News

More Aussie Group One Success in South Africa

13th Apr 2015

[Breednet[(http://www.breednet.com.au/news/110684/More-Aussie-Group-One-Success-in-South-Africa) - Tara Madgwick - Sunday, 12 April 2015

Four of the nine races at Turffontein in South Africa on Saturday were won by Aussie breds headed by champion Redoute’s Choice filly Majmu who beat older mares to win the Group I Empress Club Stakes.

The three year-old daughter of Redoute’s Choice made a one act affair of the 1600 metre feature powering clear to win by three lengths as favourite.

The Champion Two Year Old Filly in South Africa last season, Majmu has won six of seven starts and seems head and shoulders above her South African peers.

Trained by Mike de Kock for Sheikh Hamdan, Majmu was a $300,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Shadwell from the Arrowfield Stud draft and is the second foal of Spontaneous (Chi), a Group I winner in South America by Hussonet.

Sadly, Spontaneous died in 2013 and her final foal, a yearling colt by Not a Single Doubt was sold last year at Magic Millions for $380,000 to the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Mike de Kock and Shadwell also tasted success on the same program with three year-old Lonhro colt Anjaal, who won his second race when saluting over 1400 metres and also with two year-old first starter Shaama, who won over 1160 metres as favourite by a length and three-quarters.

Both horses are Inglis Easter purchases as was Majmu.

A $90,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Sledmere Stud draft, Anjaal is the second winner for Flying Spur mare Miss Portofino, a half-sister to Group II winner Katima and to the dam of Group II winner Deferential.

Another blue-blooded daughter of champion sire Redoute’s Choice, Shaama was a $450,000 purchase from the Newgate Farm draft and is a three-quarter sister to Group III winner Jazz Song being the second winner from Group I winner Absolut Glam.

Purchased as a broodmare prospect in 2010 at Magic Millions for $950,000, Absolut Glam did not have a yearling for the sales this year, but is now back in foal to Fastnet Rock.

The fourth Australian bred winner on the card was the Geoff Woodruff trained four year-old Dylan Thomas (IRE) mare Wild Ash, who scored a two and three-quarter length win in the Listed Spook Express Handicap over 2450 metres.

An $18,000 Inglis Select Weanling Sale purchase from the draft of Middlebrook Valley Lodge for Heritage Bloodstock, Wild Ash is the first stakes-winner for Wild Orchid (IRE), a half-sister by Giant’s Causeway to Group I placed stakes-winner Gold Academy.

Wild Ash is the 19th stakes-winner worldwide for former Coolmore shuttler Dylan Thomas.