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.

The Apache is flying at stud, with only 11 runners on the track he has produced 5 wins and 15 places. He is currently boasting a winners to runners percentag of 36.4%.

A Scott Bros’ bred son of Mogok out of a Dolpour mare (and a pure Scott Bros pedigree stretching back over 50 years to their founding dam) who was voted Equus Champion 3YO Colt of his year, his story is a special one – selling for just R80 000 at the National 2YO Sale, he went on to earn over R17-million making him one of the highest Stakes earners standing at stud in South Africa.

Amongst the mares he has covered this season is a Zabeel mare specifically imported for him by owner Mr Winston Chow, named Divine Proportion who has foaled a beautiful baby to The Apache this season at Hadlow Stud, and the other is the dam of Gr1 winner Wild One (by Mogok), a cross that has also produced Save The Rhino.

Globetrotting from South Africa to Dubai, England and America – The Apache crossed the line first in the Gr1 Arlington Million, placing in England and winning the Gr2 Al Rashidiya in Dubai and placed second in two major Dubai Gr1 races – not to forget his Gr1 wins in South Africa and numerous Group Places.

His produce results on the track reflect his superb Equinome test results which Hong Kong owner Mr Winston Chow had performed on the stallion and his results are impressive.

His test results are explained by Plusvital:

“The Apache has been categorised as a C:T (Middle Distance type) by the Plusvital Speed Gene Test, which predicts optimum race distance and precocity potential by categorising horses as one of three genetic types.

C:T horses, like The Apache, are the most versatile genetic type. They are likely to perform well over shorter distances (7f to 8f/1,400m to 1,600m) as two year olds and then progress to run over middle distances (8f to 12f/1,600m to 2,400m) as three-year-olds and older. C:T horses are capable of producing all three genetic types of horse (Sprint/Mile types, Middle Distance types or Staying types).

The Apache stands for a fee of just R10 000 at Hadlow Stud in Mooi River.