Klipdrif Stud’s successful sire Elusive Fort enjoyed another memorable weekend, with the former Equus Champion represented by a treble of South African winners. Elusive Fort offspring found the winners enclosure on each day of the weekend and the former SA Derby winner looks on course for another good season this year.
Fort Viva kicked off the treble when romping home to break his maiden over 2200m, at Fairview on Friday for trainer Vaughan Marshall.
Saturday saw Elusive Fort son Asian Star provide trainer Mark Dixon with one of three wins at Greyville, when triumphant by half a length over 1200 metres.
Bred by the Riverton Stud, Asian Star was a R70 000 buy from the 2015 National Two Year Old Sale and he is out of the winning Goldkeeper mare Arabesque.
Elusive Fort had another eye catching winner at Turffontein the following day, when his daughter Secret Potion won the first leg of the International Jockeys Challenge for Irish jockey PJ McDonald. Making just her second racetrack appearance, having finished a close up sixth over 1160m first time out, Secret Potion produced a terrific turn of foot to fly up late and win going away over a mile.
McDonald said after the win, “Geoff (Woodruff) explained to me that she might be a little bit behind the bridle and a little bit dreamy, and she rode exactly how he said. Whatever little thing she has, she made up for it in attitude. She really wanted to win as much as I did. She more outstayed them than quickened up. She was very strong to the line.”
Bred by Dr Ian Heyns, Secret Potion was a R100 000 buy from the 2016 March Yearling Sale.
A triple G1 winner himself and half-brother to high-class 2yo Easyjadeasy, Elusive Fort is a proven sire of high class performers whose best runners include such G1 winners as Lauderdale and Siren’s Call, as well as R2.4 million plus earner Safe Harbour.
Another daughter, Fort Ember, is a runner in Saturday’s G1 Sansui Summer Cup, while his Elusive Heart holds an entry for the G1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas on Saturday week.