Maine Chance Farms’ resident sire Silvano, currently South Africa’s reigning champion sire, has made a wonderful start to 2017-2018 and the triple G1 winning son of Lomitas was at it again this weekend.

Silvano was responsible for Nebula and Ollivander (both bred by Wilgerbosdrift), the first two home in the Listed Sunshine Sweepstake Algoa Cup at Fairview on Sunday.
Trained by Brett Crawford, the five-year-old Nebula was given a superb ride by in-form jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who managed to overcome his mount’s poor draw. The pair powered home to post a 2.25 length win at the expense of his paternal half-brother Ollivander, despite Nebula conceding no less than 7kgs to the runner up.

Nebula, who was victorious when the Algoa Cup was a G3 contest last year,has now won five, and placed in six, of his 18 outings with Sunday’s win pushing his earnings to over R670 000.

A full-brother to 2013 G1 J&B Met winner Martial Eagle, Nebula was the top lot sold at the 2014 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale, where he was knocked down for R3.75 million.

He is one of two Algoa Cup winners for his sire, who is also responsible for 2011 winner Forest Of Dean.

Silvano, who was responsible for no fewer than four of the 17 runners in the 2017 Algoa Cup (he is also damsire of Algoa Cup also-ran Laws Of Succession), is once again clear on the South African General Sires List, with his other stakes winners this season including G2 Joburg F&M Spring Challenge heroine Bella Sonata and Listed Woolavington Handicap victor Strathdon.

(Another son of Silvano, Chicago Beat, was a close second in Friday night’s Listed Michaelmas Handicap at Greyville).

Sire of more than 70 stakes winners, Silvano is also responsible for Equus Champion Vercingetorix, whose first yearlings come on sale in 2018.