Matador Man Gives Hewitson 3rd Christmas Handicap Win
Matador Man flew home under Lyle Hewitson on a very hot and humid Wednesday at Greyville to give the South African Champion Jockey and Apprentice Jockey his third win in the Christmas Handicap, now a Listed race.
The son of Toreador’s previous visit to Greyville must be scratched as he found traffic and didnt take his customary outside run, instead getting blocked on in the inside under Anton Marcus.
Out of the speedy Sahara by Mogok, who sold to Summerview Stud from Scott Bros at their Dispersal Sale for R170 000 and is now in foal to Master Of My Fate, Matador Man trained by Sean Tarry has earned over R1,3-million in stakes – a tidy return for his connections after his purchase at the 2015 National 2YO Sale for R180 000.
This is his second Stakes win – the first being the Secretariat Listed in 2016. Matador Man, voted KZN Breeders Middle Distance Champion now for two years in a row, enjoys the Greyville course when things go his way – he is a winner of the KZN Breeders Million Mile and ran third in the Gr1 Champions Cup.
He has previously achieved under Hewitson, and finished third in the Gr2 Greyville 1900 in May.
By Toreador, who stood at Bush Hill Stud prior to his passing, the connections of Matador Man have enjoyed success with the deceased son of Danehill – winning two Gr1’s with Bull Valley (by Toreador). Breeder of Matador Man, Robin Scott, retained a share and owns him along with Messrs G D Tooch, G L Blank, G J Nassif, J Nassif, Z L Nassif and J Sarkis.
Matador Man’s weanling full sister sold for R125 000 at the Scott Bros Dispersal sale, an impressive filly with plenty of strength and substance.
Matador Man would have earned his breeders a Breeder Premium claim of approximately R6 000.
