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Morne

Premier’s Cup joy for Digital Age relative

By | Digital Age

Mauritzfontein’s resident sire Digital Age hails from a red hot family and he received another boost to his female line when his close relative Hosier won the G3 James Squire Premier’s Cup at Randwick on Saturday.
A seven-year-old son of Camelot, Hosier defeated Military Mission by one and a quarter lengths in Saturday’s race with Bois D’argent (GB) back in third.
With his stakes breakthrough, Hosier (IRE) advances his record to eight two one from 17 starts with earnings of $516,190.
“He came to us in great order. I didn’t know him that well, although he was trained at Newcastle (by Kris Lees),” Mark Minervini said. “I obviously knew he was a quality horse. We’ve got a lot of young horses and we’ve got a lot of country and provincial horses, but we needed a Saturday city-grade horse.”
Hosier arrived in Australia after placing once in two starts for Joseph O’Brien in Ireland. He won five of seven for Robert Hickmott and two of four for Kris Lees before Minervini Racing shelled out $100,000 to secure him at the 2023 Inglis May (Late) Online Sale.
He is the best of three winner from six to race for G1 Prix Diane runner-up Time Ahead (Spectrum), a half-sister to G3 Musidora Stakes winner placed Time Away (Darshaan), with the latter the third dam of Digital Age.
The latter, a son of Invincible Spirit, is set to stand his first season at Mauritzfontein this year.

STAKES SUCCESS FOR DIGITAL AGE RELATIVE

By | Digital Age

Mauritzfontein’s blue blooded young stallion Digital Age got another boost to his stellar pedigree page when his close relative Sweet Memories won the Listed British EBF 40th Anniversary Chalice Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.
A three-year-old daughter of Sea The Stars, Sweet Memories made it two wins from just three starts when she claimed Saturday’s Chalice Stakes.
Under Hollie Doyle, the John and Thady Gosden trained filly hit the front a furlong from home and kept going strongly to claim her biggest win to date.
A half-sister to G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes/G3 Albany Stakes winner Cursory Glance (by Distorted Humor), Sweet Memories is out of the winning Sadler’s Wells mare Time Control. The latter, a great granddaughter of outstanding racemare Time Charter, also ranks as the dam of the unraced mare Willow View (by Lemon Drop Kid).

Willow View, in turn, is the dam of G1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes winner Digital Age, a son of Invincible Spirit who stands his first season at Mauritzfontein in 2023. From the same male line as the aforementioned Sea The Stars, Digital Age earned more than $1 000 000 during his career which also saw the bay land the 2019 G2 American Turf Stakes.
Digital Age shares his outstanding sire with a pair of top-class stallions in the form of I Am Invincible and Kingman respectively, with the former recently crowned Australia’s Champion Sire for 2022-2023. It was a second consecutive General Sires title for I Am Invincible, who was responsible for 22 stakes winners in Australia last season, and his progeny earned more than AUS$23.445 million in Australia in 2022-2023.
Fellow Invincible Spirit son Kingman is another to have had an excellent year in 2023, with Kingman having been responsible for 19 stakes winners this year thus far including impressive G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Feed The Flame.

Debut winner for Ideal World

By | Ideal World

Mauritzfontein’s successful resident sire Ideal World came up with an eye catching debut winner at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Monday. His three-year-old daughter Sbrigati caught the eye when winning at the first time of asking on Monday.
Trained by Louis Goosen, Sbrigati came with a late rattle, under Chase Maujean, to claim Monday’s Download The Race Card www.goldcircle.co.za Maiden Plate (F&M) (1000m) by just under a length.
It was a smart effort from a filly who still looked green in running, and Sbrigati looks capable of building on her debut success.
Bred by Summerhill Stud, Sbrigti is out of the Kahal mare Kosava.
The filly was a R50 000 purchase from the 2021 November Two Year Old Sale.
Her sire Ideal World has sired 31 stakes winners thus far, headed by Equus Champions Rainbow Bridge, Smart Call and Hermoso Mundo.
Out of a Breeders’ Cup winning champion own-sister to hugely influential sire Dansili, Ideal World has six lots on offer at the 2023 August Two Year Old Sale, including a full-sister (Lot 86) to short-lived G3 Graham Beck Stakes winner Zen Arcade.

17th winner for Danon Platina

By | Danon Platina

Mauritzfontein’s exciting young sire Danon Platina, who is currently involved in a titantic struggle for the title of South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire of 2022-2023, came up with his 17th first crop winner when his two-year-old daughter Mia’s Harper won at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Tuesday.
An eye catching second at her only previous start, Mia’s Harper was sent off a well backed favourite for Tuesday’s Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Welcomes You Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) (1200m). Under a positive ride from Keagan De Melo, the Dean Kannemeyer trained filly hit the front a long way from home, and Mia’s Harper kept finding gamely to go on and score by a comfortable two lengths.
Bred and owned by Khaya Stables, Mia’s Harper is out of the Captain Al mare Captain’s Corner.
She joins an ever growing list of winners for her sire Danon Platina, Japan’s Champion 2YO Colt of 2014. Others include impressive Highveld Winter Juvenile Fillies Stakes winner White Pearl, Bloodstock SA Sales Cup (Fillies) queen Betula, and the likes of Oriental Bouquet, Kyomai, Romance In Rome, and Platina Princess.
Danon Platina was the sire of the first three home in the Highveld Winter Juvenile Fillies Stakes and the first two home in the Bloodstock SA Sales Cup (Fillies) this season.
At the time of writing, Danon Platina had been responsible for more two-year-old winners this season than such star sires as What A Winter, Vercingetorix, Querari, Rafeef and Trippi.
A son of Deep Impact (also sire of the 2023 G1 Betfred Derby winner Auguste Rodin), Danon Platina has 14 lots on offer at the 2023 August Two Year Old Sale.

16th winner for Danon Platina

By | Danon Platina

Mauritzfontein’s red hot young sire Danon Platina came up with his 16th first crop winner when his son Harajuku got off the mark at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Wednesday afternoon.

Trained by Justin Snaith, two-year-old Harajuku had finished second on debut before finishing fourth next time out. However, Harajuku made no mistake in Wednesday’s Cape Racing Sales Maiden Juvenile Plate, when he romped home, under Grant Van Niekerk, to shed his maiden impressively by five lengths.

Bred by Rathmor Stud, Harajuku is out of the Right Approach mare Approach Me.

The colt was a R550 000 purchase from the 2022 Cape Yearling Sale.

Danon Platina, who enjoyed a 100% strike rate at Kenilworth on Wednesday with Harajuku his sole runner on the day, is currently seventh on South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2YOs premiership for 2022-2023.

Other early winners for Danon Platina include Highveld Winter Juvenile Fillies Stakes heroine White Pearl and Bloodstock SA Sales Cup (Fillies) heroine Betula.

Danon Platina shares his legendary sire Deep Impact with numerous equine stars including Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail. The latter made a huge impression at this week’s JRHA Select Sale, where Contrail had 20 of his first foals sell for in excess of ¥2,570,000,000 and average ¥128,500,000.

1-2 FOR DANON PLATINA IN BLOODSTOCK SA SALES CUP

By | Danon Platina

Mauritzfontein’s resident stallion Danon Platina, currently South Africa’s second Leading First Season Sire for 2022-2023, enjoyed a big day at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday. Not only did Danon Platina’s two-year-old daughter Betula win Saturday’s Bloodstock SA Sales Cup (Fillies) (1300m), another daughter of the sire, Oriental Bouquet, finished second in that R400 000 feature for two-year-old fillies.
Trained by Stuart Pettigrew, Betula was driven out in the closing stages of Saturday’s race to hold off paternal half-sister Oriental Bouquet and claim her biggest win to date by a short-head.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Betula had finished fifth on debut before breaking her maiden next time out. The filly went on to finish runner-up, behind another Danon Platina filly White Pearl, in the Highveld Winter Juvenile Fillies Stakes, before landing the 2023 Bloodstock SA Sales Cup.
Betula, who has now won twice from just four starts, was an R160 000 purchase from the 2022 National Yearling Sale.
The filly, who is out of the Fastnet Rock mare Boxwood Bouwer, is one of 15 winners to have emerged from Danon Platina’s first crop of runners. This crop also includes impressive Highvevld Winter Juvenile Fillies Stakes winner White Pearl, who finished fifth in Saturday’s G2 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper, and the smart Platina Princess. The latter recently made it two wins from just four starts when she won on KZN Breeders Raceday and she looks like another potentially smart sort for her sire.
Danon Platina, who shares his legendary sire Deep Impact with Sunday’s G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Auguste Rodin, also had notable success at last week’s KZN Yearling Sale. Danon Platina ended Thursday’s auction as the second Leading Sire by Aggregate, with Danon Platina’s nine-yearlings grossing R2.72 million and averaging R302 222. His top-priced yearling sold was Grey Fantacy (Lot 146), with that Mauritzfontein consigned filly, knocked down to Pound Bloodstock for R550 000.

LISTED SUCCESS FOR DIGITAL AGE RELATIVE

By | Digital Age

Mauritzfontein’s blue blooded young stallion Digital Age gained a handsome update to his pedigree page when his close relative Voodoo Queen won the Listed Sky Bet Sunday Series Pontefract Castle Fillies Stakes at Pontefract on Sunday.

A four-year-old daughter of Frankel and Digital Age’s close relative Cursory Glance, Voodoo Queen looked to be coming of age on her latest outing when third trying 14 furlongs for the first time in the G3 Bronte Cup. Racing handily early behind the leading pair in Sunday’s contest, Voodoo Queen was unleashed wide in the straight and won the race with a smart surge approaching the furlong pole with One Evening staying on best of the remainder.   Voodoo Queen carries on a golden spell for her sire and becomes the second black-type winner for her dam, Cursory Glance whose first was the Listed Lady Wulfruna Stakes winner Tinker Toy.

The progressive Voodoo Queen has now won three of nine starts and is the latest stakes winner to emerge from her outstanding family.

Her dam Cursory Glance, who won both the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and G3 Albany Stakes at two, is a half-sister to Willow View, the dam of Digital Age.

The latter, a son of outstanding sire Invincible Spirit, was a graded stakes winner at three and four, with Digital Age scoring his biggest win when victorious in the 2020 G1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Digital Age shares his sire with 145 stakes winners including such outstanding performers as Kingman, Moonlight Cloud, Fleeting Spirit, Profitable and the very promising young sire Magna Grecia.

 

SATURDAY DOUBLE FOR DANON PLATINA

By | Danon Platina

Japanese champion Danon Platina has made an excellent start with his first runners this season and the son of Deep Impact had another good day at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday when Danon Platina was responsible for two eye catching winners.
His first success at Scottsville came when Danon Platina filly Knockout ran out an easy winner of the first race on the card, the Track And Ball -The Finishing Post Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) over 1200 metres. Trained by Justin Snaith, Knockout powered home, under a confident JP Van Der Merwe, to shed her maiden by just over a length and a quarter.
Bred by Ridgemont Highlands, Knockout had finished fifth on debut before finishing second on her only previous appearance and she looks a progressive filly indeed.
Knockout is out of the Dylan Thomas mare For The Count.
Danon Platina struck again when another two-year-old daughter, Bitcoin Baby, captured the ninth and final race at Scottsville on Saturday. The Michael Miller trained filly sat in second for much of the running of Saturday’s Track And Ball -Umlazi Maiden Plate (F&M) (1600m), before hitting the front 250m from home. From there, the Tristan Godden ridden two-year-old bounded clear to win impressively by nearly three lengths.
Bred by Boland Stud, Bitcoin Baby had finished third last time out and was duly rewarded for consistency with her triumph on Saturday.
Bitcoin Baby, who is out of the Roderic O’Connor mare Parfait, was a R90 000 buy from the 2022 KZN Yearling Sale.
Her sire Danon Platina has now been responsible for 15 two-year-old winners from his first 29 runners, with his early winners including the hugely impressive Highveld Winter Juvenile Fillies Stakes winner White Pearl, a winner of two of her first three starts.
He shares his legendary sire Deep Impact with no fewer than 195 stakes winners including this year’s impressive G1 Betfred Derby winner Auguste Rodin.

Feature race 1-2-3 for Danon Platina

By | Danon Platina

Mauritzfontein’s exciting resident stallion Danon Platina dominated Sunday’s Highveld Winter Juvenile Fillies Stakes (1400m) at Turffontein, where his daughters White Pearl, Betula and Platina Princess finished first, second and third respectively.
Second on debut, the Mike de Kock trained White Pearl had impressed when she broke her maiden over 1450m last time out, and she duly made it back to back wins with a fluent display on Sunday.
Under log-leading jockey Keagan De Melo, the two-year-old filly produced an eye catching turn of foot which propelled White Pearl to the front 100m from home, and the filly stayed on strongly to score by nearly a length and a half, with her paternal half-sisters Betula and Platina Princess finishing second and third respectively.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, White Pearl has now won twice from three starts and graded stakes surely await her!
Out of the Tiger Ridge mare Oyster Pond, White Pearl was a R450 000 purchase from the 2022 August Two Year Old Sale.
Her sire Danon Platina, Japan’s Champion 2YO Colt of 2014, had a good day at Hollywoodbets Greyville a day earlier, with the stallion’s son Kyomai breaking his maiden in open company, and another son of Danon Platina, Plaza Accord, finishing second on debut.
By the same sire as recent G1 Betfred Derby winner Auguste Rodin, Danon Platina has nine lots on offer at the 2023 KZN Yearling Sale.

13th winner for Danon Platina

By | Danon Platina

Mauritzfontein’s inform young stallion Danon Platina had a memorable day at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.
Not only did Danon Platina come up with a 13th first crop winner in the form of Kyomai, Danon Platina gelding Plaza Accord made a smashing debut to finish second in the first race at Greyville. Plaza Accord looks a winner in waiting and is yet another promising sort to have emerged from the first crop of his sire.
The Tony Peter trained Kyomai got off the mark when he won Saturday’s LaLiga Maiden Plate over 1400 metres.
Under Denis Schwarz, the Danon Platina colt powered home to win convincingly by just over three-parts of a length.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Kyomai, who began his career in Cape Town, had finished second on debut before, two starts later, finishing third in the Bloodstock SA Sales Cup (C&G) for then trainer Justin Snaith.
Out of the Tiger Ridge mare Folk Dance, Kyomai was a R425 000 buy from the 2022 National Yearling Sale.
His sire Danon Platina, himself a G1 winning champion at two, has nine lots on offer at this year’s KZN Yearling Sale including a filly (Lot 72) out of a half-sister to G1 winning filly Nightingale, a half-sister (Lot 99) to stakes placed pair of Smart Colleen and Troop The Colour, and a filly (Lot 127) out of a three-parts sister to champion filly Lady In Black.

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