Drakenstein Stud treated a large crowd of South Africa’s leading racing personalities to a superb show at Friday’s Stallion Parade.
Visitors were shown the farm’s proven sires Trippi, Duke Of Marmalade, Philanthropist, and What A Winter, former Horse Of The Year Futura, and first year stallion Gold Standard.
The first son of Trippi to stand at stud in South Africa, the Carl and Amanda De Vos bred Gold Standard banked nearly R1 million during a career which saw him establish himself as one of the leaders of his generation. Like outstanding sire Dynasty, Gold Standard won the G2 Selangor Cup (beating subsequent Cape Guineas hero William Longsword and Equus Champion Edict Of Nantes among others), and also beat a top class field when a close second in the G1 Forus Cape Guineas of his year.
Also fourth in the 2017 G1 Sun Met (beating champions Bela-Bela, French Navy, It’s My Turn and Marinaresco), Gold Standard is from a magnificent female line. He is out of Olympic Dam, a daughter of champions Model Man and Olympic Duel, with the latter widely regarded as one of the greatest racemares ever to grace the South African turf. A daughter of outstanding broodmare sire Dancing Champ and an own sister to a July winning champion, Olympic Duel’s 12 wins (seven of which were G1 victories) included such major races as the J&B Met, Mainstay International and Champion Stakes.
Drakenstein will be strongly supporting Gold Standard this year, with his first book including, among others, former Equus Champion Lady Windermere and the top class broodmare Hosta (dam of Trippi sired millionaire Lanner Falcon and US G3 winner Dynamic Host).
Gold Standard’s champion sire Trippi (who, at 21, looked absolutely superb on Friday) was another to catch the eye on Friday. The ever green son of End Sweep enjoyed another fantastic season in 2017-2018, with Trippi runners banking more than R14.5 million in South Africa last season. The former G1 Vosburgh Stakes winner had a big season last year, with his runners including exported G1 SA Classic hero Lobo’s Legend, impressive G3 Umkhomazi Stakes winner Chimichuri Run, Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes victress Miss Katalin and G1 Forus Cape Guineas second White River.
Another sire to make a considerable splash last season was Cartier Champion, and five time G1 scorer Duke Of Marmalade.
A proven sire of more than 60 stakes horses the world over, the Danehill half-brother to Investec Derby hero Ruler Of The World made an immediate impression with his first 2yos last season including G3 Gagasi FM Debutante winner Temple Grafin (subsequently named Cape Racing’s Champion 2YO Filly) and the smart filly Santa Clara. The latter was second in both the Listed Kenilworth Fillies Nursery and Listed Irridescence Stakes last season.
Duke Of Marmalade has also shone as a broodmare sire in 2018, with his daughters responsible for the smart group winners Antonia De Vega (a fancy for the G1 Fillies’ Mile) and Chilean.
Drakenstein’s impressive young sire, and triple Equus Champion, What A Winter looked an absolute picture on Friday, while Philanthropist, whose numerous high class performers include 2018 Hong Kong Classic Cup winner Singapore Sling, made a most favourable impression with a number of knowledgeable judges choosing him as their pick of the Drakenstein sires.
Dynasty sired Horse Of The Year Futura has let down into a truly magnificent stallion, and the four time G1 winner impressed all who saw him on Friday. The triple Equus Award winner (one of 3 sons of Dynasty to be named Horse Of The Year) has left behind some smashing first crop foals, and his eagerly awaited first crop of yearlings are due to come up for sale in 2019.