Forever Young’s emphatic victory in last month’s Breeders Cup Classic was yet another timely reminder of the strength of Japanese racing and breeding.

Mauritzfontein, Ridgemont Highlands and Wilgerbosdrift are excited to announce their recent acquisition of the Japanese Grade One winner – DANON SCORPION.
(A purchase only made possible due to their long standing relationship with the sellers)

He will take up stud duties next season at Wilgerbosdrift.

He is very good-looking and stands just over 16 hands.

Racing Career

A brilliant racehorse, he showed speed and precocity.

At 2 years old:

  • Won easily on debut
  • Won a stakes race at his second start, defeating 2yo Gr.1 winner Killer Ability
  • At his only subsequent start at 2, finished an excellent third in the Gr.1 Asahi Futurity, only beaten by two official Champions:
    • Champion 2YO Do Deuce
    • Champion Sprinter Serifos

(To put values into perspective – Do Deuce has taken up stud duty at Shadai Stallion Station where his fee is in excess of R1 million)

At 3 years old:

  • Third in the Gr.2 Fuji Stakes, again only defeated by two official Champions – Serifos and Champion Miler Soul Rush (Dubai Turf)
  • Won the Gr.3 Arlington Cup
  • Overcame barrier 18 to win one of Japan’s most prestigious 3yo races –  the Gr.1 NHK Mile Cup in Tokyo, defeating Serifos once more

Watch the race:
08.05.2022 NHK Mile Cup (JPN) – Danon Scorpion
(Watch by clicking on link)

Pedigree

DANON SCORPION offers breeders a great link to Kingmambo – via Champions Lord Kanaloa and Kingkamehameha (Multiple Champion Sire in Japan).

  • Lord Kanaloa was a Champion racehorse and Champion Freshman sire
  • He upgrades his mares on AEI
  • Runner-up on the Japanese sires list for the past six consecutive years
  • Has a number of sons at stud in Japan and Australia, including Saturnalia:
    • Leading 2nd crop sire in Japan in 2025
    • Sire of Cavallerizzo, Champion 2YO of Japan in 2025

Dam Line

DANON SCORPION’s dam, Lexie Lou, was a brilliant race filly on both turf and dirt. She defeated the best colts in the Queens Plate and has been inducted into the Canadian Hall Of Fame.

Her titles include:

  • Horse Of The Year
  • Champion 3YO Filly
  • Champion Turf Female – twice

Watch Lexie Lou:
2019 Thoroughbred Female Horse Inductee – Lexie Lou
(Watch by clicking on link)

Syndication Details

DANON SCORPION has been syndicated into a 50-share syndicate.

  • Each shareholder is entitled to send two mares per season for the first four seasons
  • Thereafter, one mare per season

He is already fully syndicated, but as with their previous investments, the partnership are always happy to make shares available to fellow Breeders on a “first come, first served” basis.

  • Shares priced at R190k each
    (Less than 25% of a single nomination to Do Deuce!)
  • Estimated price – subject to exchange rate and shipping
  • Price includes full first year insurance and congenital infertility cover

Maine Chance Farms’ champion sire Vercingetorix enjoyed more feature race success on Saturday.
His classy daughter Elegantrix bounced back to winning ways when she claimed the Listed Betway Swallow Stakes (1200m) at Turffontein.

Trained by Corne Spies, the three-year-old was given a positive ride by Ryan Munger, who kept his filly going strongly down the inside of the track.

Elegantrix kept finding in the closing stages to hold off runner up Rifle Queen and win by a length and a half.
Bred by Greenacres Trust in partnership with Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud, the Vercingetorix filly has won three of 13 starts, with her victories including a beating of G1 winner Good For You in last season’s G3 Tote Godolphin Barb Stakes.

Owned by TKP Racing (Nom: Trevelen Pillay), Messrs R P Macnab, A J van Huyssteen, & S Poriazis, Elegantrix is out of the Danehill Dancer mare Elegantes.

Saturday’s winner was an R850 000 buy from the 2024 August Two Year Old Sale.

Her champion sire Vercingetorix had a double at Turffontein on Saturday with his progressive daughter Vanakkam winning the eighth race.
Owned and trained by Mano Pandaram, the Maine Chance Farms bred three-year-old made it three wins from her last four starts with a convincing, one and a quarter length triumph in the TAB 4Racing App MR 84 Handicap.

Vercingetorix, who has sired 66 stakes winners to date, is once again leading the General Sires premiership this season.
The champion son of six times South African Champion Sire Silvano has six sons remaining in contention for the 2026 G1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met.

Ridgemont’s top-class stallion Rafeef looks to have come up with a potentially smart two-year-old in the form of Flower Island.
The latter made an eye catching, winning debut when she won the first race at the Vaal on Saturday.

Under Callan Murray, the Mike/Mathew De Kock trained filly unleashed a fine turn of foot which rocketed Flower Island into the lead close home in Saturday’s 4Racing Welcomes You Maiden Juvenile Plate (1000m).
From there, the Rafeef filly stormed away to post an impressive near three and three quarter length win on debut.

Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Flower Island races for Mr & Mrs Steven Jell, Messrs Mike de Kock, Chris Haynes, George Ragunan & Fieldspring Racing.

Saturday’s winner was produced by the Silvano mare Orchid Island.

Flower Island’s G1 Computaform Sprint winning sire Rafeef is enjoying another fine season, and, at the time of writing, ranked fifth on the South African General Sires premiership.

The son of Redoute’s Choice and National Colour has 22 lots on offer at the Premier Yearling Sale, and a further six yearlings on sale at the Cape Yearling Sale.

Ridgemont’s blue blooded young stallion Real Gone Kid came up with his first winner on Friday.
His two-year-old son Master Mtoto, a member of his sire’s first crop, got off the mark when he made a winning debut at Fairview.

Trained by Dean Smith, the Ndoro Stud bred colt was given a fine ride by Craig Zackey in Friday’s Welcome To Nelson Mandela Bay Maiden Juvenile Plate (1000m).
Zackey got his mount out quickly, with Master Mtoto racing prominently early on.
The colt got up to prevail, in a thrilling three horse finish, narrowly by a short-head.

Owned by Messrs D D B Band, Sivan Ramsamy, C S Shapiro, D C Stonebridge, J R M Tostee & F Toweel & Mr & Mrs C R Stonebridge, Master Mtoto is out of the Flower Alley mare Castello Campanula.

The colt was a R200 000 buy from the 2025 KZN Yearling Sale.

Master Mtoto is the sixth runner for his speedy sire, with Real Gone Kid sired two-year-olds Preacher Man and TP Thunderchild running fourth and third respectively on debut.

Real Gone Kid, a son of champions Snitzel and In The Fast Lane, won six of 13 starts, with the chestnut winning from 1000m to 1250m.
A full-brother to 2023 G2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes runner up Stiptelik, Real Gone Kid accounted for some top-class performers during his career including Kasimir, Pearl Of Asia, Rio Querari, and Warrior’s Rest.

His multiple champion sire Snitzel has enjoyed a fine of success at this week’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Yearlings by the late Snitzel have made up to $1.6 million at the Gold Coast Sale,  and Snitzel yearlings were averaged an impressive $688 966 for the auction.

Ridgemont’s exciting young stallion Thunderstruck’s pedigree was to the fore yesterday when his half-brother Sutherland won at the Vaal.
Trained by Stuart Pettigrew, the regally bred Sutherland claimed the second win of his career when he won Thursday’s #Youcanbetonus!MR84 Handicap (1200m).

Under Philasande Mxoli, the Silvano gelding hit the front 200m from home and powered away to score by nearly two and three quarter lengths.

 

Bred by Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm, Sutherland races for Messrs D Chinsammy, R Bhagwandin, Kenny Govender, A Reynolds, F Vahab, Mr R M & Mrs J Samuels & Waste Glass Recovery (Pty) Ltd.

Sutherland, who is out of Var’s G2 Post Merchants winning daughter Varikate, was a R270 000 buy from the 2022 National Yearling Sale.

He is one of five winners for his dam, with Varikate herself a direct descendant of the blue hen mare Kermesse.

Champion Thunderstruck, a son of Ridgemont’s top class sire Rafeef, was South Africa’s Champion Sprinter of 2023-2024. His eight victories included the 2022 G1 Gold Medallion and 2024 G1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint.

Maine Chance Farms’ inform stallion Querari struck twice at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Tuesday.
The son of Oasis Dream’s son Trailfinder won the second race on the card and Querari filly Lark’s Song captured the fifth race on Tuesday.
Trained by Vaughan Marshall, three-year-old Trailfinder justified favouritism when he won the Join The Race Coast Turf Club Maiden Plate (1000m).

Under Gavin Lerena, the Querari colt was always up with the pace and he kept finding more to score by three-parts of a length.

Bred Wickensburg Stud, Trailfinder was making just his second start on Tuesday with the colt having finished second on debut.

Trailfinder, who is out of the Captain Al mare Silver Captain, is bred on the same Querari/Captain Al cross as recent G1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate runner up Questioning and fellow graded stakes winners Head Honcho and Kampala Campari.

Querari is also the sire of Lark’s Song, who won Tuesday’s Lucky Fish Sahara Riches Cash Collect Maiden Plate (F and M) (1800m).
Under an inform Andrew Fortune, the Andre Nel trained three-year-old ran on strongly to shed her maiden by a neck.

Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Lark’s Song races for Sabine Plattner.
A full-sister to recent G1 Cartier Paddock Stakes third place finisher Rainbow Lorikeet, Lark’s Song was making just her fourth start on Tuesday.

Querari, the Leading Sire of 2YOs in South Africa this season, is also the broodmare sire of exciting two-year-old Champagne Castle. The latter made it two wins from three starts when making all to win Saturday’s Charles Dickens Stakes at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

Maine Chance Farms’ champion sire Vercingetorix came up with yet another stakes winner when his progressive son Splittheeights won the G3 Betway Got The Greenlight Stakes at Turffontein on Sunday.
It was a second year in a row that son of Vercingetorix had won the feature race, with Greaterix having triumped in 2025.

Under Raymond Danielson, Splittheeights made a mockery of his starting price of 10-1 with a smart display.
The Vercingetorix colt powered home to get up close home and conquer stablemate One Eye On Vegas by just over a length and a quarter.

Trained by Mike and Mathew De Kock, the lightly raced Splittheeights has won two of just four starts and looks very progressive.

Bred by Ridgemont Highlands, Sunday’s winner races for Mr Murugasa.

Splittheeights, who is out of the Trippi mare Massachusetts, is bred on the same cross as stakes winners La Moohal, I’m So Pritti and Phedra.

His champion sire Vercingetorix, whose son Definitely Yes won at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday, went close to enjoying a feature race double at Turffontein.

His previously unbeaten son Grand Empire ran second in Sunday’s Listed 4Racing Wolf Power 1600 with Vercingetorix filly Pretty Persuasive finishing third in the same day’s Listed Betway Mother Russia Stakes.

Wilgerbosdrift’s inform stallion Fire Away looks to have come up with another classy sort in the form of Warm Reception.
The latter made it three wins from four starts when she won Sunday’s Listed Betway Mother Russia Stakes (1400m) at Turffontein.
Trained by Candice and Tammy Dawson, three-year-old Warm Reception was quickly sent to the lead by Muzi Yeni.

The Fire Away filly kept going in the closing stages and she kept galloping to win by a length and a half.

Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Warm Reception is out of the Tiger Ridge mare Folk Dance.

 

 

Warm Reception was one of three winners on Sunday for Fire Away. The latter is also the sire of Down By The River, winner of the seventh race at Hollywoodbets Scottsville and Fiery Rose, who won the fourth race at Turffontein.

The Kumaran Naidoo trained Down By The River picked up his fifth career win when he won the Michael Roberts Stakes (1750m) on Sunday.
The five-year-old stormed home, under Cole Dicken, to land the Non-Black Type feature by nearly two and three quarter lengths.

Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Down By The River races for Miss Trinisha Pillay. The gelding, who is out of the Western Winter mare Oh My Darling, is bred on the same cross as G3 Langerman winner My Golly Molly.

Fire Away is also the sire of Fiery Rose, who won Sunday’s Classic Day 7 March Maiden Plate at Turffontein.
A lightly raced three-year-old, Fiery Rose made all the running, under Jarryd Penny, to break her maiden convincingly by  nearly three and a half lengths.
Trained by Mark Khan, the filly had finished second in each of her three starts prior to Sunday’s win.
Bred by Ndoro Stud, Fiery Rose races for Messrs J A Maroun, D Anthony, V J Backos, A A Dormehl, D Palmer, D Erasmus, D A Simpson & Jaco Viljoen.

South Africa’s reigning champion sire Vercingetorix had another big day at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
Not only did Vercingetorix geldings Holding Thumbs and Magic Verse run 1-2 in Saturday’s G3 Cape Of Good Hope Chairman’s Cup (2500m), but another son of Vercingetorix, Roland Garros, won the tenth and final race at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

In landing the 2026 Chairman’s Cup, the Glen Kotzen trained Holding Thumbs made amends for his runner up finish in the same race last year.
Winner of the Listed WSB Club Prive Cape Summer Stayers (for a second year in a row) last time out, the five-year-old was given a fine ride by Chad Little on Saturday.
Always well placed, Little asked Holding Thumbs for his effort close home, and the gallant gelding kept finding more in the closing stages to win the G3 contest by three-parts of a length.

It was a fine effort by Holding Thumbs, who had to lug 62kgs on his back. Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, the son of Vercingetorix has won nine of 26 outings.

Holding Thumbs, who races for Messrs P Bamford, D D MacLean & Gary Player Stud Farm (Pty) Ltd, Mrs J Doyle & Mr L S & Mrs Rayna Govender, was a R1 100 000 buy from the 2022 August Two Year Old Sale.

Out of the Fort Wood mare Withbatedbreath, Holding Thumbs is bred on similar lines to the Vercingetorix sired G3 Betway Got The Greenlight Stakes winner Greaterix.

 

Vercingetorix went close to enjoying more big race success on Saturday, with his G1 World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas winning daughter Quickstepgal just beaten into second in the G2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes.

 

South Africa’s Champion Sire, Leading Sire of 2YOs and 3YOs in 2024-2025, Vercingetorix is once again heading the General Sires premiership.

Varsfontein Stud’s multiple champion sire Gimmethegreenlight had a day to remember on Saturday.
Not only did his daughter Gimme What I Want win Saturday’s G2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes, but his G1 Hollywoodbets Durban July winning son The Real Prince won Saturday’s G1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate.

In landing Saturday’s R3 000 000 feature, The Real Prince emulated his sire, with Gimmethegreenlight having won the same race back in 2012.
Bred and owned by Khaya Stables, the five-year-old also gained a berth to the 2026 G1 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile with his King’s Plate success.

Under a great ride from Craig Zackey, the Dean Kannemeyer trained The Real Prince put an unplaced last out effort behind him with a powerful win in Saturday’s contest.

Zackey bought his mount with a sustained late down the inside of the track, and The Real Prince got up in the shadow of the post to land the R1 781 250 first prize by a nose.

The gelding, who has won six of 13 starts for R5 470 344 in stakes, is out of the outstanding Trippi mare Real Princess and is bred on the same Gimmethegreenlight/Trippi cross as fellow G1 winner She’s A Keeper.

The regally bred The Real Prince is a full-brother to Equus Champion Gimme A Prince, G3 Baker McVeigh Diana Stakes winner Gimmie’s Countess and this season’s very promising three-year-old Gimmie Rules.

His champion sire Gimmethegreenlight went close to having a treble on L’Ormarins King’s Plate with Gimmethegreenlight gelding Powerandtheglory just touched off when finishing second in tenth and final race on Saturday.