Backworth-bred Chocolicious and More Ching Ching Exciting Racing Futures

Backworth-breds Chocolicious and More Ching Ching each had impressive wins recently – Chocolicious will be closing her South African racing chapter on a high before being aimed at Royal Ascot next year, and More Ching Ching won an impressive race in just her second start.

3-Year-old filly, More Ching Ching, by Goldkeeper(USA) out of Blue Lace Agate by Rakeen(USA), broke her maiden over 1200m Tuesday at Clairwood on just her second racetrack appearance under jockey Stuart Randolph for trainer Alistair Gordon.

She is by Goldkeeper (USA) who had 4 wins in the USA at 2 and 3. Goldkeeper’s grandam Terlingua was a Grade 2 winner and is the dam of US Sire Storm Cat. Goldkeeper has sired over 350 winners in South Africa and Zimbabwe including Gold Tax, Hide Out, Gold Merchant, Gold Flame, Bold Bidder, Battle Maiden, Tiza, Orange Alert, Marine Sands, Secret Of Victoria, Disco Queen, Golden Ivory, Geepee S, Cerise Cherry, Runaway Man and Give Me Five.

Her dam Blue Lace Agate, a half sister to Wild Kodiak, recorded 5 wins in her racing career at 3 to 5 and placed 9 times including a third in the Grade 3 Final Fling Stakes. She is from the family of Wild Aster (6 wins), Damascus Road (8 wins), Alastor (10 wins including the Grade 1 J&B Met) and National Flame (11 wins).

Congratulations to trainer Alistair Gordon and his team as well as to owners Messrs M and D Marffy. More Ching Ching is a Backworth graduate of the 2011 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.

In one last hurrah before embarking on a new racing career in the UK and Australia, the Backworth-bred 5-year-old mare, Chocolicious, blasted to a 3.25m length Boxing Day win under jockey Keagan de Melo for trainers Herman Brown and Frank Robinson.

The daughter of Kahal proved far too quick for a high-class field of fillies and mares, leaving speedsters She’s A Stunner (Toreador), Big On Broadway(AUS), by Fusaichi Pegasus, and Choir Maiden(AUS), byChoisir, struggling in her wake. Chocolicious, no stranger to overseas travel after a successful racing stint in Dubai, is out of Candy Box by Exclusive Patriot(USA).
Chocolicious, winner of the Allan Robertson Fillies Championship (Grade 1) as a 2-year-old, closes her South African racing career with 6 wins and 8 places from 18 starts and R672,530 in earnings.

Chocolicious is now UK-bound, via Mauritius, where her connections are hoping to aim her at Royal Ascot. She is owned and managed by Darren and Elizabeth Dance and will race internationally with a group of their clients from Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock.

Information source courtesy of Backworth Stud. View their blog and website at www.backworth.co.za and join their Facebook page, Backworth Stud.