Varsfontein Stud’s exciting new stallion Erik The Red gained a timely boost to his pedigree, when his half-sister La Folie Douce made a winning debut at Kenilworth on Saturday afternoon.

Bred and owned by Varsfontein, the three-year-old La Folie Douce lived up to the promise of her impeccable pedigree with a smart win.

Under Richard Fourie, the Silvano filly was slow into stride, but quickly recovered. At the 400m mark, Fourie asked the question, and La Folie Douce kicked on nicely to win impressively by two and three-quarter lengths in Saturday’s Welcome To Cape Racing Maiden Plate (F&M) (1000m).

Trained by Justin Snaith, La Folie is the fifth winner produced by G1 Majorca Stakes winner Covenant (by Western Winter), with the latter responsible for not only Erik The Red but also the stakes placed Scandola and G1 Gold Medallion second Varallo.

Covenant is herself a half-sister to champion Promisefrommyheart-dam of Varsfontein’s high-class sire Master Of My Fate, and the G1 placed dam of G2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Pluck.

La Folie Douce’s Captain Al half-brother Erik The Red, who will stand his first season at stud in 2021, won six of just ten starts, including the G2 Epol Umkhomazi Stakes, G2 Cape Thoroughbred Sales Cape Merchants, G3 Kepu Cape Of Good Hope Nursery and Listed Cape Town And Western Cape Marketed By Wesgro Summer Juvenile Stakes.

One of more than 100 stakes winners for his sire, and closely related to the Captain Al sired Triple Crown winner Malmoos, Erik The Red will stand his first season at a fee of R15 000.