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Visionaire's First Winner Romps Home By Almost Seven Lengths On Debut

Visionaire. Image: Candiese Marnewick

Visionaire had his first winner at Scottsville yesterday over 1000m, the two year old filly Royal Pleasure showing plenty of speed to annihilate the field on debut by close to seven lengths for her owners, the 3 A Racing Syndicate (Nom: Mr W A W Bowman), Mr Andy Williams & Mrs J A Wintle. The filly sold for just R30 000 at the 2014 Suncoast KZN Yearling Sale.

Royal Pleasure is trained by Glen Kotzen and was ridden to victory by Callan Murray, beating Mayfair and Roy's Dollar into second and third position.

The KZN-bred filly is out of King Of Kings mare Royal Purse, bred by Barry Irwin of Team Valor International who sent Visionaire to stand at stud in South Africa. Royal Purse has gone on to produce a colt by Visionaire in 2013. The mare is out of Gr2 winning Taineberry, making her a half-sister to Jalberry.

Visionaire resides at 9-time national Champion Breeders' Summerhill Stud. Team Valor over the years have owned and raced the likes of multiple Gr1 winner in SA and the USA, Gypsy's Warning, and more recently the Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom amongst many Group winning champions the world over.

Winning part-owners 3A Racing Syndicate leading in Royal Pleasure on her brilliant debut win. Image: Gold Circle

Visionaire has just had three South African runners to date, and includes a place with David Nieuwenhuizen-trained Thiel on debut at Turffontein. Visionaire left the USA mid-breeding season, and his first and only American crop to race have yielded Bold Black Types such as Bacopa Breeze - amongst her three wins they include the Listed Laurel Smart Halo Stakes, whilst Outlook has placed twice in two Listed races as well as Predicting, a three-time winner who is also Stakes Placed.

Visionaire has bred 12 winners overseas to date, with 23 wins between them and four Stakes Wins or Places.

Visionaire took the 2014 National Yearling Sale by storm. His beautiful grey daughter named Yoruba [pictured right], a half-sister to Gr2 winner No Worries, sold for R1,4million, bred and consigned by Summerhill Stud, whilst Alan and Vera Sutherland of Somerset Stud sold a colt named Diamontaire for R600 000.

Visionaire's R1,4mill daughter, Yoruba, sold for R1,4mill. Image: summerhill.co.za

Timeform Rated at a 126, Visionaire is by Grand Slam out of Scarlet Tango by French Deputy. His half-sister by Smart Strike is a Gr3 winner and Gr1 placed.

A five-time winner over distances of 1300 - 1700m, Visionaire won the Gr1 King's Bishop Stakes in goosebump fashion - coming from last and going onto win impressively, leaving the field in his dust. Rated by Timeform at 126, he also won the Gr3 Gotham and placed in two subsequent Gr3's - the Risen Star and Northern Dancer Stakes.

Standing 16.2h, the powerfully built chestnut commanded a fee of R35 000 +vat for the 2014 breeding season.

Congratulations to all concerned, Visionaire is certainly a stallion to watch in the near future.

Contact Details:
033 263 1081
033 263 1314
Email: info@summerhill.co.za
www.summerhill.co.za