Sandown Stud’s G1 winning sire Pathfork looks to have a top-class three-year-old to his name this season in the form of Main Defender. The latter turned Saturday’s G2 Betway Joburg Spring Challenge (1450m) into a one-horse race, as Main Defender spreadeagled his rivals to land the Turffontein feature by six and a half lengths.
Under Kabelo Matsunyane, the Tony Peter-trained gelding pulled further and further clear in the closing stages of the 2023 Joburg Spring Challenge, with Main Defender winning the contest as he liked in clear-cut fashion.
In landing the Spring Challenge, Main Defender accounted for a slew of graded stakes winners including Thunderstruck, William Robertson, Anfields Rocket, Bingwa and MK’s Pride.
Bred by Jagessar Limited, Main Defender has now won four of five starts, with his only defeat thus far coming when he ran second, to champion Sandringham Summit, in last season’s G1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Premiers Champion Stakes.
Out of the Judpot mare Alessia, Main Defender was a R140 000 purchase from the 2022 Cape Yearling Sale.
Main Defender is the 17th stakes winner for Pathfork, with that G1 winning half-brother to G1 Preakness Stakes winner War Of Will also responsible for such G1 winners as Mighty High and Pearl Of Asia.
Ireland’s Champion 2YO Colt of 2010, Pathfork has two lots on offer at the upcoming November Two Year Old Sale -a filly (Lot 4) whose dam is a full-sister to graded stakes winners Forest Path and Reef Road, and a half-sister (Lot131) to Kenilworth Cup winner Smart Mart.