Longstanding owner-breeder Willempie Engelbrecht Jnr enjoyed a sweetly-timed boost to the prospects of his Lancaster Bomber filly on the upcoming BSA National 2yo Sale when her Querari half-brother Lexican Point scored an eyecatching win at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday.
Catalogue page boosts, whether big or small, are music to the ears of breeders, and Saturday’s maiden victory, from what looked like a dead-and-buried position by the Eric Sands’ trained gelding, was perfect timing with the sale just two weeks away.
Having his second start after a decent third on his Hollywoodbets Kenilworth debut back in May, Lexican Point appreciated the step up to the 1400m and despite losing his position from his 1 draw, he was beautifully guided by replacement jockey Gareth Wright to get up in the shadow of the post down the centre of the course.
Gareth Wright produced Lexican Point late (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
In a terrific race for Milnerton veteran Eric Sands, Lexican Point (6-1) flew late to beat his 50-1 stablemate Apache Chief by a deceptive 0,30 lengths in a time of 85,77 secs.
The Snaith’s Get Impressed (16-1) was another improver, a nose away in third.
Enjoy the replay here:
The favourite Golden Grey (2-1) failed to show after two promising starts and ran downfield, while Gareth van Zyl’s Stars In Heaven (11-2) ran into all kinds of traffic and ran just over 2 lengths off the winner in fifth. He is one for the notebook.
Gareth Wright a nice early double at Hollywoodbets Durbanville (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The winner, which trainer Eric Sands said had not enjoyed the winter mud, was a R460 000 purchase off the 2022 BSA National 2yo Sale.
He was bred by Willempie Engelbrecht Jnr and is by Maine Chance’ Oasis Dream stallion Querari out of the four-time winning Jet Master mare, Pelican Point.
The mare has a Lancaster Bomber filly (#4) in the Boland Stud draft at the BSA National 2yo Sale in Johannesburg on 26th and 27th August.
Eugene Freeman labels the unnamed lot 4 ‘stunning’, and she certainly boasts a page that brags of a family of winners.
Boland Stud also enjoyed another notable update recently when the Master Of My Fate filly Love Is A Rose won the Gr3 Final Fling Stakes.
Her full-brother comes up as lot 107 on the same sale. Eugene Freeman has described the bay as ‘a powerful, beautifully balanced, graceful mover with an elastic stride. A cracker of a colt!’ Sounds worth a look.
For good measure, the often unheralded Gareth Wright produced the winning goods in the very next race when the Oldlands Stud-bred Heavenly Blue colt No Apologies made full use of his weight discount to shed his maiden at his fifth start. Candice Bass-Robinson trained the winner for the ASSM Racing Syndicate.
