Varsfontein Stud’s boom sire Gimmethegreenlight, whose son Surcharge downed subsequent G1 Vodacom Durban July winner Do It Again when landing the recent G1 Daily News 2000, was once again in the news this past weekend.
The former G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winner’s progeny totally dominated the finish to Saturday’s G2 Durban Golden Horseshoe, with Gimmethegreenlight sons finishing 1-3-4 in the R600 000 feature.
Only the Australian bred runner up Soqrat, previously unbeaten in two outings, prevented Gimmethegreenlight from enjoying a memorable trifecta in the Golden Horseshoe.
Gimmethegreenlight son Barahin beat fellow Gimmethegreenlight sons Sulka and Crown Guardian into third and fourth places respectively, when staying on strongly to beat stable mate Soqrat into second in the 2018 Golden Horseshoe.
One of two graded 2yo winners bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein on Saturday, Barahin took his tally to three wins, from just four outings, when scoring for trainer Mike De Kock and jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe on Saturday, and the colt, who had previously won the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes fluently, looks a potential classic contender for next season.
Out of the Silvano mare Mocha Special, Barahin was a R2 600 000 purchase (the fourth top lot sold on that auction) from last year’s National Yearling Sale.
A son of More Than Ready (whose son Catholic Boy became his sire’s 26th individual G1 winner when victorious in Saturday’s Belmont Derby), Gimmethegreenlight went close to enjoying a notable two-year-old feature race double over the weekend, when his son National Park was first past the post in Friday’s Listed Champion Juvenile Cup. However, National Park was later disqualified and demoted to second place in that contest.
Himself a high class two-year-old who won his first four races, Gimmethegreenlight is no stranger to siring high class juveniles, with his former 2yo stars including G1 Premiers Champion Stakes winner Hack Green, G2 SA Fillies Nursery winner Green Plains, G2 Umkhomazi Stakes star Hack Green, Irridescence Stakes winner Rose In Bloom and this season’s promising Green Haze. The latter finished second to the above mentioned Barahin in the recent Listed Gatecrasher Stakes, having romped home on debut.