Varsfontein Stud’s proven G1 sire Judpot was once again to the fore over the weekend, when his son Down To Zero captured the G3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap at Turffontein on Sunday (the race having been delayed a day due to inclement weather).

Trained by Mike and Adam Azzie, the four-year-old Down To Zero was always up with the pace in Sunday’s 1000 sprint and kept galloping gamely to score a 0.3 of a length win in the R250 000 feature, with his beaten rivals included such graded stakes winners as Rebel’s Champ, Rivarine, Exquisite Touch and Tandava.

Ridden to victory by Marco Van Rensburg, the Terry Andrews bred Down To Zero has now won four and earned R512 750 in stakes –a fine return on his R220 000 purchase price (he was sold off the 2016 March Yearling Sale).

(The gelding has won or placed in a total of 12 of 16 outings, with Down To Zero’s previous efforts including a runner up finish in the 2018 G3 Man O’War Sprint).

His sire Judpot is enjoying another good season in 2018-2019, with the son of A P Indy’s other notable recent representatives including the 2018 G2 Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile winner Coral Fever (a former G1 winner who has banked over R4.2 million in prize money) and G2 Southern Cross Stakes runner up Nous Voila.

A half-brother to breed shaping sire Kingmambo, Judpot has a single lot on next month’s Cape Yearling Sale –and that is a filly (Lot 163) who is a ¾ sister to the Judpot sired G1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic/G2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks winner Juxtapose.