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.