Dubai Win For KZN Breeders Hallmark Thoroughbreds
South African bred Light The Lights won the Listed Singspiel Stakes over 1800m on turf at Meydan for Mike de Kock and Christophe Soumillon on Thursday evening.
The five-year-old by Western Winter ran along nicely and had plenty in the tank around the bend, about three lengths off the call, but jockey Colm O’Donoghue sent his mount Championship swiftly clear of the pack. Soumillon had to work hard to get Light The Lights to make up the ground on the older horse, who wasn’t stopping, but they got there in the last two strides and posted victory by a neck.
De Kock praised the SA breeding industry for their horsemanship and the way they deliver top horses year after year. “Our horses have won on the world stage for a long time, they keep on winning but I still think the world under-rates us,” he said.
Light The Lights, a gelding by Western Winter from First Arrival (Northern Guest), was a R450 000 purchase for Hugo Hattingh and partners at the BSA National Yearling Sale.
He was sold to Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum after his fourth to Smart Call in the 2016 J&B Met and De Kock said: “Light The Lights left South Africa early last year and as a result they got to Dubai earlier than my horses normally do.
“Light The Lights was a fit horse tonight, so we will look at taking another early shipment this year. They have definitely benefitted from getting here sooner.”
Bruce and Ann Nicholas of Hallmark Thoroughbreds have enjoyed much success with their mare First Arrival, a daughter of Summerhill super sire Northern Guest.
She has produced amongst others, British export In The Fast Lane, Rock The Country, and Muhtafal Equus Champion Let’s Rock ‘n Roll.
A Spey Bridge Champion 3YO Filly in 1999 who won two Gr3’s in Zimbabwe, First Arrival has been an outstanding mare with eight runners and eight winners to date, four of them Bold Black Type.
This is an exceptional dam line that includes Zimbabwean winners Newton Power, Print The Pounds and Super Trouper, as well as The Elmo Effect, Visuality, Morisco, American export Sally Bowles, Jackson Square and Trademark amongst many others.
Congratulations to all concerned!
– extract turftalk.co.za
