Local And International Gr 3 Success For King Of Kings

Local And International Gr 3 Success For King Of Kings

KZN once again had significant success at Turffontein on Saturday, with a number of horses winning and placing in several Black Type races and news from Gulfstream Park in the USA – predominantly from King Of Kings and Spectrum.

King’s Temptress, by King Of Kings, galloped home on Saturday at Turffontein in soft going to win the Gr 3 Three Troikas Stakes for Three year old fillies over 1450m. She defeated Tiger Ridge filly Cherry On The Top by three and half lengths in the process, with Sea Shadow running in for third place. Jumping from eighth draw she was ridden by Robbie Fradd and trained by Kumaran Naidoo.

It is the three year old filly’s second win from her ninth start after her surprising debut run, when she won the Gr 2 SA Nursery in April last year which saw her trounce the opposition including the likes of Franny. She has since placed five times, three of them in Group company and a Listed race.

King Of Kings also had second place and an International Gr 3 win on the same day as a broodmare sire of Zestful in the Gr 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes, run in the sixth race of the day – and Channel Lady in America at Gulfstream Park, winning over nine furlongs on firm turf. She won the Gr 3 Suwannee River Handicap for four year old fillies and mares by three quarters of a length from Abaco (by Giant’s Causeway) and Inglorious (by Hennessy). Channel Lady is by English Channel out of King Of Kings mare Queen Supreme.

King Of Kings, who stands at Clifton Stud, is currently lying third on the National Log for top Sires of Two Year olds by Stakes earned – he is lying behind sires’ Var and Captain Al, his win percentage matching that of Captain Al’s at 18% runners to winners for the season. Var is currently 20%, but King Of Kings’ place percentage is 81% compared to 56 and 45 for the latter two.

King’s Temptress’ dam, Model Mam’selle by Model Man, owned by Waterford Stud saw her boarded at Midlands Thoroughbreds over the last season after being covered by Kahal.

Other KZN associated horses that impressed were Seal, born and raised at Bush Hill Stud on behalf of breeder Dr Ian Heyns. He won the Pinnacle Stakes for all horses over 2200m from S’il Vous Plait and Go Gold. The field also included Salutation and Galanthus.

Kalami ran second in the Pinnacle Stakes that followed for mares and fillies over 1450m, again in soft going. Bred by Rob and Michele Picking of Middlefield Stud, she ran a nose to the winner Without Malice. Middlefield Stud are offering a half-brother to Kalami at the upcoming Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale, a colt named Landslide by top sire Kahal.

Cosmogenic, by Miesque’s Approval and bred by Maine Chance Farms ran on for third and Spectrum filly Amazing Grace finished in fourth position.

The Gr 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes saw Zestful, by Spectrum out of Zooming Zellie by King Of Kings, run second to Fantastic Mr Fox by a head. Zestful has had a total of two wins and four places from nine starts. Emperor Augustus, by Kahal out of Roman Dream by Jallad, bred by Summerhill Stud – ran third in the Wolf Power 1600 Listed Handicap, just over a length behind the winner, with Emperor Augustus carrying 3.5kg more.

The last race of the day at Turffontein saw a win for Come With Me – bred, owned and trained by St John Gray, the five year old mare by Announce won over 1600m, followed by second and third places being filled by two fillies by Spectrum – Eagle High and Rose Garden – in what was a close finish with the first four horses crossing the line within half a length of each other.

Congratulations to everyone who had success on the day and long may it continue!