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VARSFONTEIN-BRED juvenile Eden Roc contributed to a truly sensational day for trainer Sean Tarry and owner Chris van Niekerk when he landed Scottsville's Gr.1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion on just his second racetrack appearance.
Dropping back from a debut win over seven furlongs, the stiff 1200m dash at the tricky Pietermaritzburg track was right up the alley of the Var colt, who ran on stoutly to open his Gr.1 account at the expense of the favourite Frosted Gold.
A National Yearling Sale graduate, he is the first stakes winner out of our well-performed Captain Al mare Townsend, a dual Graded stakes winner of the Gr.2 Odessa Stud Fillies Championship and Gr.3 Diana Stakes. Significantly, Tarry also trained her Caesour half-brother, Gr.1 Champions Challenge winner Regal Ransom.
AMY FLIES TO STAKES SUCCESS
OUR homebred Amy Johnson likewise became a stakes winner on just her second racetrack appearance with a dashing, last gasp win in the Listed Perfect Promise Sprint up the Kenilworth straight.
Named after Britain's most famous aviatrix, the juvenile daughter of Captain Al is the first foal out of Touch The Sky, a stakes-winning Jet Master half-sister to our champion Bela-Bela. No slouch herself, she landed both the Oaks Trial and Syringa Handicap and earned Gr.1 black type when third in the Woolavington 2000.
Thank goodness we didn't sell Amy Johnson. Susan Rowett, who was in attendance to lead in the well-related juvenile, was over the moon and explained: “We don’t normally keep them out of young mares, but we couldn’t repeat the mating with Captain Al so it worked out well!"
More kudos to the wonderful Mystic Spring family, which is well-represented at Varsfontein. In addition to her daughters Bela-Bela and Touch The Sky, we also own her Captain Al grandaughter Victorian Secret, a multiple stakes winner.
GIMMETHEGREENLIGHT RULES
OFFICIAL statistics don't lie, Gimmethegreenlight is the country's leading living juvenile sire.
The son of More Than Ready trails only the late Captain Al on the 2YO List and significantly, leads the pack with a phenomenal strike rate of 52%.
His 14 juvenile winners from 27 starters include Gr.3 Strelitzia Stakes runner-up and Varsfontein-bred filly Me Time, as well as dual winner Got The Greenlight, who caught the eye when just over a length fourth behind Eden Roc in the Gr.1 Gold Medallion.
JUDPOT ON THE MOVE
JUDPOT, the sire with the “incomparable pedigree”, will be moving from Varsfontein Stud to Syd and Colin Birch’s Vogel Vlei Stud in Dordrecht in the Eastern Cape for the 2019 breeding season.
Both Varsfontein Stud and the Niarchos family have made this difficult decision in the best interests of Judpot in order that he may receive greater support in a new region than he has been getting in recent years.
Varsfontein's Carl de Vos said: “We are so very proud of what Judpot has achieved for us since arriving at Varsfontein in 2009. We are delighted that in his new home, he will have the support of a stud on the rise as well as being part of the historical breeding legacy of the Birch family. Varsfontein will continue to support Judpot while he is at Vogel Vlei.”
Judpot's credentials are hard to fault. An impeccably bred son of champions A.P. Indy and Miesque, he is a proven sire with no less than four Gr.1 winners to his credit: champion filly Along Came Polly, Premiers Champions Challenge hero Coral Fever, SA Fillies Classic victress Juxtapose and Golden Horseshoe winner Forest Indigo.
This season alone, he has sired the Graded stakes winners Coral Fever (Gr.2 Charity Mile) and Down To Zero (Gr.3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap), whilst his stakes performed runners include Nous Voila (2nd Gr.2 Southern Cross Stakes), Drop Kick (2nd East Cape Derby), Last Of The Legend (2nd Derby Trial) and Expedite (3rd Jamaica Handicap).
Colin Birch of Vogel Vlei remarked: “We are extremely grateful to
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Varsfontein and the Niarchos family for entrusting Judpot into our care. We will endeavour to support him with our growing band of select broodmares and are thrilled to have a stallion of his quality on our farm.”
MALEFICENT BACK HOME
JUDPOT's daughter Maleficent has returned to the Varsfontein paddocks after we purchased her at the Moutonshoek dispersal sale.
Born and raised at Varsfontein, Maleficent was trained by Alec Laird for the late Chris Gerber and rewarded them with a quick return in the Listed Devon Air Stakes at two, where she defeated subsequent Gr.1 winner Querari Falcon by over three lengths.
Out of Kite Runner, she is an own sister to ill-fated Gr.1 SA Derby runner-up Rocketball and a half-sister to Gr.3-placed Blackball.
FRENCH ARRIVAL
Pictured in France at Haras du Buff is this filly is by champion Wootton Basset, the first foal out of our Galileo mare Cosmica Sidera. A stakes-placed full sister to Gr.3 Chester Vase winner and Irish Derby third Orchestra. Cosmica Sidera was recently covered by Danehill's champion grandson Myboycharlie.
STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS
SILVANO'S PRIDE defeats a star-studded field and earns her Gr.1 spurs with a gun to tape victory in the prestigeous Woolavington 2000 at Greyville.
The talented daughter of Silvano was foaled and raised at Varsfontein on behalf of our client Anthony Peter and is out of his homebred Jet Master mare Mary's Pride.
Master Of My Fate's KRA Guineas winner Twist Of Fate added a third Gr.1 placing to his growing resumé when a gallant second in the other Classic on the card, the Gr.1 Daily News 2000.
CAPE BREEDERS CLUB GOLF DAY
These four handsome young men represented Varsfontein at the recent Cape Breeders Club Golf Day held at Pearl Valley. They are from left to right Jarrad Botha, Jaco Erasmus, Werner Erasmus and John Rowett. Although they didn’t earn Varsfontein a place on the podium we are very proud of their efforts! Varsfontein Stud also sponsored hole 14 and are thrilled that the day was well supported and a great success for the Cape Breeders Club.
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