Multiple Champion Sire Gimmethegreenlight began 2026 on a high note when he supplied a trio of winners at Turffontein on Thursday.
It was a 100% strike rate for the Varsfontein Stud resident, with all three of Gimmethegreenlight’s runners winning at Turffontein.

Gimmethegreenlight’s first success on New Year’s Day came when his daughter Merryweather narrowly prevailed in the For Hospitality Bookings Call 011 681 1796 Novice Handicap (1600m).
Under Keagan De Melo, the Johan Janse Van Vuuren trained three-year-old put her head down where it mattered most to score by a short-head.

Bred by Varsfontein Stud, Merryweather, who races for the Wernars Family and Mukund Gujadhur, is out of the Judpot mare Maleficent.

Gimmethegreenlight is also the sire of Surprise Party, who caught the eye when she won Thursday’s #Youcanbetonus!FM 74 Divided Handicap (1800m). The Paul Matchett trained three-year-old was given a good ride by Philasande Mxoli to win by nearly a length and a quarter.  A blinker strike appeared to help Surprise Party in Thursday’s race.

Bred by Varsfontein Stud, Surprise Party, winner of two of six starts,  races for Henning Pretorius.
The filly, who is out of the Philanthropist mare Party Crasher, was a R700 000buy from the 2024 August Two Year Old Sale.

Gimmethegreenlight also looks to have a promising sort to his name in the form of Al Greenga.
The latter made it two wins from three starts with an impressive win in the ninth and final race on Thursday.
Under Craig Zackey, the Lucky Houdalakis trained three-year-old stormed home to win the Next Turffontein Racemeeting Saturday 3 January FM 80 Handicap (1400m) by more than five and a half lengths.

Bred and owned by David Shawe, Al Greenga had finished fourth on debut before breaking her maiden next time out.
Out of the Captain Al mare Al Danza, the filly is bred on the same Gimmethegreenlight/Captain Al cross as champions Proceed and Sandringham Summit.

Maine Chance Farms’ inform stallion Querari had a day to remember on Tuesday.
Querari came up with three eye catching winners at Turffontein on Tuesday despite the son of Oasis Dream only having four runners on the card.

Querari came up with his fourth two-year-old winner, from eight juvenile starters, this season when his son Turn It Up romped home on Tuesday.
The Sean Tarry trained two-year-old, and half-brother to champion Proceed, had finished second on debut but made no mistakes when he won the first race at Turffontein.
Under Keagan De Melo, the Laurence Wernars bred Turn It Up pulled clear to win the 4Racing Welcomes You Maiden Juvenile Plate (1000m) by more than five and a quarter lengths.

Owned by the Wernars Family in partnership with Mukund Gujadhur, Turn It Up is out of the Captain Al mare Xplosive Kiss and is bred on the same Querari/Captain Al cross as graded stakes winners Head Honcho, Kampala Campari and Questioning.

Querari struck again in Tuesday’s fifth race when his lightly raced son Trombolines justified favouritism to take the TAB 4Racing App Maiden Plate (1400m).
Hailing from the Mike and Mathew De Kock stable, three-year-old Trombolines had finished second on his only start prior to Tuesday’s race.

The Querari colt was always travelling well, under Callan Murray, and Trombolines kept galloping strongly to shed his maiden by just over a length and a quarter.
Bred by Cheveley Stud, Trombolines races for Hollywood Racing. The son of Querari, who is out of the Mambo In Seattle mare Spring In Seattle, was a R600 000 buy from the 2024 National Yearling Sale.

Querari is also the sire of the smart Solar Sail, who caught the eye when he won Tuesday’s Racing240 Graduation Plate (1600m). It was a fine return from the gelding, who had had a nasty fall when contesting the G1 Betway Summer Cup.
Under Callan Murray, the four-year-old jumped out quickly and went out to make the running. Solar Sail kept galloping strongly and went away to score by more than two and a quarter lengths.
Bred by Ben Botha (Pty) Ltd,  the Mark Khan trained Solar Sail, like Tromolines, is out of a daughter of Mambo In Seattle in the form Fly Rebecca Fly.

Owned by Messrs J A Maroun, D Anthony, V J Backos, A A Dormehl, D A Simpson, D Palmer & D Erasmus, Solar Sail had shown smart form at three when he finished third in the G1 TAB SA Derby.

Maine Chance Farms’ all conquering sire Vercingetorix made it a weekend feature race double on Saturday when his son Taxi To The Moon won the G3 Betway Lebelo Sprint.
Just one day earlier, Vercingetorix filly Ladyofdistinction had caught the eye when she won the Listed Flamboyant Stakes, at the expense of another Vercingetorix filly Amelia’s Legacy, at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Four-year-old Taxi To The Moon provided his trainer Tony Peter with a third consecutive win in the race when he won Saturday’s Lebelo Sprint (1000m) at Turffontein.
Under Gavin Lerena, the Vercingetorix gelding justified pre-race betting support when he stormed home to claim Saturday’s G3 feature by half a length.

Bred by Oldlands Stud, Taxi To The Moon races for Kestorm Investments.

In landing the 2025 Lebelo Sprint (a race in which he had finished fifth in 2024), Taxi To The Moon took his tally of wins to five from 17 outings.
The gelding, runner up in the last two runnings of the Listed Allied Steelrode Golden Loom Handicap, is out of the Indigo Magic mare Earn A Moon and is thus bred on the same cross as the Oldlands bred G1 Gold Medallion winner Ambiorix.

Taxi To The Moon was one of three winners at Turffontein on Saturday for his champion sire Vercingetorix.
The latter’s G2 winning daughter Callmegetrix won Saturday’s Play Soccer 6,10 And 13 Pinnacle Stakes, and Vercingetorix gelding Plus Four stormed home to land the same day’s For Hospitality Bookings Call 011 681 1796 MR 96 Handicap.

Varsfontein Stud’s multiple champion sire Gimmethegreenlight reached a notable milestone on Saturday.
In winning Saturday’s Listed War Of Athena Handicap, his daughter Charge It became Gimmethegreenlight’s 80th individual stakes winner.

Trained by Alyson Wright, the three-year-old confirmed her good latest run, when runner up in the G3 Ducat Africa Fillies Mile, when storming home to claim the Listed Turffontein feature.
Despite proving a handful before the race, Charge It justified favouritism when running on strongly, under Muzi Yeni, to land the War Of Athena Handicap by nearly a length and a quarter.

Bred and owned by Varsfontein Stud, the filly has won two of five starts.

Charge It, who is out of the Diktat mare Congestion Charge, is a full-sister to Australian/South African G1 winner Yulong Prince/Surcharge.

Her champion sire Gimmethegreenlight had also enjoyed success at Hollywoodbets Greyville the day before.
Gimmethegreenlight filly Prom Queen picked up the third win of her career when she claimed Friday’s Online Form Guide www.gallop.co.za Class 4 (F &M) over 1600m.
Under S’Manga Khumalo, the Frikkie Greyling trained filly dug down deep to score by a short-head.

Bred by Ralphs Syndicate, Prom Queen races for Itssa It & Business Solutions (Pty) Ltd.

Her sire Gimmethegreenlight is enjoying another good season in 2025-2026, with the Varsfontein resident’s progeny having already earned more than R8.8 million in stakes this season.

Drakenstein Stud’s four time G1 winning stallion What A Winter looks to have a potentially smart sort to his name in the form of Constellation.
The latter made it four wins from his last five starts when he won the Sophomore 1000 (1000m) at Turffontein on Saturday.

Trained by Mike and Mathew De Kock, Constellation kept finding under Callan Murray to claim Saturday’s Non-Black Type contest a shade cosily by just over half a length.
It was a smart performance from the Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm bred colt, with Constellation having to brave an attack, close home, from third place finisher Anchorage.

Owned by Messrs W D Jackson, K Calitz, M J Campbell, R H Mordt & C C Valjalo, Constellation has won four of seven starts, with the son of What A Winter yet to finish out of the first four.

Constellation, who is out of the Var mare Star Burst Galaxy, was a R625 000 buy from the 2024 National Yearling Sale.

He was one of two winners on Saturday for his sire, with What A Winter filly Sakura Hanami winning the second race at Turffontein.
Trained by Sean Tarry, three-year-old Sakura Hanami was always prominent in the Racing Today Maiden Plate (F and M) (1160m).
Under Richard Fourie, the What A Winter filly kept finding to score comfortably by two lengths.

Sakura Hanami, who was bred by the Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud, races for the ASSM Racing Syndicate.
Saturday’s winner is out of the Jallad mare Zayna, with Sakura Hanami bred on the same What A Winter/Jallad cross as champion Russet Air.

Equus Champion One Stripe picked up his first win in the US, when he won at Gulfstream Park on Friday.
The Drakenstein Stud bred son of One World turned the allowance optional claiming race into a one-horse race.

The 5-2 second choice was slow in the early goings, checking in fifth while widest of the field from an outside draw. Still caught out but gaining ground around the far turn through the half in :46.15, One Stripe found another gear inside the furlong marker and pushed clear for a dominant 5 1/4-length win.

Trained by Graham Motion, dual G1 winner One Stripe has won seven of 12 starts, with his South African victories including the 2025 G1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate and 2024 G1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas.
Owned by Hollywood Racing and Rikesh Sewgoolam, One Stripe is out of the Silvano mare Silver Stripe.

The bay, a three-parts brother to this season’s G3 Cape Classic winner Vapour Trail, was a R1 400 000 purchase from the 2023 Cape Racing Ready To Run Sale.

His G1 Sun Met winning sire One World has made a great start to his stud career. The champion son of champion sire Captain Al was South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire in 2023-2024 and Leading Second Season Sire of 2024-2025. One World’s G3 Betway Fillies Mile winning daughter World Of Alice holds an entry for the upcoming G1 Cartier Paddock Stakes, with the stallion’s G3 Schweppes Diana Stakes winning daughter She’s My World a likely starter in the same day’s G2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes.

South Africa’s reigning champion sire Vercingetorix dominated Friday’s Listed Flamboyant Stakes.
Vercingetorix daughters filled five of the first six placings, with the race being won by Vercingetorix’s four-year-old daughter Ladyofdistinction.

The latter, a full-sister to 2025 G1 HKJC Champions Cup winner Gladatorian, is the 64^th stakes winner for Vercingetorix.

Trained by Michael Roberts, Ladyofdistinction was given a well judged ride by Rachel Venniker in Friday’s R300 000 contest.
Venniker bought the progressive filly with a strong late run, and Ladyofdistinction kept going strongly in the closing stages to post a neck victory at the expense of fellow Vercingetorix daughter, Amelia’s Legacy.
Both Ladyofdistinction and Amelia’s Legacy were sired by Vercingetorix and both are out of daughters of Dynasty.

Bred by Erasmus Thoroughbreds CC, the blue blooded Ladyofdistinction races for Al Khayl Breeders.
A winner of four of seven starts, the 2025 Flamboyant Stakes winner is out of the Dynasty mare Harvard Crimson.

Ladyofdistinction was a R1 500 000 buy from the 2023 November Two Year Old Sale.

Her champion sire Vercingetorix is enjoying another wonderful season in 2025-2026, with his flagbearers including such graded stakes winners as Quickstepgal, Callmegetrix, The Ultimate King, and Princess Of Gaul.

Ridgemont’s G1 Computaform Sprint winning stallion Rafeef has been in cracking form of lateNot only did the son of champions Redoute’s Choice and National Colour supply an impressive winner, in the form of Tintin, at the Vaal on Saturday, but Rafeef came up with two more impressive winners at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Sunday.

His three-year-old son Influence made the perfect start to his career when he made a winning debut on Sunday.
The Lucinda Woodruff trained gelding fought on gamely, under Chad Little, to beat fellow Rafeef son, and stablemate, Turbulent by a neck in Sunday’s Join The Race Coast Turf Club Maiden Plate (1200m).

Bred by Ridgemont Highlands, Influence races for Mike Fullard, and James and Lee-Ann Drew.

Influence, who is out of the Count Dubois mare Anime, is a half-brother to Tanneron, who won the eighth race on Sunday.

Rafeef also looks to have a very classy sort to his name in the form of All The Rage. The latter made it four wins from just seven starts when victorious in Sunday’s P3 Racing Syndicate Class 3 (1200m).
Under Aldo Domeyer, the Candice Bass trained three-year-old cruised into the lead with 200m left to go and kept going to score an impressive, one and a half length win -at the expense of fellow Rafeef son Golden Destiny.
Third in the Listed Sophomore Sprint, the Millstream Farm bred colt has won three of his last four starts.

All The Rage, who is out of the Al Mufti mare Gilded Minaret, races for Messrs GN Shirtliff & MJ Shirtliff, Mrs Vanashree & Mr Anant Singh, GreenacresTrust(Nom: Mr NM Shirtliff) & Team Valor International (Nom: Mr B Irwin).

Varsfontein Stud’s red hot resident stallion Master Of My Fate came up with another big race winner on Saturday when his son Mastership won the World Sports Betting Grand Heritage (1475m) at the Vaal.
Under Marco Van Rensburg, the Dianne Stenger trained five-year-old ran on strongly to hold off runner up Rollo The Viking and win by over three-parts of a length.

Bred by Cecil & Gary Baitz, Mastership was one of two runners for his sire in Saturday’s R500 000 contest.

A R300 000 BSA November 2yo Sale graduate, Mastership has now won 6 races with 9 places from 20 starts for stakes of R857 338.

Mastership, who is out of the Argonaut mare Clear Sailing, continues the great run of late enjoyed by his sire Master Of My Fate.
The latter, whose champion son Jan Van Goyen was such an impressive winner of the G1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas, also enjoyed success at both Borrowdale and Hollywoodbets Greyville on Friday.
Not only did Master Of My Fate gelding Pocket Watch run out an easy winner of the second race at Borrowdale on Friday, but the son of Jet Master had two more winners at Hollywoodbets Greyville on the same day.

Master Of My Fate filly Call Me Harriet got off the mark in game fashion when she won the first race at Hollywoodbets Greyville, with the fifth race going the way of Master My Fate gelding Numzaan.

At the time of writing, Master Of My Fate, who has been responsible for four stakes winners already this season, ranked third on the South African General Sires premiership.

Maine Chance Farms’ top-class stallion Querari has made a flying start with his two-year-olds this season.
The son of G1 winning two-year-old Oasis Dream was at it again on Friday when Querari’s two-year-old son First Officer made an impressive, winning debut at Fairview.

Trained by Alan Greeff, First Officer stayed on strongly under Richard Fourie to claim the Welcome To Nelson Mandela Bay Maiden Juvenile Plate (900m) by half a length.
Bred by Willem Engelbrecht Jnr, First Officer races for Peter Moor.

The Querari colt, who is out of the Captain Al mare On Captain’s Side, is bred on the same cross as graded stakes winners Head Honcho, Kampala Campari and Questioning.

First Officer is the third two-year-old winner in 2025-2026 for his sire, with Querari currently South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2YOs for the season. His other juvenile winners this season are the debut winners Master Magician and Querari Dancer.

The inform Querari not only enjoyed success at Fairview on Friday but also supplied a winner at both Hollywoodbets Greyville and Borrowdale

Querari mare African Beat enjoyed feature race success at Borrowdale when she won the Champion Fillies Stakes, while another daughter of Querari, Copacabana, picked up the fifth win of her career when she won at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Friday.