Trainer Mike de Kock may have found his next stakes winner in Champagne Cocktail.
The maestro trainer took the wraps off Mary Slack’s homebred filly at Turffontein last weekend and the long-striding daughter of Silvano went on to create quite an impression with a powerful 7,50 length victory.
It may have been just a maiden, but it was a swashbuckling debut performance from the three-year-old, who just happens to be a full sister to her owner’s champion Sparkling Water.
De Kock rarely starts off a maiden’s career over 1700m, but as he explained: “She did not give us winning confidence over 1200 or 1400m. She doesn’t have the speed to or tactical pace of her sister, but she will go as far as you want her to.”
Sparkling Water wins the Hollywoodbets Durban July (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
However, what she does have is a flawless temperament, unlike her famous sister, who could be ‘quite iffy’ according to Wilgerbosdrift Stud Manager Shane van Zyl. He foaled down both siblings and added: “Champagne Cocktail was a sweetie pie from day one.”
Whilst De Kock was quick to point out that his promising newcomer has to prove herself in stronger company, he was nevertheless impressed with the filly, who behaved like an ‘old pro’ in the parade ring and on the track.
She is the fourth foal and winner out of Espumanti, who likewise raced in Mary’s colours. Sourced in Britain and also trained by De Kock, the daughter of Dansili would prove an inspired purchase, her tally of six wins including a brace of Gr2 victories. She showed up her male rivals in the Gr2 Betting World 1900 at Greyville, won the Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge at Turffontein, was runner-up in the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes and also ran third in the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes.
Retired to her owner’s Wilgerbosdrift stud, Espumanti was quick to make an impact with her first foal, the filly Gin Fizz. Sired by ill-fated champion Soft Falling Rain, she scored four times and became a black type ‘bridesmaid’ so to speak, finishing second in all of the Gr2 Joburg Spring F&M Challenge, Gr3 Pretty Polly Stakes, the Ruffian, and the Swallow Stakes.
Sparkling Water is Espumanti’s second foal and gave Mary a first Hollywoodbets Durban July success in a championship season which earned her an Equus award as the leading Female Stayer.
The sole female runner in the Hollywoodbets Durban July line-up, Sparkling Water showed the boys a clean pair of heels when she cruised to a three-length success over champions Jet Dark and Safe Passage. She had earlier captured both the Gr2 Western Cape Stayers and the Gr3 Victory Moon Stakes and had narrowly missed out on a first Gr1 success when beaten a head in the Premier’s Champions Challenge.
Espumanti’s legacy at Wilgerbosdrift looks assured, as all but one of her first five foals are fillies, the most recent of which a juvenile named Spumante Dolce sired by Silvano’s champion son Vercingetorix.
This year, Espumanti is booked to visit Gimmethegreenlight. The dual champion has also been selected as the first mate for Sparkling Water, who has joined both Espumanti and Gin Fizz in the Wilgerbosdrift paddocks.
Champagne Cocktail (JP van der Merwe) looks special (Pic – JC Photos)
The latter’s first foal is a yearling colt by Danon Platina, and she has a Hawwaam foal at foot, “a stunning colt”, according to Shane. On the strength of that, she has returned to the Shadwell-raced champion, yet another son of Silvano. Clearly, the late Maine Chance linchpin is proving to be a perfect foil for Espumanti.
For now, Champagne Cocktail will aim to build on her scintillating debut win.
That she has a long way to go to match the achievements of her dam and own sister goes without staying, nevertheless, should she continue in similar vein, her main objectives could well be the Gr1 SA Fillies Classic and the Gr2 SA Oaks.
Like her late parents Harry and Bridget Oppenheimer, Mary places a high value on the Oaks, a race close to her heart and one that she has sponsored since 2005 and won twice, most recently with None Other.
Looking at the future, it would be entirely fitting if Champagne Cocktail lines up for the 2024 renewal and manages to go one better than Sparkling Water, who chased home War Of Athena in the 2021 Oaks.
