Drakenstein Stud’s Cartier Champion, and increasingly successful sire, Duke Of Marmalade, was back in the headlines once again this weekend.
The five time G1 winner, whose own victories included a four length romp in the 2008 G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, is broodmare sire of the classy 2yo filly Antonia De Vega, an impressive winner of Saturday’s G3 Ladbrokes Prestige Stakes at Goodwood.
A daughter of Lope De Vega, Antonia De Vega, the 5/2 joint-favourite for Saturday’s seven furlong contest, responded in impressive fashion to motor past her rivals before defeating Accordance by a length and a quarter.
Winning rider Harry Bentley commented after the filly had maintained her unbeaten record, “”There was a strong pace up front and it was good for her to be among horses. She is a very laid-back filly which makes my job easy.”
Now unbeaten in two starts, Antonia De Vega, a fluent winner on debut, holds entries in both the G1 bet.365 Fillies’ Mile (to be run on October 12th) and G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes (to be run on September 16th).
She was produced by the Duke Of Marmalade mare Witches Brew –who was second in the 2014 Listed Platinum Stakes.
Himself a proven sire of more than 60 stakes horses (his progeny have banked more than $33 million), the regally bred Duke Of Marmalade is also now showing signs of making up into a top class broodmare sire.
Antonia De Vega is the second group winner produced by a Duke Of Marmalade mare this year following Chilean (by Iffraaj) –with the latter downing subsequent French Derby winner Study Of Man when victorious in April’s G3 Prix La Force at Long champ.
Another Duke Of Marmalade mare, dual Oaks runner up Venus De Milo, was responsible for a Camelot colt who made € 400 000 at the recent Arqana Yearling Sale.
Duke Of Marmalade, whose close relatives include such stand out broodmare sires as A P Indy, Summer Squall, Lemon Drop Kid and Al Mufti, made a cracking start with his first South African born 2yos last season including Cape champion, and G3 Gagasi FM The Debutante winner, Temple Grafin.