Drakenstein Stud’s five time G1 winner Duke Of Marmalade’s good spell of success continued on Monday, when the champion son of Danehill was represented by his sixth individual winner from his first South African crop of runners.
This time it was Waterloo Warrior to score for his sire, with the MD Partnership bred gelding romping home to score by 4.25 lengths over 1000m.
Out of the Count Dubois mare Stellar Season, Waterloo Bridge is the second South African first crop winner for his sire since Friday.
Duke Of Marmalade, whose first crop daughter Santa Clara ran second in Saturday’s Listed Highlands Stud Irridescence Stakes, is now South Africa’s second Leading First Crop Sire by individual winners with six to his credit.
The half-brother to Investec Derby winner Ruler Of The World could also be represented by first crop runners in several big KZN feature races at the end of the month. Duke Of Marmalade 2yos The Irishman (G1 Premiers Champion Stakes), Temple Grafin (G1 Thekwini Stakes, G3 The Debutante) and Vida Es Bella (G3 The Debutante) are all potential starters at Greyville on July 28th.
The regally bred Duke Of Marmalade, whose relatives include such champion sires as A P Indy, Al Mufti and Raja Baba, is, however, a well established stallion, with his more than 60 stakes horses to his credit including Saturday’s G2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil winner Marmelo –a potential contender for this year’s G1 Melbourne Cup.
Other notable performers sired by Duke Of Marmalade thus far are such G1 winners/champions as Simple Verse, Star Of Seville, Big Orange, Sound Of Freedom and Nutan.