Not for the first time, descendants of the wonderful mare Mystic Spring (Royal Academy) have made a notable impression on the South African turf in recent weeks.
Mystic Spring’s great grandson Snow Pilot (Lancaster Bomber) stamped his feature race credentials when running second in the Gr3 Cape Classic last month.
The well-bred Snow Pilot, who shares his ill-fated sire with Saturday’s Gr2 Western Cape Fillies Championship winner Rascova, is the first runner for his dam Snowdance (Captain Al), a granddaughter of Mystic Spring.
The outstanding Snowdance (Pic – hamishNIVENPhotography)
Bred on very similar lines to the Captain Al sired Gr1 winners All Is Secret and The Secret Is Out, Snowdance was a top class performer, whose five career wins included triumphs in both the 2017 Gr1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas, beating subsequent Horse Of The Year Oh Susanna (Street Cry), and the same season’s Gr1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes.
Snowdance’s full-sister Victorian Secret was also in the headlines recently.
Victorian Secret’s daughter Golden Sickle (Vercingetorix) picked up her first black-type win when she claimed the recent Listed National Colour Stakes at Turffontein.
Golden Sickle wins the Listed National Colour Stakes (Pic – JC Photos)
She is the first stakes winner for her dam, with Listed Laisserfaire Stakes/Listed Lady’s Pendant winner Victorian Secret having produced five winners in total, including Gr3 Godolphin Barb Stakes runner up Master Of Illusion (Master Of My Fate).
Snowdance and Victorian Secret were produced by Mystic Spring’s Gr3 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery winning daughter Spring Lilac (Joshua Dancer), whose ten winners also include Gr3 Drakenstein Cape Summer Stayers Handicap winner Navy Strength (Dynasty), Listed East Cape Breeders Stakes winner Juniper Spring (Captain Al), and Kings Cup runner up Captain Fontane (Captain Al).
The Mystic Spring influence was again felt at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday, when Baltic Secret (Querari) won the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes – a race won previously by the aforementioned Victorian Secret.
Baltic Secret (JP van der Merwe) beats the highly regarded October Morn (Richard Fourie) in the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes on Saturday (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Spring Lilac’s half-sister Secret Of Victoria (Goldkeeper) is best known as the dam of champion All Is Secret – whose daughter Highlyconfidential won the ninth and final race at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday – and the latter’s Gr1 winning full-sister The Secret Is Out.
But it was Secret Of Victoria’s daughter Best Kept Secret (Captain Al) who features as the dam of speedy filly Baltic Secret.
The latter stamped herself as a hugely attractive stud prospect with her win on Saturday, having also finished third in last season’s Listed Somerset 1200.
Baltic Secret is a first stakes winner for her dam, having won twice over 1000 metres.
Best Kept Secret’s granddam Mystic Spring is one of the most successful South Africa broodmares of recent years, with the Royal Academy relation of 2000 Guineas hero Mystiko having produced seven stakes winners, including champions Bela-Bela (Dynasty) and Rabiya (Jallad).
