Klawervlei Stud’s exciting young stallion Pomodoro was represented by a first crop G1 winner when his daughter Return Flight scored an impressive win in the G1 Thekwini Stakes, run at Greyville on Saturday.

In the process, Pomodoro all but wrapped the Champion First Crop Sires title for 2017-2018.

Return Flight, a first G1 winner for her July winning sire, stamped herself a leading contender for the Equus title of Champion 2YO Filly when she downed a high class field in Saturday’s R750 000 Thekwini Stakes.
Given a superb ride from Anton Marcus, the Mike Sharkey bred filly took her record to three wins from just five outings with a 1.75 length win over the regally bred Railtrip, Golden Slipper third Can You Feel It and Ruffian Stakes victress Dagmar.

Return Flight, who had scored her two previous wins by an aggregate of nearly 20 lengths, is trained by Sean Tarry and owned by Chris Van Niekerk –who both enjoyed so much success with Pomodoro himself.

Pomodoro runners perhaps were unlucky no to pick up more black type on the day with the stallion’s talented son Cirillo not getting the best of trips when a close up fifth in Saturday’s G1 Premiers Champion Stakes.

Winner of the 2012 G1 Vodacom Durban July,  Pomodoro’s other first crop winners this season include Listed Storm Bird Stakes second Royal Italian, Listed Champion Juvenile Cup contender Ex Nihilo, debut winner Lethal Weapon and six length maiden winner My Boi Caloi.

The son of seven times champion sire Jet Master and Broodmare Of The Year Golden Apple will once again be standing for a fee of R12 000 this season –which must make Pomodoro one of the best bargains in the country!

Pomodoro has two fillies on offer at next month’s National Two Year Old Sale -a half-sister to Gold Bowl runner up Lions Emblem (Lot 393) and a filly from the immediate family of current high class sprinter Pinnacle Peak (Lot 421).