The brilliant SA Horse Of The Year contender Captain’s Ransom (Captain Al) once again showed her class when running out a smart winner of the Gr1 Mercury Sprint on Saturday.
In the process, Captain’s Ransom claimed her sixth Gr1 win and her 12th win from 15 starts.
Captain’s Ransom is the fourth runner by Captain Al to win the Mercury Sprint, following the likes of All Is Secret (2013), Captain Of All(2015) and Kasimir (2019).
Basie and Suzette Viljoen assist Richard Fourie in the dismount after Saturday’s Gr1 Mercury Sprint win (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
While Captain’s Ransom is undoubtedly a feather in the cap of her much missed multiple champion sire Captain Al, she is also a credit to her broodmare sire Red Ransom -who from limited representatives more than made his mark in South Africa.
A winner of two of just three starts, Red Ransom (one of a number of non black type winning sires to excel at stud) left his mark in South Africa as a sire, broodmare sire and sire of sires.
Red Ransom filly Rumya never lost in South Africa, winning both the 2012 Gr1 Golden Slipper and the following season’s Gr1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas. Captain’s Ransom furthered her sire’s influence in the Fillies Guineas when she won the 2020 Cape Fillies Guineas.
Red Ransom’s influence on the Cape Fillies Guineas, however, was not limited to Rumya and Captain’s Ransom. His star son Intikhab is broodmare sire of former South African Horse Of The Year Igugu (Galileo) -who finished second, to multiple Gr1 winner Ebony Flyer (Jet Master), in the 2010 Cape Fillies Guineas.
Winner of both the 2011 Gr1 Vodacom Durban July and 2012 Gr1 J&B Met, Igugu died early in her stud career but did leave behind the useful galloper El Misk (Dansili).
Igugu’s dam Zarinia is also dam of the classy Ngaga (Fastnet Rock), whose four career wins included a triumph in the Listed East Coast Cup of 2018.
Buffalo Bill Cody
Another son of Red Ransom, Sri Pekan, is broodmare sire of the talented Buffalo Bill Cody (Redoute’s Choice).
Now standing at Wilgerbosdrift, the blue-blooded Buffalo Bill Cody won six of just ten starts and beat subsequent Gr1 SA Classic winner Lobo’s Legend (Trippi) when making a winning debut over 1160 metres.
Red Ransom is also broodmare sire of Canadian champion Marchfield -whose son Paybackthemoney finished second in the 2020 Gr3 World Sports Betting Gold Cup, while Red Ransom’s Gr1 winning son Charge Forward was represented in South Africa by Gr3 Sycamore Sprint winner San Fermin. Another son, former KZN stallion Slew The Red, was the sire of Gr2 Emerald Cup hero Phunyuka.
The 2020 Listed Golden Loom Handicap winner Bold Ransom was produced by Red Ransom mare Wiqaaya, while Red Ransom’s daughter Sogha, in turn, produced champion, and Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Mahbooba -like Igugu, sired by Galileo.
Captain’s Ransom is closely inbred to Epsom Derby winner Roberto -grandsire of Captain Al and sire of Red Ransom.
