The blue blooded former Irish Champion Pathfork continues to impress, with both his offspring and relatives making waves both locally and internationally in 2018.
A son of US champion sire Distorted Humor (whose G1 Alcibiades Stakes winning daughter Restless Rider rates a strong chance for tonight’s G1 Tito’s Handmade Vodka Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies), Pathfork is sporting some very eye catching statistics this season.
At the time of writing, Pathfork is ninth on South Africa’s General Sires List, with his progeny having banked more than R1.999 million in stakes this season. This total places Pathfork above such notable high class stallions as Dynasty, Elusive Fort, Twice Over and What A Winter.
His AEPR (Average Earnings Per Runner) statistics also make for impressive reading, with Pathfork runners this season’s AEPR standing at R30 298 –higher than Var, What A Winter, and Gimmethegreenlight to name but three.
His unbeaten G1 Allan Robertson Championship winning daughter Mighty High looks set to give her G1 National Stakes winning sire more glory when she lines up in Sunday’s Listed Beharilal Motors KZN Guineas Trial at Greyville.
The Maine Chance Farms bred filly, who beat subsequent WSB Grand Series consolation winner Big Mistake when winning an assessment plate recently, has been installed by World Sports Betting as the even money favourite for Sunday’s Listed contest.
Her exceptionally well bred sire, whose stakes winning dam is a Sadler’s Wells half-sister to 1997 G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Spinning World, also stands in line for potentially more glory at the Breeders’ Cup meeting on Friday.
Pathfork’s talented half-brother War Of Will (by War Front) is one of 16 runners set to take part in Friday’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs. The Mark Casse trained colt, who gets the services of Joel Rosario for Friday’s $1 000 000 race, impressed when finishing second in the recent G1 Summer Stakes and was beaten less than a length when a close up fourth last time out in the G3 Dixiana Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland.
This is also the exceptional family which has produced such champions as El Gran Senor, Rags To Riches, Peeping Fawn, Try My Best, Kentucky Oaks winner Blush With Pride, 2018 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas winner Romanised, champion South African sire Northern Guest (broodmare sire of last season’s Leading First Crop Sire Pomodoro), 2018 G1 Surround Stakes winner Shoals and triple Australian champion sire, and top class sire of sires, Redoute’s Choice.
Pathfork, who is standing the 2018 season at Sandown Stud, has a single lot on offer at Sunday’s Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale and another four lots on offer at this month’s CTS Ready To Run Sale.