There were no Australian bred stakes-winners in South Africa last weekend, but there was no doubting the presence of our bloodlines with Aussie bred sire Gimmethegreenlight producing a juvenile stakes double at Kenilworth, while champion sire Redoute’s Choice posted his 20th Group I winner as a broodmare sire.
The Group I Cape Derby (2000m) was won by three year-old colt Linebacker, who is by South African sire Captain of All from Group III placed Australian bred mare Thin Red Line, a three-quarter sister to Group I winner Samadoubt.
Trained by Vaughan Marshall, Linebacker scored a length and a half win ending a frustrating run of four Group placings to score his first Black Type win. He has the overall record of two wins and four seconds from six starts.
Thin Red Line was bred by Senga Bissett and Ivan Woodford-Smith and bought by Laird Racing from the 2007 Magic Millions Yearling Sale for $480,000.
She has left five winners from seven foals to race with Linebacker her first stakes-winner.
Two juvenile stakes races on the Kenilworth program, the Group III Cape of Good Hope Nursery (1200m) for colts and geldings and the Fillies Nursery (1200m) were both won by younsters sired by More Than Ready’s outstanding sire son Gimmethegreenlight.
Two year-old colt Cosmic Highway made it two wins in as many starts when scoring by two and a half lengths, while two year-old filly Gimme Dat won by two and three-quarter lengths and is also two for two.
Gimmethegreenlight was a $155,000 Magic Millions weanling purchase in 2009 for Hassen Adams and was sent to South Africa where he became a Group I winner and was retired to stud.
The Champion South African First Season Sire in 2015 -2016, Gimmethegreenlight stands at Varsfontein Stud and has sired 32 stakes-winners giving him nearly 8% stakes-winners to runners.
Bred by David Bentata, Gimmethegreenlight is a half-brother to Group I ATC Coolmore Classic winner Ofcourseican, the dam of current season Group IIII winning stayer Persan.
Redoute’s Choice stallion Wylie Hall, an Aussie bred Group I winner South Africa, also sired a new stakes-winner with Wylie Wench winning the Group III Acacia Handicap (1600m) at Turffontein.
