Klipdrif Stud’s exciting sire Elusive Fort enjoyed a weekend to remember when the former Equus Champion was represented by no fewer than three impressive winners.
First of the Elusive Forts to score was the Peter de Beyer bred and part-owned Shall Be Free, who made it four wins from his last five outings when scoring by three parts of a length over 1600m.
The gelding, whom connections believe does not enjoy racing amidst other horses, has now five races in total, having won from 1400-1600m. The much improved Shall Be Free, who accounted for the top class 3yo Copper Force a few starts back, has now banked more than R320 000 in stakes and is unlikely to stop here!
Elusive Fort’s progeny enjoyed a good day out at Scottsville on Sunday, when the stallion’s only two runners on the day both won their respective races.
First to win was the Narrow Creek Stud bred Crymeariver, a 2yo daughter of Elusive Fort, who made an eye catching winning debut. Out of the Rich Man’s Gold mare Tramps, Crymeariver ran on too strongly to account for debut winner Neptune’s Rain in a juvenile plate for fillies over 1200m.
Just a few races later, Crymeariver’s paternal half-brother Great Value (a horse who apparently shows plenty at home) ran on smartly to score for breeders the Wickensburg Stud over 1000m.
A triple G1 winning son of champion sire Fort Wood, Elusive Fort’s daughter Safe Harbour looks a big runner in Saturday’s G1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic.
He has eight lots on next month’s Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale with his draft including a filly out of stakes winner Ocean Of Time (Lot 10), a full sister to Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes winner Safe Harbour (Lot 31), and a filly (bred on the same cross as G1 winner Siren’s Call) out of a stakes winning sprinter (Lot 51).
Elusive Fort has nine yearlings on May’s National Yearling Sale, with his draft including a colt from the same family as recent Guineas winner Janoobi (Lot 192), a filly from the family of Triple Crown winner Abashiri (Lot 214), a colt out of a winning half-sister to champion Texan Summer (Lot 443), and a filly out of a half-sister to G2 winner Blake (by a son of Fort Wood) (Lot 471).