The result of Sunday’s G1 Criterium International this weekend proved a great result for the Ascot Stud.
That East Cape based stud have bred a stream of high class horses over the years, including former Equus Champion, and G1 Allan Robertson Fillies Championship winner Rock Opera (by former Ascot sire Lecture).

The latter, whose previous notable performers include multiple G2 winner and millionaire Heavy Metal,  made history this weekend when she became the first South African bred mare to throw a French G1 winner-Rock Opera’s unbeaten Royal Meeting (by Invincible Spirit) made it two wins from as many outings when victorious in the 2018 G1 Criterium International at Chantilly.

An own sister to the dam of last season’s G1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion winner Van Halen, Rock Opera won all four starts in South Africa, with her unbeaten 2yo campaign concluding with a smooth, two length win over brilliant racemare and subsequent top class broodmare Secret Of Victoria.

Ascot Stud is still home to a very successful half-sister to Rock Opera.
Her four time winning half-sister Royal Drummer, whose four winners include G1 Cape Flying Championship winner Gulf Storm and the latter’s G3 Sycamore Sprint winner Seattle Singer, has a yearling colt by Ascot’s exciting young Galileo sire Global View and is back in foal to Global View.

Royal Drummer also has a Sail From Seattle 3yo own sister to Gulf Storm who is set to join Brett Crawford this year, as well as a Bold Silvano 2yo filly also due to go into training soon.

Drummer Girl, dam of Rock Opera and Royal Drummer as well as Van Halen’s dam, has enjoyed a remarkable history. She was bitten by a puff adder as a foal which meant she had her share of lameness to deal with. The bite however clearly did not impact her success as a producer!

The farm is also home to another regally bred mare in the form of Miss Respect. An unraced daughter of outstanding miler Mark Of Esteem, Miss Respect is a half-sister to G1 Yellow Ribbon Stakes/G1 Fillies’ Mile winner Hibaayeb, the dam of now retired G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Wuheida. Miss Respect herself is the granddam of one of Britain’s most exciting two-year-olds in the form of Jash. A son of Kodiac, Jash reeled off facile wins in his first two starts, before finishing a close up second, beaten half a length, in the G1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes and he looks a G1 winner in the making.

Miss Respect had a Captain Al filly make R600 000 at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale this year, and has a Dynasty filly yearling and Gimmethegreenlight filly foal at foot this year. She will visit Silvano in 2018.