Wilgerbosdrift’s War Front stallion Fire Away marked his maiden Grade 1 success and dominated the R1,5 million TAB Gr1 SA Classic at Turffontein on Saturday with a 1-2 finish, courtesy of two of his progressive sons, Confederate and Fire Attack.
Confederate (Craig Zackey) gives his sire Fire Away a maiden Gr1 success (Pic – JC Photos)
It was a memorable day for trainer Fabian Habib who celebrated his second career Grade 1 success as he had the long-striding Confederate turned out in mint condition to lead from gun-to-tape under national log-leader, Craig Zackey.
Running in the same silks, and with an overlap of joyous owners – including birthday boy Mark Nassif – as Fiery Pegasus, who clinched her first Grade 1 success a half hour earlier, Confederate (8-1) never looked in danger of defeat and kept going to beat tote favourite Fire Attack (2-1) by 0,70 lengths in a time of 114,7 secs for the 1800m.
Legend Of Arthur (11-2) ran on best of the rest for third, some 3,40 lengths adrift.
The Moutonshoek-bred Confederate, a R280 000 National 2yo Sale graduate, has now won 4 races with 4 places in 8 starts and took his stakes earnings to R1 251 625. He has never finished out of the top two in his career to date.
His sire Fire Away (War Front) won seven times, and earned more than $600 000 during his career with his trio of stakes wins headed by a triumph in the 2018 Gr3 Dixie Stakes.
The impeccably bred Fire Away is a half-brother to graded stakes winners Vigilantes Way (Gr3 Eatontown Stakes) and Mr Speaker (Gr1 Belmont Derby). The latter has also enjoyed success at stud, with Mr Speaker having sired the Gr1 winners Speech (Ashland Stakes) and Speaking Scout (Hollywood Derby).
Confederate is out of the UK-placed Danehill Dancer mare, Acquavella.
The third leg of the SA Triple Crown is the R1,25 million Gr1 SA Derby run over 2450m on Saturday Saturday 29 March.
