AUSTRALIA
Liverpool Leader Wiggle Qlty Listed 1400m
Time: 1:23.79. (0:35.80 (600m)
Prizemoney: $100,000 - 1st: $60,000 2nd: $19,000 3rd: $9,500.
1 Dane Julia (SAF) D L Freedman G Schofield 57.0
6m Caesour (USA) x Precious Julia (USA))
2 LN Bejewelled Joseph Pride Tommy Berry 53.0
5m Anabaa (USA) x Bacchetto
3 HD Messenger A J Cummings B Avdulla $26 53.0
4m Choisir x Angel In Disguise (NZ) (Sky Chase (NZ))
(Lot 45 2007 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale $300,000)

Dane Julia wiggles into Coolmore calculations

International GI winner Dane Julia has thrown her name into the ring for the Coolmore Classic G1 with a solid win in the Listed Wiggle Quality (1400m) at Warwick Farm on Saturday.

Dane Julia, the former South African G1 winner, overcame the stable concerns that she wouldn’t handle the rain-affected track and was too strong for Bejewelled and Messenger. ‘With the track being rain-affected we didn’t think she could win today,” Lee Freedman stable spokesman Sam Pritchard-Gordon said: “It just proves how well she is going.” Racing in blinkers for the first time this preparation, Dane Julia raced in behind the speed and as the field swung for home, South African born jockey Glyn Schofield cut back to the inside when the leaders rolled off the fence. Dane Julia quickly set about overhauling Bejewelled and she surged to the front inside the final 200 metres.

“Glyn rode her an absolute treat,” Pritchard-Gordon said. “She is a different filly compared with the one we saw in the autumn.” Pritchard-Gordon said Dane Julia would now progress to the GI Coolmore Classic at Rosehill in a fortnight before running in the GI Queen Of The Turf over the same course and distance two weeks later. “That’s the race she’s here for so today is a bonus,” he said.

“The blinkers sharpened her right up today. She’s a classy mare,” said winning jockey, Glyn Schofield (left).

“She got the 1400 metres ok but unfortunately we found one a bit better,” said Tommy Berry, rider of the runner-up, Bejewelled.

“She ran super. That will top her off perfectly for a mile race,” said Brenton Avdulla jockey of the third placegetter, Messenger.

“She ran great at that level. Much improved,” said Rod Quinn, rider of Emissary (4th).

DANE JULIA was bred and raised at Varsfontein Stud.

BAUHINIA HANDICAP (Listed) Vaal 1000m 3yo+ fillies & mares
06-Mar-2010 Turf, R135,000
1. ESTEREL by Var--Just Jinger, by Zoffany
bred by Varsfontein Stud
trained by D. Stenger, ridden by F. Naude
2. NOBLE HEIR by Kahal--Irish Honour, by Kilconnel
bred by Connington Stud
trained by D. Bosch, ridden by J. Geroudis
3. MARY LOU by Rich Man's Gold--Kentucky Lass, by Kentucky Slew
bred by Wilgerbosdrift
trained by P. Matchett, ridden by M. Mienie
Margins- 1/2 length, 1/2 length

The Listed Bauhinia Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m was won by the three-year-old Var filly, Esterel, who was brought home by Francois Naude for trainer Dianne Stenger. The filly just got the better of the Dennis Bosch-trained topweight, Noble Heir, who has been in scintillating form and could be a candidate for the forthcoming G1 Computaform Sprint. The favourite, the Paul Matchett-trained Mary Lou, finished third. This was second season sire Var’s first three-year-old stakes winner. Esterel is owned by Peter White and was bred by Varsfontein Stud.

The first yearling sale that Varsfontein Stud attended was the 1976 National Yearling Sale - where the first Varsfontein yearling sold was KINGS RHAPSODY (Royal Affair - Singing Winds by Noble Chieftain). Bought by the Late Laurie and Jean Jaffee, KINGS RHAPSODY won the Smirnoff G2 at 2 years and went on to win 10 races incl Newbury Chairmans S G2, Concord S G3, Merchants Cup G3; 2nd Rupert Ellis Brown Memorial Plate G3, Computaform Trial Sprint L; 3rd Jack Stubbs Memorial Trophy G3; 4th Gilbey S G2. His dam, SINGING WINDS, won 5 races incl Clairwood Free H L; 2nd SA Oaks G1; 3rd Garden Province S G1, Natalia S G2, Natal Guineas L. She was the dam of 5 winners.

Winner of the 2009 WINTER JUVENILE STAKES L, KISS AGAIN (Al Mufti - Whatsinakiss by Elliodor) was bred by Varsfontein Stud. KISS AGAIN was 3rd in the BLOODSTOCK SA CAPE GUINEAS G1 and SELANGOR CUP G2 and was 4th in the BETTING WORLD LANGERMAN G3.



KISS AGAIN's dam is half-sister to MASON DIXON, KISS ME QUICK, Kiss And Fly and the dam of Golden Dominion and Roman Eagle. This is the family of KISS OF PEACE, AT THE SAVOY, Saturna, dam of HARRY HOTSPUR and ROTTERDAM.

KISS AGAIN sold for R400,000 at the 2008 National Yearling Sale and was bought by Mike Bass for owner Lady Lilford.

Winner of the 2009 ALLAN ROBERTSON FILLIES CHAMPIONSHIP G1, GIVE ME FIVE (Goldkeeper - Dance Celebre by Jallad) was bred and raised at Varsfontein Stud on behalf of the late Laurie & Jean Jaffee. She took on the best 2-y-o fillies in the country over 1200m and won by 1/4 length from FAIRY QUEEN (Lecture), VALETA (Var) and CAPTAIN'S CALL (Captain Al).



GIVE ME FIVE's dam is half-sister to Champion CONSENSUAL, as well as DANCE ALONG, IN CAMERA and TATLER.

GIVE ME FIVE sold for R300,000 at the 2008 National Yearling Sale and was bought by Sean Tarry for owners Messrs LM Michael, DJ Michael & MA Michael.

Being by Al Mufti out of a Fort Wood mare, the prominent racehorse owners Peter White and Graham Beck were looking for black type for their Dianne Stenger trained filly, AQUITAINE. The opportunity came in the Jacaranda H G3. Unassuming Stenger, who does not get the accolades she deserves, brought out the stable think-tank to find a way around the problem.

"We decided to try her in blinkers and a citation bit, drop the nose band and ride her (Aquitaine) differently’’ said jockey Francois Naude. "Usually she jumps and goes with me and over the last little bit she falls down. We decided, even with the blinkers, to try and tuck her in, switch her off and do the best work over the last 400m.’’

To the delight of her connections but the chagrin of punters, the 20-1 shot came from near the back of the field to catch Spring Garland and favourite She’s On Fire over last few metres to win by a long head.

She’s On Fire was backed from 5-2 to 12-10 while Geoff Woodruff’s Academy Colours was the only other runner who attracted any serious money, shortening from 11-2 to 7-2. Piere Strydom, who rode She’s On Fire, warned punters after winning Race 4 on Lightning Lecture, that Ormond Ferraris’ mare was better with a little give in the ground and that in the last week there had been virtually no rain so the course was hard and fast.

Sofala set the pace from Ithala with Lisa Anne in third and She’s On Fire on her outside, some four lengths off the pacemaker. Naude had Aquitaine on the fence some eight lengths behind the leader.

Strydom did not rush to challenge on the favourite but Naude had hooked Aquitaine off the fence as noses turned for home and made his run down the centre. Coming to the 400m mark Strydom sent She’s On Fire into the lead with Spring Garland in close attendance and Academy Colours trying to improve her position.

It soon looked a two-horse affair between Spring Garland and She’s On Fire but just as Derreck David on Gary Alexander’s runner mastered the favourite, Aquitaine moved alongside them to take over and win going away.

"A huge team effort managed to get the best out of this filly’’ said Stenger.

Aquitaine (above) as a yearling - sold for R200,000 at the 2006 National Yearling Sale.

8-year-old O Caesour (Caesour - Al Damirji by Al Mufti) caused a major upset at Kenilworth on Saturday when he beat Champion Mythical Flight in the Graham Beck Wines Cape Flying Championship G1 by 1.25 lengths - ending the latter's unbeaten record over 1000m.

O Ceasour put in a great performance - he was one of the top SA sprinters in his prime. He had been off his best recently and could not be given a chance on form. It was no surprise to see him sent off at the price of 125/1.

Trainer Sean Humby pointed out that he tried to get O Caesour ready for this race in previous years without any luck. He admittedly had no expectations, but O Ceasour has finally claimed the G1 prize.



"Lovely to win on a horse like this. It was hard to look past Mythical Flight, but you never know what's going to happen. He swtiched off like a dream early on and we had a lead in the race. The race worked out in our favour," - Jockey Glen Hatt.

"He deserved something like this. He had a terrible winter like the whole stable. It's amazing, everytime we tried to run him in this race in the past, something went wrong," - Trainer Shane Humby.

O Caesour was bred by Varsfontein Stud and is owned by Messrs Stanley E Barbour, S W Fletcher, A Pastellides & Ms Lisa Humby.

Floatyourboat (Jet Master - Foverington by Foveros) ran a courageous race to finish 2nd, 1.75 lengths behind the winner, in the G1 Queen's Plate run over a mile at kenilworth on 29th December 2007.

Floatyourboat was in full cry at the 200m but Champion Pocket Power had plenty in reserve and unleashed an unstoppable late run to win going away. Floatyourboat held on just long enough to deny Succesful Bidder with Hilgrove running a much improved race in 4th and ensuring a memorable race for trainer Mike Bass who saddled the 1st, 2nd and 4th past the post.

Floatyourboat is proving to be one of the good-news stories of the season. There's never been any doubt about his ability, but his well-documented injury problems have severely hampered his progress and he showed here that when fit and well, he can compete with the best around.

Floatyourboat was bred by Carl and Amanda de Vos at Varsfontein Stud.

Something Else (Dominion Royale - Ashirwaad by Caliban) was born and raised at Varsfontein Stud. He won the Betting World Merchants G2 (1200m) on 10th November 2007 in emphatic style, beating Champion Pocket Power by 2.25 lengths.

Something Else hit the front at the 200m pole and he kept going easily to win well from a flying Pocket Power. Something Else is trained by Joey Ramsden for owners Mr Richard and Mrs Carol Taylor and Mr Malcolm Caine.

Jaco and Carolyn Erasmus have both joined the Varsfontein team to replace Hendrik Winterbach.

Jaco and Carolyn both obtained diplomas in Equine Studies from the Pretoria University Of Technology. Jaco spent his practical year working on Varsfontein Stud, while Carolyn completed her practical with Wilgebosdrift.

The following year, Carl de Vos arranged for them both to work at Cheveley Park Stud in Newmarket, UK, where they stayed for a year. Thereafter, it was back to South Africa where Jaco and Carolyn settled on Lammerskraal Stud, Ceres, for three years.

Jaco is now Varsfontein's Assistant Farm Manager (general) and Carolyn is the Assistant Farm Manager (Horses).

Varsfontein bred Floatyourboat shows his tremendous class by winning the Betting World Merchants S G2 over 1200m at Kenilworth in a photo finish from 2 other Varsfontein graduates, Something Else and O Caesour. Considering this race was over a distance far short of Floatyourboat's best, he will be a serious contender in the major G1 races this Summer.

PERFECT PROMISE MAKES RACING HISTORY

Perfect Promise made racing history yesterday, when she became the first South African-bred to win a Gr.1 race in Australia. The six-year-old mare, who changed hands for A$725,000 at the end of last year as a result of the Written Bloodstock dispersal sale at William Inglis and Son Christmas Thoroughbred Sale, scored by a length and a half in a fast run race to claim the Gr.1 C F Orr Stakes, beating some of the best colts in Australia.

The winner of the 2003 Gr.1 Cape Fillies Guineas at Kenilworth, Perfect Promise was the first South African to win an Australian Group race last year when she scored in the Gr.2 Emancipation Stakes at Royal Randwick in March. Bred by Mr and Mrs Henrik Winterbach, Perfect Promise is by the successful South African sire Caesour, a son of Nureyev. She is a full-sister to last year’s Champion South African Three-Year-Old Filly, Irredescence, who won the Gr.1 South African Classic and the Gr.1 Woolavington 2200, and comes from a family of Gr.1 winners. She was born and raised at Varsfontein Stud, where Winterbach is the assistant manager.

"Perfect Promise's trainer, Lee Freedman, says that 'nothing in Australia could have beaten her on the day' - 'she was awesome and won very, very easily'.

"She will now be aimed at the A$750,000 Futurity S (WFA) Gr.1 against the colts in 3 weeks time. Perfect Promise will then be aimed at the $3m Doncaster H. G1 over 1600m in Sydney at Easter and then wind up her career in the $1m Stradbroke (Gr.1) 1600m in Brisbane in July.
4 Gr.1 races in a row - its a pretty awesome programme and shows how highly she is thought of." - Robin Bruss

Dash For Gretna as a yearling

DASH FOR GRETNA SHOWS HER CLASS

The Paddy Kruyer trained, four-year old daughter of Sportsworld, Dash For Gretna (3/1 into 9/10) was heavily supported in the betting market to capture the R150 000 Acacia Handicap run over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday, and the classy former Nursery winner came through with flying colours to easily account for track specialist, Frisky Flag. The former Gauteng juvenile filly of the year came into this race with a handy galloping mass of 50.5kgs and after Kruyer's bold pre-race comments, "I really like her today, in fact I like her a lot", the ante-post price was immediately snapped up and she was backed into odds-on favourite, as if the result was already known.

Dash For Gretna is a four-year old daughter of Sportsworld out of the Elliodor mare, Love On The Run and the R80 000 purchase recorded her fourth career victory from fourteen outings today, for total stake earnings of just under R600,000.

The 3 Grade 1 races on Met Day included the Fancourt Majorca Stakes G1, the J&B Met G1 and the Investec Cape Derby G1.

Varsfontein bred Alexandra Rose ran on strongly to finish 3rd in the Fancourt Majorca Stakes G1 (1600m). Alexandra Rose has won 4 races from 8 starts including the Golden Slipper G2, East Cape Fillies Nursery L ; 2nd Cape Fillies Guineas G1; 3rd Fancourt Majorca S G1.

Another Varsfontein bred 3-y-o Floatyourboat won the Investec Cape Derby G1 (2000m) in a thrilling finish. Floatyourboat has won 4 races from 9 starts including Investec Cape Derby G1, Cape Classic G3, Western Cape Breeders S L; 2nd Bloodstock SA Cape Guineas G1; 3rd Selangor Cup G2, Cape Of Good Hope Nursery G3.

Perfect Promise (Caesour - Meretricious by Dancing Champ), winner of the Cape Fillies Guineas G1 two years ago, was exported to Australia where she won the Emancipation Stakes G2 in Sydney. Perfect Promise is now the first South African horse to win a G2 race in Australia. This is another first for Varsfontein Stud, who also raised Spook Express (for the Jack Syndicate) who went on to be the first South African bred to compete in the Breeders' Cup in the USA, where she was 2nd in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf G1 over 2000m.

"A top stallion gets a top horse every year" and Caesour has done just that with Irridescence being voted Champion 3-y-o Classic Horse - Female at the Equus Awards in August 2005. Caesour has also sired the 2004 Equus Champion 3-y-o Sprinter, Tobe Or Nottobe as well as Highveld Champion Stayer, The Eiger Sanction. Other notable graded winners by Caesour during 2004/5 include Perfect Promise in Australia and the top 2-y-o filly Alexandra Rose. Caesour has sired winners of 9 stakes races during the past season.

In December 2004, at the Cape Racing and Breeding Awards, the Varsfontein team came home laden with trophies - a just reward for the fantastic achievement of 20 stakes wins in 2003-2004.

Two Year Old Colt - SOMETHING ELSE

Three Year Old Filly - PROMISEFROMMYHEART

Older Filly / Mare - DUCHESS DABA

Varsfontein Stud - BREEDER OF THE YEAR

UNITED STATES
FRANK E KILROE MILE G1 Santa Anita Park 8 furlongs 4yo+
06-Mar-2010 Turf, Firm $250000
1. PROVISO by Dansili--Binche, by Woodman
bred by Juddmonte Farms (UK)
trained by W. Mott, ridden by M. Smith
2. FLUKE by Wild Event--Uff-uff, by De Quest
bred by Haras Doce Vale (BRAZIL)
trained by H. Ascanio, ridden by J. Talamo
3. BATTLE OF HASTINGS by Royal Applause--Subya, by Night Shift
bred by Myriad Communications & New England Stud (UK)
trained by J. Mullins, ridden by T. Baze
Margins- nose, 1 1/4 length

Third was an ex-European, BATTLE OF HASTINGS (2006 g by Royal
Applause – Subya by Night Shift). The ultra-consistent gelding was only once out of the first two last year, winning the La Puente Stakes, the G3 Baldwin Stakes, the G2 Colonial Turf Cup and G2 Virginia Derby. He was also second in the G2 Del Mar Derby (beaten a nose), the G2 Oak Tree Derby (beaten a head) and the G1 Hollywood Derby.

A 62,000gns Tattersalls October Yearling, and a 95,000gns purchase at the 2008 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale, Battle of Hastings won nurseries at Newmarket and Doncaster on his last two starts in England at two. He is half-brother to Villa Carlotta (Rainbow Quest), a Listed winner in Italy and Ireland, and to Stakes-placed Subyan Dreams (Spectrum). The dam, Subya, won the Listed Lupe, Masaka and Star Stakes, and finished second in the G3 Rockfel Stakes. Subya’s dam, Ashshama (Arctic Tern), is a half-sister to the German Listed winner, Shine Share (El Gran Senor), and to Tatouma (The Minstrel), the grandam of the G2 Flying Childers Stakes victor, Wi Dud (Elnadim), and of the G2 Lennox Stakes and G3 Jersey Stakes winner, Tariq (Kyllachy). Ashshama is out of Sheer Fantasy (Damascus), a Stakes-placed half-sister to G1 Irish Derby winner and sire Law Society (Alleged).

LADY'S PENDANT STAKES (Listed) Fairview 1200 metres 3yo+, fillies & mares
05-Mar-2010 Turf, R120,000
1. SERVILIA by Caesour--Lady Celeste, by Amour De Fleuve
bred by Varsfontein Stud
trained by D. Hodgson, ridden by G. Schlechter
2. SLEEK 'N SASSY by Captain Al--Sally Slew, by Slewpendous
bred by Normandy Stud
trained by J. Snaith, ridden by R. Fourie
3. SEVEN VEILS by Rich Man's Gold--Silky Dancer, by Tertian
bred by Wilgerbosdrift
trained by V. Marshall, ridden by K. Jupp
Margins- 1/2 length, 1/2 length

At Fairview on Friday the Cape Town-based Servila shook off her frustrating sequence of narrow stakes race defeats by winning the Listed Ladys Pendant over 1 200m to finally earn the valuable bold black type she had been chasing.The four-year-old Darry Hodgson-trained daughter of Caesour started 16-10 favourite and won by half a length. She was bred by Varsfontein Stud and is owned by Hassen Adams.

GREEN POINT S G3 (WFA) winner FABIANI (Model Man - Lady Maroof NZ by Maroof), was bred and raised at VARSFONTEIN STUD by breeders Messrs Sydney A Muller, F M Ratner & L M Salzman. During 2009, FABIANI was also 2nd in the WINTER DERBY G3 and the GRANDWEST CASINO SPRINT. FABIANI will run in the 2010 J&B MET G1 on 30th January.



FABIANI sold for R60,000 at the 2007 GrandWest Yearling Sale and has earned close to R400,000 to date for owners Messrs R Kyle, P Barrett, Derek Campbell, G A De La Cruz and T J Dodgen.

DANE JULIA (bred and raised at Varsfontein Stud) stormed from off the pace and posted a neck victory over favorite Shanzero in the US$117,180 New Zealand Bloodstock Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (NZ-G1) on Saturday 4th April 2009 at Te Aroha.

The South African G1 winner, who is trained in Australia by Lee Freedman, raced down the center of the course and into contention at the 300-meter mark to edge G3 winner Shanzero in the most important stakes in New Zealand for fillies and mares.
DANE JULIA got a perfectly timed ride from jockey Michael Walker and covered 1600m in 1:34.30 on turf rated as good while earning her first win in 11 starts since joining Freedman’s barn.

She rebounded from an eighth-place finish in the Patinack Farm Stakes (Aus-G3) on March 14 at Flemington after recording a creditable third-place finish in the TBV Mannerism Stakes (Aus-G3) on February 21 at Caulfield.

Shanzero held on for second, one length in front of Veloce Bella, who rallied from strongly to finish third in the 18-horse field.
DANE JULIA, a five-year-old Caesour mare, won her first five starts in her native South Africa, including the 2007 Bollywood Festival South African Fillies Classic (SAf-G1), for trainer K.R. Maroun before a majority interest in her was sold to Australian owner Sean Buckley. She subsequently was transferred to Freedman, who is based in Melbourne.
“She was an expensive mare, so it’s great for the owners to win this race,” Freeman told www.racingandsports.com.au. “She’s a pretty decent mare, but she hasn’t always had the best of luck.”

DANE JULIA (below) is out of the Danehill mare Precious Julia.

Winner of the 2009 STRELITZIA S G3 in April, PASSIVE RESISTANCE (Caesour - Flaming Reality by Rainbow Dream) was bred by Varsfontein Stud. Purchased by trainer Duncan Howells for R140,000 at the 2008 National Yearling Sale, PASSIVE RESISTANCE is from the family of Champions MARIE GALANTE and YOUNG RAKE.

A month later, PASSIVE RESISTANCE was placed 3rd in THE DEBUTANTE G2 behind the top 2-y-o fillies CAPTAIN'S CALL and DIJLA (Aus).

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL BREEDER TO STAND STALLION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VARSFONTEIN STUD IN SOUTH AFRICA

JUDPOT will commence stud duties at Varsfontein Stud in the Western Cape for the 2009 breeding season. The imposing chestnut colt is by multiple Champion sire and sire-of-sires AP INDY, out of the multiple Champion filly MIESQUE. JUDPOT is the property of the Niarchos Family, his breeders, and Varsfontein Stud.

This is the first venture into the South African industry by the Niarchos Family who have owned or bred the winners of over 120 Grade or Group 1 races all over the world including Miesque, Kingmambo, Spinning World, Bago, Coup de Genie, Dream Well, Six Perfections, Divine Proportions, etc. Alan Cooper, representing the Niarchos Family, explains their venture. “We always liked Judpot, the last foal of the great Miesque. Henry Cecil had high hopes for him until a knee injury forced his retirement. We are excited that Judpot is standing at Varsfontein and look forward to seeing his progeny. We bred and raced Caesour and are delighted that Judpot joins Varsfontein’s stallion roster, bringing our best bloodlines to South Africa.”

JUDPOT’s dam, MIESQUE, is one of the all-time great race fillies (TFR 133) with an unsurpassed race record of 16 starts for 12 wins of which 10 are G1 races. She won both the English and French 1000 Guineas and twice landed both the Breeders Cup Mile and Prix Jacques Le Marois. She had 9 Championships in France, England and USA. MIESQUE is the dam of KINGMAMBO, a triple G1 winner, and one of the world’s best sires who was represented by 9 stakes winners in 2008 including dual classic hero Henrythenavigator as well as G1 winner Archipenko. He is also the sire of El Condor Pasa, Lemon Drop Kid etc. JUDPOT’s other siblings include his full brother MINGUN, (standing at Lanes End Kentucky with first crop to race in 2009), MIESQUE’s SON (sire of Breeders Cup winner Miesque’s Approval), KITALPHA (at Stud in Kentucky) as well as G1 winner EAST OF THE MOON.

JUDPOT is by AP INDY, a multiple G1 winner, Champion and Horse Of The Year USA and has twice been Champion Sire of North America. He is the sire of Champions Bernardini, Mineshaft, Tempera, Rags To Riches, Catch the Thrill, Festival of Light. AP Indy’s sons are proving to be top sires themselves with two of his sons, Stephen Got Even and Malibu Moon, siring Champion juveniles in the US in 2005 and 2006. Other sons of AP Indy to have sired G1 winners include Pulpit (sire of leading sire Tapit), Golden Missile, Old Trieste and Camden Park (sire of Jay Peg and Consensual).

In the words of Bill Oppenheim, AP INDY is the “top sire of his generation and has single handedly revived the entire Bold Ruler Sire Line”.

Carl de Vos of Varsfontein Stud is looking forward to the arrival of Judpot. “The Bold Ruler sire line has been outstandingly successful in South Africa with the likes of Jungle Cove, Plum Bold and Camden Park. Currently our sires are dominated by the Northern Dancer and Mr Prospector lines, which means that Judpot will suit the vast majority of mares here. There is the opportunity to replicate the hugely successful AP Indy x Mr Prospector cross as well as interesting inbreeding possibilities to Lassie Dear, Special and Northern Dancer."

Varsfontein Stud has a powerful broodmare band, headed by Secret Pact, Champions Promisefrommyheart and Night Diva, graded stakes winners and mares from the best local and international families. Varsfontein has committed to send 40 mares to Judpot in 2009 and services will be available at a fee to be announced.

Alexandra Rose (Caesour - Alexandra Bi by Darshaan) started the year off with a bang for her owner Team Valor International by storming to a three-quarter length victory on New Year’s Day in the G3 Monrovia Handicap sprinting 6 ½ furlongs down the infield hillside turf course at Santa Anita.

Alexandra Rose led a 1-3 finish in G3 for Team Valor stable.
She earned $66,240 for the victory, her second in a stakes following a triumph at 2 in the Golden Slipper Stakes at Greyville.

“This was the first time I’ve been on her. I didn’t want to use her speed too early, so I was able to follow the speed. When we passed the quarter pole she was handling the course real well and she tried real hard. She tried to get out with me just a little bit, but she’s a very good horse.” - Jockey Rafael Bejarano

Acquired by Team Valor after she had become a Grade 2 winner in South Africa, Alexandra Rose was narrowly beaten in a photo finish at 3 by Champion Bad Girl Runs for the G1 Cape Fillies Guineas 2 years ago and showed she still had an interest in racing last season when she ran well for second in a Listed stakes in Dubai when trained by Mike de Kock.



Sent to Neil Drysdale in California, Alexandra Rose experienced some tenderness in her front feet, which required considerable patience on the part of her connections - “She turned the corner last month when I had the blacksmith square off both front toes,” the trainer said. “Since then she has been training like the G1 mare we always thought she would be for us. I think we will point her next for the G2 Buena Vista going a mile, which is her best distance.”

Alexandra Rose is a daughter of Varsfontein's stallion, Caesour, sire for Team Valor of its international Champion Filly Irridescence. Dam, Alexandra Bi, is a daughter of leading European broodmare sire Darshaan and is currently represented by the very promising South African-based Oaks candidate Albizia, best in 2 of 3 outings for the owner-breeder Varsfontein Stud.

One of Mike De Kock's assistant trainers, Trevor Brown is based on a farm outside Bordeaux in the north of France, looking after ten horses shipped from South Africa to Dubai via Mauritius and France.

Brown says the weather is moderate, with sunny days and cold nights, but his string is doing exceptionally well and enjoying themselves.

He told: “They’re on a stud farm with a very good 800m sand track and large, beautiful wooden barns. The facilities are first-class. Alexandra Rose is putting on muscle and in riding her I feel there is something there. She is no slouch, I think we’re going to have a good season with her in Dubai."

Mike de Kock commented: “So far so good, our plans are well on track. The string in France will leave for Dubai in about two and a half weeks and then we will regroup and start full training for next year’s Carnival.’’

Team Valor’s Irridescence Bounces Back to win the US$1.8-million Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II G1 Cup at Sha Tin race course in Hong Kong in a thrilling three-horse finish.

Team Valor’s Irridescence won today’s $1.8-million Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup G1 at Sha Tin race course in Hong Kong. Taking advantage of a slow pace, jockey Weichong Marwing sent the South African filly to the front, setting the pace and responded to assaults at the wire from Best Gift and Ouija Board, to win by a head.



The G1 victory was a triumph for trainer Mike de Kock, who was robbed of a chance to show the world the quality of the Caesour filly in last month’s $5-million Dubai Duty Free, when Irridescence was withdrawn from the race after she bruised a stifle and suffered cuts on her hind legs from getting impaled on a metal fence in the paddock prior to the race.

Irridescence had been scheduled to go to John Hammond’s yard in Chantilly, France, after the Duty Free, but Team Valor president Barry Irwin altered the game plan to allow de Kock a chance at the Hong Kong race. The Kentucky-based syndicator felt the South African trainer deserved another chance at big-race glory.

“We feel blessed to have Mike de Kock train and Weichong Marwing ride for us,” Irwin said. “Mike is brilliant and daring. Weichong is the closest thing I’ve seen to Bill Shoemaker.”

Team Valor bought Irridescence last season after she was Graded stakes-placed for a partnership that included trainer de Kock. The full-sister to current G1 winner Perfect Promise has lost only once since being acquired by the Kentucky-based ownership syndicate, reeling off three G1 victories in the last year. She was voted the Champion 3-y-o Filly last year in South Africa.

Irridescence now will head to Hammond in France to be prepared for races in the summer and fall in Britain and France, after which she may try Hong Kong again.

“Late in the fall she definitely will return to Dubai to be trained by de Kock for another tilt at the Duty Free,” Irwin said.

NEWS RELEASE FROM TEAM VALOR - 11th March 2006

Irridescence attempts to give Team Valor a second Dubai Duty Free, South African filly joins older sister in quest of $5-million Group 1.

Irridescence figures to attract a lot of attention on March 25 at Nad al Sheba when she essays the enriched $5-million Duty Free Stakes in Dubai.

“Speaking as a former turf writer,” said former Daily Racing Form columnist and The Blood-Horse writer Barry Irwin, “this is the type of race that makes the job easy, as there are so many story lines from which to choose.

“Do you go with the full sibling angle, as Irridescence will be joined in the gate by her older full sister Perfect Promise? How many Group 1-winning full brothers or sisters has anybody ever seen that are running in the same race?

“Or do you go with the Ipi Tombe and Mike de Kock angles, as the South African trainer brought the South African filly to Dubai to win the same race in 2003?

“Or do you go with the Team Valor angle, as the stable syndicated and imported Ipi Tombe to win a Duty Free, and now the stable is back trying to do it again?

“Or do you go with the Weichong Marwing angle, as this brilliant South African jockey could be riding for Mike de Kock for the last time in a long while, because right after the World Cup meeting, the reinsman will be off to Hong Kong to ply his trade where the purses are multiple times greater than in his homeland?

“Or do you go with the Herman Brown angle, as this young trainer has come for the first time this season to Dubai, where he has made a huge impression, winning feature races with the likes of Linngari, who figures to be favored over Irridescence based on his victories in the desert? Upstart Brown vs. Established trainer de Kock—that’s pretty heady stuff right there.”

Irridescence, who on Southern Hemisphere time is in the second half of her 4-year-old season, came to prominence right after being acquired by a Team Valor partnership, immediately winning the Grade 1 SA Classic a year ago.

A tall, angular filly, she went from strength to strength at 3, when was voted the Champion Filly of her generation, after taking the measure of Champion Older Mare Jamaica in the Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg and adding the Grade 1 Woolavington. Her major victories at home came at 9, 10 and 11 furlongs.

Perfect Promise, although by the same sire Caesour (by a Miler in the English Two Thousand Guineas winner Nureyev), is more of a Miler than a Classic type of mare. In South Africa, she won a Grade 1 Guineas over a mile and this season, over 7 furlongs, became the first horse from South Africa to win a Group 1 fixture in Australia when taking a strong field for the C. F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield.

Irridescence has run just once this season in Dubai, creating a favorable impression when racing close up early, assuming command around the turn and holding sway to win with her ears pricked in the Balanchine Stakes over the Duty Free distance of 3 meters short of 9 furlongs.

Not only did the nearly-black filly win well, she conceded about 5 pounds under top weight of nearly 137 pounds to favored Satwa Queen, a double French Group winner last season at 3 who had prepped earlier for the Listed event over the Nad al Sheba. Neither the pull in the weights nor the benefit of a race over the course allowed Satwa Queen to get near the Team Valor colorbearer. Satwa Queen got the soft course she wanted and ran to her handicap rating of 110, so the race was legitimate.

Irridescence had her handicap rating raise 13 points from a 102 mark in South Africa to a new starndard of 115. Timeform pegged the Balanchine effort at 118. Ipi Tombe’s Duty Free was judged at slightly better than 119.

Barry Irwin, president of Team Valor, said “We are hopeful for this year’s renewal. Any time a filly runs big off a layoff, no matter how impressively or easily they win, they are eligible to regress. If she does, then we are in trouble.

“If she runs back to the same race I would say we had a shot to make the frame.

“If she improves, she has a very live chance.”

CLASS and ability is in the blood, as proved again by Mike de Kock-trained four-year-old filly Irridescence, who strode to a magnificent win in Friday night’s USD$150 000 Balanchine over 1777m on turf at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai.

Just a fortnight ago Irridescence’s half-sister Perfect Promise became the first South African horse to win a Group 1 race in Australia. Irridescence’s value as a broodmare was further enhanced with her first international victory.

The downside is that the handicapper informed De Kock after the race that Team Valor’s filly’s merit rating will be pumped up by a hefty 13 points, and that she will go into the Dubai Duty Free on World Cup night with a rating of 115.

For Team Valor’s Barry Irwin this was the latest in a series of triumphs, following his huge successes with the likes of Ipi Tombe and Crimson Palace.

Irridescence (Weichong Marwing), settled handy under 62kg, just off the steady gallop, and took the lead around 450m from home. The firm favourite, Satwa Queen (FR), tracked her all the way, and jockey Eric Legrix rode his race so confident he seemed half asleep!
But while Satwa Queen was travelling the better of the pair and looked the likely winner fully 400m from home, racing hard against the bit, Marwing outfoxed his rival by putting his foot flat on the accelerator.

Irridescence skated clear of Satwa Queen with 200m to run and stuck tenaciously to her lead. In the end she drew away to win comfortably by 1,25 lengths and De Kock said: “Legrix may have looked over-confident, but even if he moved sooner on Satwa Queen I don’t think they would have come close. Irridescence won well. She has picked up about 20kg in Dubai, she raced fresh and from her good early position could stride freely.’’

The unbeaten 2-y-o filly and winner of the Eastern Cape Fillies Nursery L, Alexandra Rose (Caesour - Alexandra Bi by Darshaan), wins the G2 Golden Slipper over 1400m by 1.25 lengths from Veiled Essence. Alexandra Rose is a half-sister to Pavlovich (SNL) and is the second foal of the imported mare Alexandra Bi (Ire) (Darshaan - Miss Habit by Habitat).

Varsfontein graduate Irridescence (Caesour - Meretricious by Dancing Champ), own-sister to Perfect Promise (see left), has had a brilliant season - she has won the SA Fillies Classic G1 (1800m), the Gerald Rosenberg S G2 (2000m), the Woolavington 2200 G1 (2200m) and was 5th in the Vodacom Durban July G1 (2200m) , beaten 1.3 lengths by Dunford.

Varsfontein bred Toga (Caesour - Garb Of Guise by Al Mufti), has won 5 of her last 7 starts, the last two being the East Coast H L (2000m) by 0.75 lengths from Sabina Park (also Varsfontein bred) and the Queen Palm H L (2600m) by a length from Dancing Orietta.

O Caesour (Caesour - Al Damirji by Al Mufti) won the G2 Cape Merchants S (1200m) by a length from Madoba in November 2004 and was later placed 4th in the Cape Flying Championship G1 (1000m) in January 2005.