Maine Chance Farms’ multiple champion sire Silvano was represented by his 86th stakes winner when his son Wealthy won the Listed Michael Roberts Handicap at Scottsville on Sunday.
The Dennis Drier trained Wealthy made it win number six when causing a 22-1 surprise to lift the 1750m feature by three-parts of a length from Dark Moon Rising, Affranchi and Amor Ardiente.
(Ironically, the beaten favourite, and fifth place finisher in the Michael Roberts was another son of Silvano –Pietro Mascagni).
Ridden by Sean Veale, the six-year-old gelding, now a six time winner, was winning the first black type race of his career, with Wealthy’s Michael Roberts Handicap success pushing his earnings to R589 050.
A R180 000 buy from the 2014 Emperors Palace National 2YO Sale, Wealthy is out of the Badger Land mare Wealth and is as such bred on the same Silvano/Badger Land cross as G2 SA Oaks winner Happy Spirit and G3 Winter Derby winner Gifted For Glory.
Wealthy is not the first son of Silvano to win the Michael Roberts Handicap –Silvano is also responsible for past winners Astro News (2014) and Mr Winsome (2017).
Silvano is also the sire of talented filly Silver Thursday who bounced back to winning ways when she won an assessment plate over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday. The classy four-year-old, a R1.3 million buy from the 2016 National Sale, has now won three and finished runner up, to subsequent G1 winner Takingthepeace, in the 2018 G2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.
The sire of 20 G1 winners (including four Vodacom Durban July winners), Silvano is enjoying another good season in 2018-2019 with his runners highlighted by graded stakes winners Hawwaam and Sylvan On Fire, as well as G1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas runner up Silvano’s Pride.
The triple G1 winner (whose champion son Vercingetorix currently ranks as one of South Africa’s most exciting young stallions) has eight lots on Wednesday’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale –including a colt (Lot 25) who is a three-parts brother to Silvano sired champion Aslan, a colt (Lot 137) out of G1 SA Oaks winner Pine Princess, and a half-brother (Lot 202) to G2 SA Nursery winner William The Silent.