penultimate start, appears to be on an upward curve and it is safe to say that he will be amongst the entries for the 1400m Gr2 Hawaii Stakes.
By the way, Wernars co-owns Erupt’s very first stakes winner Karangetang, who made an auspicious start to his career when he dashed up the Turffontein straight to win the Listed Storm Bird Stakes on debut and followed up in the Gr3 Protea Stakes next time out.
Jockey Stephane Pasquier guides Erupt to victory in the CAD$1,000,000 dollar Pattison Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack (Pic – Michael Burns)
Physically, Erupt is very much his father’s son, a not overly big, burly bay. In fact, as a respected breeder remarked: “I took a mare to Maine Chance and when I saw this small horse, I thought it was the teaser.” Turned out it was Erupt, who had just arrived at the farm!
What Erupt lacks for in inches, he certainly made up for in ability, being a dual Gr1 winner of the Grand Prix de Paris and Canadian International, both over 2400m.
True to his female line – his first three dams are by Caerleon, Spectacular Bid and Sir Ivor respectively – he was a late maturing stayer, yet his best progeny tend to be sprinters. Whether that is because breeders supported him with fast mares is a matter of conjecture, however, virtually all sport fast female lines.
In addition to Karangetang (out of a Var mare) and Ripple Effect (grandam won the Gr2 Prix Robert Papin as a juvenile), these include the stakes-placed fillies Golden Tatjana, Hot Pearl and Flowerbomb.
Glen Kotzen, who trains both Ripple Effect and Golden Tatjana, is also of the opinion that the best Erupt progeny conform to the same phenotype as their sire and grandsire.
“Both are small, strong and quick,” he said. “Ripple Effect is such a game little filly, we will aim her at the Prix du Cap at the end of the month. That is over 1400m and if she stays, we may consider the KZN Fillies Guineas in Durban.”
Karangetang – Erupt’s first stakes winner in action (Pic – JC Photos)
Golden Tatjana proved herself a smart juvenile last season when third in the Gr3 Cape of Good Hope Nursery and was beaten just a head when second in the Gr3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m.
“She didn’t have a good summer season and is enjoying a nice rest,” Glen remarked, following the filly’s disappointing efforts in the Southern Cross and Cartier Sceptre Stakes.
Interestingly, she is out of a Silvano mare, yet has made her mark as a sprinter. That said, her grandam and third dam were by National Assembly and Golden Thatch respectively, so there’s speed aplenty on the bottom line.
Likewise, Flowerbomb, a stakes-placed four-time winner over the minimum trip, is out of an unraced daughter of the fine sprinter Fastnet Rock.
Wendy Whitehead, who trains last season’s Gr3 Strelitzia Stakes runner-up Hot Pearl agrees that the better Erupts come in small packages: “Hot Pearl is small, strong and compact and a real go-getter!”
Wendy is another fan of the stallion. ” I love them, because I know they are going to come early, and they are just so competitive. I have another Erupt, a juvenile filly out of a Trippi mare. She can run and will be coming out soon.”
Wendy is also looking forward to the Erupt half-sister to Mvulazana, a Soft Falling Rain mare who has won her five races.
“She’s coming off the farm soon. While Mvulazana is a big, rangy filly with one hell of an action, this filly is smaller, but has a big engine on her!”
From a pedigree perspective, there’s plenty of speed, considering their third dam is none other than the Azzie-trained flyer Harry’s Charm. The champion 2yo, 3yo and Older Female Sprinter of the mid-nineties, the daughter of Harry Hotspur won the Gr1 Allan Robertson and SA Nursery Plate as a juvenile and went on to claim the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint and Gr1 Mondi Sprint twice.
Glen Kotzen’s remark “Erupt is certainly value for money” appears to be spot on, considering Lava Runway was conceived off a R20,000 service fee!
Erupt has three lots catalogued for the upcoming Cape Yearling Sale, including a filly out of Starling Stakes winner Kiribati.
