It was a good weekend for staying products of both Summerhill and the Emperors Palace Ready To Run programme, Ice Axe being a R425,000 graduate of that sale in his own right, and the R70,000 purchase, Winning Leap, galloping away with Turffontein’s top biller, the Emerald Cup Pinnacle Stakes on Saturday.
The Dominic Zaki trainee hails from yet another fortuitous raid on the international bloodstock markets, this time for a mare called Karafa, whom we purchased from the Aga Khan, and who hails from the immediate family of the great stallions Nasrullah, Royal Charger and Kalamoun. Already a victor in Johannesburg’s top staying race, the Gold Bowl (Gr.2), Winning Leap raced back to form here at the expense of a competitive line-up of Gauteng’s top-line stayers.
