Varsfontein Stud’s red hot champion sire Gimmethegreenlight came up with his 50th stakes winner on Saturday when his exciting son Eye Of The Prophet ran out a courageous winner of the G2 World Sports Betting Gauteng Guineas at Turffontein.
Trained by Paul Matchett, the three-year-old had won or finished second in each of his last five starts prior to Saturday’s Gauteng Guineas, and took the step up in class in style.
Under Rachel Venniker, Eye Of The Prophet fought out a thrilling finish with Royal Victory in Saturday’s R1 000 000 contest, which saw the Matchett runner get up and win by a short head.
A R200 000 buy from the 2021 National Yearling Sale, Eye Of The Prophet took his earnings to R884 500 with his win on Saturday.
Bred by Patricia Devine Investments, the gelding is out of the Fort Wood mare Umlilo, and is thus bred on the same Gimmethegreenlight/Fort Wood cross as such graded stakes winners as Second Base, Green Pepper, Hack Green and Light Speed.
Eye Of The Prophet is the second son of his sire to win the Gauteng Guineas, with Gimmethegreenlight, whose daughter Remy ran third in Saturday’s G2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, also sire of the 2019 winner, National Park.
South Africa’s Champion Sire of 2020-2021, Gimmethegreenlight is again heading the General Sires List for the current season.
His other notable flagbearers of 2022-2023 include such graded stakes winning fillies as Ciao Bella and Gimme A Shot, as well as the impressive recent G1 Pongracz Cape Flying Championship winner Gimme A Prince.
The son of More Than Ready has three lots on offer at this month’s Cape Yearling Sale including a half-sister (Lot 32) to recent New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers winner Salvator Mundi.