Just As Well Sibling Wins British Listed Race

The Tapit half-brother to Spring Valley sire Just As Well won a Listed race in England yesterday. The chestnut colt named Wissahickon beat home Big Country (High Chapparal) by over two lengths clear.

Bred by the Augustin Stable and trained by John Gosden, he won on the All weather track over 2000m in the Quebec Stakes at Lingfield Park.

Wissahickon knuckled down and put a couple of lengths between himself and his pursuers – and he hit the line strongly, winning by two and a quarter lengths from Big Country.

His jockey Rab Havlin told At The Races: “It’s important with him to get him in a nice rhythm, but I wasn’t happy with the pace. Reading between the lines before, that was always going to happen.

“When you sprint into that turn, everything fans out and you can nearly almost get a run and nick a couple of lengths back.

“He showed his class today and knuckled down well. There was a lot to look at in the last furlong, so I was just keeping his mind on the job – there was plenty left.

“That was what we were expecting today. I think the Winter Derby and the Easter Classic will be the plan.”

The handsome chestnut has had six wins from eight starts in total between All Weather and Turf going.

Just As Well, first across the line in a Gr1 in Canada with multiple Group Wins and Places to his name internationally, is a vastly underrated stallion who has produced the goods from small numbers.

The sire of 51% lifetime winners to runners, his major winners include Gr3 Caradoc Cup winner Just Cruised In, Racing Association Listed winner Just Chaos, nine length maiden winner and Gr3 placed Zodiac Jack in the Cape, and 6-time winner Just As I Said.

Just As Well entered stud in 2011 and has only had 64 progeny to race since. Just As Well, out of Gr1 winning mare No Matter What by Nureyev and related to Raven’s Pass and E Dubai, is a half-brother to 2-time Gr1 winner Rainbow View, Gr2 winner Utley, Gr3 winner Winter View, and his half-sister has produced 5-time winner and twice Listed winner and multiple Gr3 placed Stunning Spirit.

In total, Just As Well’s 64 runners have earned a total of R9,084,569 – averaging stakes earned of R141,946 each.