Maine Chance Farms’ star stallion Vercingetorix will be crowned South Africa’s Champion Sire once again in 2025-2026.
The champion’s wonderful season this year continued on Saturday when his son Native Ruler won the G3 Lucky Fish Winter Stakes (2400m).

Under Keagan De Melo, the Justin Snaith trained four-year-old raced well off the pace in Saturday’s R400 000 contest.

Despite hanging badly in the closing stages, Native Ruler ran on strongly to claim the first graded win of his career by over a length.

Bred by Maine Chance and Coolmore Partnership, four-year-old Native Ruler races for Greg & Gina Bortz, Mukund Gujadhur & Rikesh Sewgoolam.

Out of the Captain Al mare Pine Princess, Native Ruler is bred on the same cross as champion Double Grand Slam and fellow G1 winners Mia Moo and Vernichey.

The gelding, who ran third in the 2025 G3 City Of Cape Town Politician Stakes, was a R1 000 000 buy from the 2023 National Yearling Sale.

Native Ruler was one of three winners on Saturday for his sire, with Vercingetorix geldings Boundless Energy and Zagreb winning at Champ De Mars and Hollywoodbets Greyville respectively.

South Africa’s reigning champion sire, Vercingetorix has two lots on offer at the KZN Yearling Sale.