South African racing and breeding take a bow. Last weekend’s stakes action on two continents underlined the fact that our bloodstock continues to exert its influence on a global scale and can compete with the best.
Autumn Glow made history on Saturday in the Gr3 Up And Coming Stakes (Pic – Inglis)
At Rosehill Gardens in Australia, Autumn Glow, a daughter of Var’s champion sprint daughter Via Africa, enhanced her growing reputation when she became the first filly in history to land the Gr3 Up And Coming Stakes.
A member of the powerful Chris Waller stable, the three-year-old stretched her record to a perfect two from two with a comprehensive defeat of male rivals in the 1300m race, barely two weeks after scoring a similarly dominant two-length debut victory over the course and distance.
Via Africa wins Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint (Pic – Gold Circle)
She never looked threatened and charged away in the final stages to win with ease, thereby solidifying her reputation as one of Australia’s most promising three-year-old fillies.
The undefeated miss is the second stakes winner out of Via Africa, who has certainly made a name for herself as a broodmare Down Under. Her first, the Snitzel colt In The Congo, followed in his mum’s footsteps as a sprinter of note when he won the Gr1 The Golden Rose and now stands at stud in Australia.
One can but speculate whether Via Africa would have tasted similar success had she remained in South Africa, suffice to say that her loss to the local gene pool has been a costly one.
Autumn Glow is no stranger to the limelight. Originally sold for A$600,000 as a weanling, she topped the 2023 Easter Yearling Sale when knocked down to powerhouse stud Arrowfield and Hermitage Thoroughbreds for A$1,8 million.
Beach Bomb – acquitted herself well on Saturday and may have another outing before Breeders’ Cup (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Incidentally, ex-pat Dr Gary Baitz, who now runs his own veterinary practice in Australia, vetted the filly on behalf of a client at the time and commented: “She was a very correct and athletic yearling. There is talk that she is the stable’s next superstar.”
The filly’s talent was confirmed by winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy: “I think she is pretty good. She has gone a long way in her couple of starts and she just gives you that good horse feel.”
Trainer Chris Waller echoed this sentiment when he added: “She’s a very serious horse.”
Bookmakers now have Autumn Glow as favourite for the Gr1 Flight Stakes at Randwick in early October, but consummate professional that he is, Waller is cautious about pushing his charge too soon and suggested the Gr2 Tea Rose Stakes on September 21 as a more likely target, emphasising the importance of managing her career carefully.
Later that same day, a duo of fillies with South African ties dominated the Gr3 Violet Stakes at Monmouth Park halfway across the globe in New Jersey.
The 1700m race on turf featured the highly anticipated American debut of Drakenstein’s dual Gr1 winner Beach Bomb, now trained by Graham Motion.
This was her first racetrack appearance since she chased champion Green With Envy home in the Gr1 Cape Derby on February 24 and the daughter of newly crowned Broodmare of the Year Beach Beauty acquitted herself with aplomb, finding only one too good in Irish-bred Mamoon Joon, who had finished fourth in the last year’s Gr1 Epsom Oaks. She too, has South African connections, as she was bred in Ireland by the Kieswetters family’s Barnane Stud, who raced her stakes-winning Kingman half-brother Candleford.
Beach Bomb’s effort was full of merit given that she carried 3kg more than the winner and is seven months younger. It was a great learning curve for the filly, to experience the American style of racing.
Owner Gaynor Rupert commented: “Yes, it was a very good run considering all she’s been through.”
Gaynor Rupert – exciting prospects in action in America (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
In addition to Beach Bomb, Graham Motion, who saddles Equus speed champion Isivunguvungu in the Da Hoss Stakes at Colonial Downs on Saturday, also trains Drakenstein stakes winners Distant Winter and Golden Hostess.
The former, by What A Winter out of Gr3 winner Fromafar, proved a rattling good juvenile, winning the Gr3 Winter Nursery while picking up valuable Gr1 black type with a third in the Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes. She is currently in light training and is scheduled to resume galloping.
Gold Standard’s talented daughter Golden Hostess, who won the Gr3 Diana Stakes and finished third in both the Gr1 Majorca Stakes and Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint, is in full work and last week breezed 62 secs over 1000m.
Drakenstein also has a pair of homebred fillies with trainer Bill Mott.
Coldhardstare, a three-time winning daughter of What A Winter, chased home Mrs Browning in last season’s Gr3 Carry On Alice Stakes. She has only done one piece of work so far which went well.
Mrs Rupert reports that Mott is taking it slowly with Hunting Trip, after the filly suffered a slight setback. The daughter of Trippi score four times in South Africa and also finished third in the Listed Olympic Duel Stakes.
As she remarked: “All seems to be going well, but it’s a tough ask after standing in quarantine for 60 days.”
Meanwhile, Beach Bomb came out of the Violet Stakes in fine fettle.
“The jockey said she is looking for further, Mrs Rupert added. “The Breeders Cup Distaff is definitely still on the cards and she will probably have one more race before then.”
While nothing is cast in stone, that may well be the Gr3 Waya Stakes over 1800m at Aqueduct on 4 October. Watch this space.
