Past Records of 2yo Filly Champs
When last year’s champion 2yo filly, Princess Victoria (Victory Moon – Platinum Princess), won the G1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas, she became the first champion to win the Cape classic since Arabian Lass (Al Mufti – Lorehana) back in 1997. So what happened to previous champion fillies? Did they not train on or were they injured?
The 2009 2yo filly champion, Mahbooba (Galileo – Sogha) certainly trained on well, and probably improved with age (as her pedigree would suggest she would). Exported to Dubai, she won UAE Oaks, and was second in the UAE 1000 Guineas. A facile Listed winner in Britain, Mahbooba won the G2 Balanchine Stakes in Dubai at four.
In 2008, Laverna (Parade Leader – Enchantress) was named champion 2yo filly, after scoring a comprehensive win in the G1 Thekwini Stakes. She failed to recapture that form later on in her career, and never won another race.
A year earlier the award of South Africa’s top 2yo filly had gone to Consensual (Camden Park – Isadora Duncan). A wonderful 2yo who won both the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery and Golden Slipper, Consensual proved disappointing for her followers at three, although she did run third in the KRA Guineas. She retired, never having won another race after her 2yo career.
The blisteringly quick Brazilian filly, Rat Burana (Dodge – Carmina Burana), was named Equus Champion 2yo filly in 2006. After a few good runs at 3, which included a second placing in a G1 race over one mile, Rat Burana was dropped back in trip, and ended her 3yo campaign over shorter distances.
A G1 winner at two, Rat Burana (who made nonsense of the idea her trainer couldn’t train sprinters) won the G1 SA Fillies Sprint. She also ran fourth to champion J J The Jet Plane in the G1 Mercury Sprint.
Asylum Seeker, champion 2yo in 2005-2006, was an exceptional juvenile. She won both the G1 Golden Slipper and G2 SA Fillies Nursery, and was only stopped by a horrendous draw in the G1 Thekwini Stakes. She moved stables at three, and, after an interrupted preparation, made her first start in the G1 Cape Fillies Guineas. She failed to shape there, and produced very little at three. Asylum Seeker was eventually exported to Australia, where she produced her first foal, a colt by Rock of Gibraltar. Asylum Seeker is currently in foal to Haradasun.
Champion 2yo filly of 2004-2005 also found her way overseas. Rock Opera (Lecture – Drummer Girl) was brilliant at two, winning all four of her races. She ended her season with a facile win over brilliant sprinter Secret of Victoria in the G1 Allan Robertson Fillies Futurity. Exported to Dubai, Rock Opera never won in the UAE, but she did manage to run third in the UAE 1000 Guineas.
Exported to the UK, Rock Opera is the dam of two runners, but to date, neither of which has won yet.
A year earlier, the sprinter, Legally Blonde (Qui Danzig – Mystery Doll) had been named the country’s top 2yo filly. Winner of the G1 Allan Robertson Futurity at two, Legally Blonde had been useful at three, without reaching the top echelon. She is the dam of the winner Blonde Ambition, and has a yearling filly by Stronghold.
Warning Zone (Elliodor – War Woman), champion in 2002, was a totally different type from Legally Blonde. She improved with each run in her juvenile career, and ended her campaign with wins in the Debutante Stakes and Golden Slipper. Exported to the USA, Warning Zone won the Marie G Krantz Memorial before retiring to stud in Australia. To date, Warning Zone is the dam of 2 registered foals, which includes the winner, Wise Rahy. She is now in foal to Medaglia D’Oro.
Local Mares Make Good Overseas
South African bred broodmares are slowly, but surely, building up a respectable record at stud overseas.
Huegill, a smart Australian 3yo, is a son of More Than Ready and the South Africa G1 winner, Trust Antonia (National Assembly). Huegill, to date, has won twice and finished a cracking third in the G1 Caulfield Guineas.
Howe Great is a son of Hat Trick and the Western Winter mare, Ginger Sea.
One of the top turf 3yos in North America, Howe Great is unbeaten in 3 starts on grass, having won the Kitten’s Joy Stakes and Palm Beach Stakes this season.
When he captured the G3 Palm Beach, Howe Great accounted for last season’s G1 winning juvenile Dullahan (Even The Score). Dullahan subsequently won Saturday’s G1 Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday, defeating last year’s champion 2yo colt, Hansen.
Pluck, winner of the 2010 G2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, is out of the South African bred mare, Secret Heart. Secret Heart, a royally bred daughter of Fort Wood, ran third in the both the G1 Cape Fillies Guineas and Paddock Stakes of 2002.
Globetrotting G1 winner, Irridescence (Caesour – Meretricious), is another South Africa bred mare, who has produced a promising sort. Exothermic (Empire Maker) won his first two starts in fine style. By a Belmont Stakes winner out of a classic winning mare, Exothermic has the pedigree to be anything. He was nominated to the US Triple Crown this year.
Past Records of 2yo Filly Champs
When last year’s champion 2yo filly, Princess Victoria (Victory Moon – Platinum Princess), won the G1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas, she became the first champion to win the Cape classic since Arabian Lass (Al Mufti – Lorehana) back in 1997. So what happened to previous champion fillies? Did they not train on or were they injured?
The 2009 2yo filly champion, Mahbooba (Galileo – Sogha) certainly trained on well, and probably improved with age (as her pedigree would suggest she would). Exported to Dubai, she won UAE Oaks, and was second in the UAE 1000 Guineas. A facile Listed winner in Britain, Mahbooba won the G2 Balanchine Stakes in Dubai at four.
In 2008, Laverna (Parade Leader – Enchantress) was named champion 2yo filly, after scoring a comprehensive win in the G1 Thekwini Stakes. She failed to recapture that form later on in her career, and never won another race.
A year earlier the award of South Africa’s top 2yo filly had gone to Consensual (Camden Park – Isadora Duncan). A wonderful 2yo who won both the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery and Golden Slipper, Consensual proved disappointing for her followers at three, although she did run third in the KRA Guineas. She retired, never having won another race after her 2yo career.
The blisteringly quick Brazilian filly, Rat Burana (Dodge – Carmina Burana), was named Equus Champion 2yo filly in 2006. After a few good runs at 3, which included a second placing in a G1 race over one mile, Rat Burana was dropped back in trip, and ended her 3yo campaign over shorter distances.
A G1 winner at two, Rat Burana (who made nonsense of the idea her trainer couldn’t train sprinters) won the G1 SA Fillies Sprint. She also ran fourth to champion J J The Jet Plane in the G1 Mercury Sprint.
Asylum Seeker, champion 2yo in 2005-2006, was an exceptional juvenile. She won both the G1 Golden Slipper and G2 SA Fillies Nursery, and was only stopped by a horrendous draw in the G1 Thekwini Stakes. She moved stables at three, and, after an interrupted preparation, made her first start in the G1 Cape Fillies Guineas. She failed to shape there, and produced very little at three. Asylum Seeker was eventually exported to Australia, where she produced her first foal, a colt by Rock of Gibraltar. Asylum Seeker is currently in foal to Haradasun.
Champion 2yo filly of 2004-2005 also found her way overseas. Rock Opera (Lecture – Drummer Girl) was brilliant at two, winning all four of her races. She ended her season with a facile win over brilliant sprinter Secret of Victoria in the G1 Allan Robertson Fillies Futurity. Exported to Dubai, Rock Opera never won in the UAE, but she did manage to run third in the UAE 1000 Guineas.
Exported to the UK, Rock Opera is the dam of two runners, but to date, neither of which has won yet.
A year earlier, the sprinter, Legally Blonde (Qui Danzig – Mystery Doll) had been named the country’s top 2yo filly. Winner of the G1 Allan Robertson Futurity at two, Legally Blonde had been useful at three, without reaching the top echelon. She is the dam of the winner Blonde Ambition, and has a yearling filly by Stronghold.
Warning Zone (Elliodor – War Woman), champion in 2002, was a totally different type from Legally Blonde. She improved with each run in her juvenile career, and ended her campaign with wins in the Debutante Stakes and Golden Slipper. Exported to the USA, Warning Zone won the Marie G Krantz Memorial before retiring to stud in Australia. To date, Warning Zone is the dam of 2 registered foals, which includes the winner, Wise Rahy. She is now in foal to Medaglia D’Oro.
Australian Gr1 Double For SA Sires
Spectrum and Daylami, both of whom have stood in South Africa, are the broodmare sires of Ethiopia (Helenus) and Pierro (Lonhro).
Ethiopia took out the rich AJC Australia Derby at Rosehill on Saturday, while Pierro made it back to back wins when he landed the G1 AJC Sire’s Produce Stakes, defeating Black Caviar’s top-class ½ brother, All Too Hard in the process.
Spectrum is certainly building a fine record as a broodmare sire of Australian Derby winners, as his grandson, Sangster, won this season’s G1 Victoria Derby.
Spectrum’s daughters have now produced seven individual G1 winners namely; Dutch Art, Winchester, Moonlight Cloud, Prince Kaapstad, Cedarberg, Ethiopia and Sangster.
The best South African horse produced by a Spectrum mare, at the time of writing, is the multiple G1 placed filly, Felix The Cat (Black Minnaloushe).
First Winner For Blue Blooded Sire
Carpocrates is the latest descendant of Storm Cat to get off the mark in South Africa. His son Night Club won at Scottsville on Saturday, to give his sire (whose first crop are now 2) his first winner from just a handful of runners.
Carpocrates is out of the wonderful racemare Spain (Thunder Gulch), who won the G1 Breeders Cup Distaff and over R28 million in prize money. To date, Spain has produced two sire sons (Carpocrates and Plan) as well as a filly who fetched $2.5 million in the sales ring (Dreamtheimpossible). Another son of Spain, Calcaria, has won six of seven starts in Japan. Calcaria is a full brother to Carpocrates.
Carpocrates’ sire, Storm Cat, has made a considerable mark in South Africa through his sons Tiger Ridge and Mogok, as well as his brilliant grandson, Var (Forest Wildcat). Carpocrates could be the latest Storm Cat line horse to make it in South Africa!
