Maine Chance Farms’ outstanding resident sire Vercingetorix looks to have a true star to his name in the form of Cousin Casey.

The latter, Equus Champion 2YO colt of last season, defied a layoff, and top weight of 60kgs, when making an impressive seasonal debut to win the G2 Cape Punters Cup (1600m) run at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.

In the process, the Riyo Stud bred colt made it five wins on the bounce, with Cousin Casey having captured all of the G1 Premiers Champion Stakes, G2 Durban Golden Horseshoe and Listed Cell C Sharks Gatecrasher Stakes last season.

Trained by Glen Kotzen, Cousin Casey was given a well timed ride by Grant Van Niekerk in Saturday’s contest and traditional Cape Guineas prep. The champion hit the front a long way from home, with Van Viekerk keeping Cousin Casey nicely to score by a length.

Out of the Casey Tibbs mare Bretton Woods, Cousin Casey has now won five of just seven starts for earnings of more than R1 000 000 -and the promise of plenty more to come!

The colt was a R375 000 buy from the 2021 National Yearling Sale.

His sire Vercingetorix, second on the South African General Sires List last season, is having another wonderful year in 2022-2023 thus far with the champion son of Silvano currently second on the Sires log at the time of writing.

Vercingetorix, whose yearlings made up to R3 000 000 at this year’s National Sale, has 12 lots on offer at this week’s November Two Year Old Sale, including a half-brother (Lot 62) to champion French Navy, a half-brother (Lot 160) to graded stakes winners Cousin Liz and Gimme One Night, and a colt (Lot 195) out of G1 winner Juxtapose.