A warm up into Champions Season over 1400m saw the stout grey speedy son of Flying The Flag grab the Gr3 Byerley Turk from the respected Cousin Casey and Jimmy Don.

Born and raised at Bush Hill Stud for breeder Ms Giddy, has now won four of his seven starts and gave jockey Tristan Godden his first Graded Stakes winner.

Trained by Michael Miller for owners Sterling Miller and Tony Jelenski, won his penultimate start at Hollywoodbets Scottsville over 1200m and ran a tremendous race at Hollywoodbets Greyville to win by just over half a length.

His pedigree is speed on speed; out of a Captain Al mare in turn out of a Muhtafal mare, from the family of Champion sprinters Nhlavini, Mystery Guest and Arabian Mist. Flying The Flag also carries speed through his grand dam Cassandra Go.

Congratulations to all concerned and certainly a gelding to watch for the coming season!

Watch the race:

The lightly raced Summerhill-bred son of Visionaire, Africa Rising, finished powerfully to win the Gr3 Byerley Turk at Greyville on Sunday afternoon.

Trained by in form Champion trainer Sean Tarry and owned in partnership by Mr Chris van Niekerk and Portapa (Pty) Ltd T/A Supabets (Nom: Mr P Anastassopolous), it is the third win for Africa Rising who has also placed three times from eight starts. Jockey Lyle Hewitson was ecstatic after the win, seen wrapping his arms around the three year old chestnut colts neck when walking into the winners enclosure.

He has previously placed behind Gunner in the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes and second to Chili Con Carne in the CTS Ready To Run Cup and finished four lengths off William Longsword in the Gr1 Cape Guineas.

Africa Rising was acquired by Chris van Niekerk’s Rainbow Beach Trading for R625 000 at the CTS Johannesburg Ready To Run Sale. His dam Sucha Looka is by Braashee out of a Northern Guest mare. She is a half-sister to Charisma and 11-time winner, Stud Master. This is also the damline of Black Wing and Salutation. Sucha Looka has produced four multiple winners from five foals to date.

Commenting on their seventh Black type performer by Visionaire, Summerhill sales supremos Tarryn Liebenberg and Thabani Nzimande were unanimous in their recollections of Africa Rising as a youngster: “He was a typical athletic, fluid-moving son of Visionaire with the big ‘motor’ we’ve come to expect from them. Visionaire is dominant for the type of horse he gets, and now with just his second crop of three year olds, we seem to have really grasped the recipe; the horses we’re prepping for Jo’burg are up there with the best Visionaires we’ve consigned, and might even surpass our earlier efforts. The great thing about them is they have superb temperaments, they can handle any amount of work, and on race day, they’ll give you everything they’ve got.”

Visionaire relocated from Summerhill Stud to Lammerskraal in 2016.