Friday’s BSA Turffontein September Sale R1 million topseller Maharanee will race in the familiar white, black and red flag of leading owner Laurence Wernars and has the R1 million Gr1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on 3 December as her potential short-term target.
An outstanding winner of the 2022 4Racing Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery, Maharanee, who formerly raced out of the Paul Peter yard in a partnership of M K ‘Koos’ Nkale and the Hyperpaint Syndicate, was unbeaten in her first four starts up to 1400m.
Classy Maharanee – under new ownership and could be headed South (Pic – JC Photos)
She was then despatched to KZN and ran out of the money in the Gr2 Zulu Kingdom Golden Explorer on Hollywoodbets Durban July day after over-racing in the early and middle stages, and proving difficult for SA Champion jockey Warren Kennedy to assist. That clearly was not her run and she has not seen action since.
Maharanee topped Friday’s sale in a basket of 4 lots for Laurence Wernars’ Triple 8 Clothing, who was the top buyer at an aggregate spend of R1 790 000, averaging R447 500.
Originally an R80 000 BSA National 2yo Sale graduate, Maharanee is another fine product of Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein and a daughter of their top-class Gr1 winning sire Flower Alley (Distorted Humor).
Maharanee is out of the four-time winning Tiger Ridge mare, Indira, who only won to 1200m. There must be a question with her dazzling natural speed whether she will be as lethal at a mile, but her full sister Lotus won up to 1700m and her well-performed Querari half sister Marigold Hotel has won at 1600m.
“We are considering a tilt at the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas in December and will give her an outing up here in Gauteng prior to making a final decision,” Maharanee’s new trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren told the Sporting Post.
Van Vuuren’s powerful string has also been bolstered with new Wernars’ flagbearers in Gr1 winner Astrix (purchased for R260k) and Listed Swallow Stakes winner and graded performer, Freed From Desire (a R350k buy).
The sale followed the dispersal of the Paul Peter racing yard after a shock withdrawal from racing of the recently crowned SA champion.
A total of 54 of the 65 catalogued lots were sold, with 6 withdrawn. An aggregate of R7 831 000 was achieved at an average of R145 019, and median of R82 500.
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