Dr Andreas Jacobs and his family have enjoyed an eventful year internationally!
Celebrating a joint national second most stakes winners last term and record stakes earnings, including Maine Chance Farms having bred SA Horse Of The Year Princess Calla, the family also purchased the historic Litchfield Stud in October.
And on Thursday they proudly enjoyed a connection to supporting acclaimed Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who co-owns and bred the $1 million Gr2 Bahrain International Trophy winner, Spirit Dancer.
Spirit Dancer storms home under Oisin Orr (Pic – Bahrain Racing Club)
A son of champion Frankel, Spirit Dancer, who beat an international quality field, that included a trio of Gr1 winners under Oisin Orr, is out of Maine Chance champion Querari’s full sister, Queen’s Dream, who was purchased from the Jacobs family’s Gestut Fährhof operation by Sir Alex.
Spirit Dancer was the first product of Sir Alex’s Upperwood Farm Stud in Hemel Hempstead
The Jacobs team have raced a few horses in partnership in the internationally recognised red and white Ferguson silks that were famously carried by champion Rock of Gibraltar two decades ago.
Sir Alex holds the magic trophy (Pic – Bahrain Racing Club)
The Richard Fahey-trained Spirit Dancer is certainly on the up, having stepped up through handicap company this term and reached group 3 level in the Strensall Stakes at York. He now looks likely to take in the Saudi Cup, with prize money for the world’s richest weekend of racing boosted to $37.35m on 23 and 24 February.
The 81 year old Sir Alex Ferguson earned 38 trophies in his 26-year reign at Man United and remains an icon at Old Trafford. But racing has given him a second lease on life!
“It was a new adventure for me to get into breeding to be honest. I bought a mare from Andreas Wohler in Germany, she’s at Hemel Hempstead, it’s a good family. The first foal was a Frankel and that’s why we’re down here today. We’ve had other horses who have done well but the Frankel has been fantastic,” added Sir Alex after Spirit Dancer’s peak victory.
The iconic Silvano (Pic – Jeremy Nelson)
If the name is not familiar, Andreas Wohler would be enthusiastically received by SA racing fans as the man who trained our multiple national champion sire, Silvano.
The Bahrain success last Thursday at the Sakhir Racecourse was a momentous step up for the Jacobs family from the 2022 renewal won by Dubai Future. In third there was Gr3 winner Riocorvo, who also has an indelible Gestut Fahrof connection.
Riocorvo is a son of the multiple Gr1 winning Soldier’s Hollow stallion Pastorius out of the Silvano mare Rio Cobra (Silvano – Royal Dubai), who was sold in utero by Fährhof.
