When Bon Vivant ran out a front running winner of Saturday’s Listed Secretariat Stakes at Turffontein, she became the third stakes winner to emerge from the first crop of her Gr1 Cape Guineas winning sire William Longsword.
The smart filly gave the indisposed Raymond Danielson’s substitute, veteran five-times SA Champion Mark Khan, a welcome feature winner when she stayed on strongly at 10-1 to beat Whafeef (12-1) by 1,40 lengths in a time of 87, 4 secs.
Johan Janse van Vuuren runners filled first and third with About To Storm (12-1) a head back in third.
Mark Khan has Bon Vivant in control (Pic – JC Photos)
Raced and bred by leading owner Laurence Wernars and his family, Bon Vivant is out the Medaglia D’Oro mare, Society Pages – an unraced daughter of multiple US Gr1 winner Society Selection.
A winner of 2 races with 3 places from 6 starts, Bon Vivant has earned close on R170 000 in stakes.
She follows Dyce (Gr2 Epol Umkhomazi Stakes), and Hasta Manana (Model Man Mile) as early stakes winners for William Longsword.
The latter, who is showing signs of following in his own Cape Guineas winning sire Captain Al’s footsteps, is currently South Africa’s Leading Second Season Sire by stakes winners and he looks on track for a good career at stud.
William Longsword has been in prolific form this month, with the half-brother to G1 winner Real Princess (herself dam of eye-catching maiden winner, Gimme A Prince (Gimmethegreenlight)) responsible for eight winners in December. He has made the perfect start with his second crop of runners, his first two-year-old runner this season being the eye-catching debut winner, Air Of Mystery.
Interestingly, Bon Vivant is inbred to Sadler’s Wells, through Fort Wood (broodmare sire of William Longsword) and El Prado (whose son Medaglia D’Oro is damsire of Bon Vivant). It seems likely that William Longsword will continue to fare well when mated to mares from the Sadler’s Wells male line with his G2 winning son Dyce out of a mare by Sadler’s Wells’ greatest sire son, Galileo.
The imposing William Longsword is not the first son of Captain Al to make his mark at stud, with Captain Al’s champion son Captain Of All responsible for last season’s dual G1 winner Linebacker as well as fellow graded stakes winners Shango and Springs Of Carmel.
William Longsword, pictured above, is a direct, male line descendant of Epsom Derby winner and hugely influential sire of sires, Roberto.
The latter left behind a remarkable dynasty of top-class sire sons including Kris S, Silver Hawk, Red Ransom, Lear Fan, Brian’s Time, Dynaformer, Robellino, and former champion South African sire Al Mufti, grandsire of William Longsword.
While the Roberto male line is not as powerful as it once was, it still continues to exert a notable influence on major races around the world.
Japan Cup winner of 2014, Epiphaneia, has quickly become one of Japan’s most sought after stallions, while Japanese Horse Of The Year, Maurice, has already made his mark as the sire of G1 winners Hitotsu (Victoria Derby) and Pixie Knight (Sprinters Stakes). (Maurice is also represented in South Africa by the very promising filly, Whoa Whoa Whoa.)
While Epiphaneia’s sire, dual Japanese Horse Of The Year, Symboli Kris S, was sired by Roberto’s son, Kris S, Maurice is by Japan Cup winner, Screen Hero, a grandson of Roberto’s underrated son Silver Hawk.
Interestingly, Saturday’s Cape Guineas winner, Double Superlative (Twice Over) carries both Roberto and his full-sister Glorious Spring in his pedigree.
William Longsword has another well-bred crop of two-year-olds representing him in 2021-2022, and it should be interesting to follow their progress this season.
