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 Flying The Flag colt is rumoured to be able to go one better in the next leg of the Triple Crown with the distance possibly suiting him over the 1800m trip, finishing a fast three lengths off the winner coming from behind, over the mile in very soft going.

Former Bush Hill resident sire Flying The Flag, a full brother to English Classic multiple Gr1 winning fillies Rhododendron and Magical who represented the mighty Coolmore Stud, also carries the speed genes of his paternal grand dam Cassandra Go, and looks to have a smart and fast gelding in the form of the grey Strawberry Bear, who happens to carry the same grey colour as his speedy great grandmother.

Trained by Mike Miller and born and raised at Bush Hill for owner Miss Giddy, Strawberry Bear has won three of his six starts and the last at Hollywoodbets Scottsville by a dominating three lengths. He is out of a Captain Al mare in turn out of a Muhtafal mare, from the family of Champion sprinter Nhlavini, Mystery Guest and Arabian Mist.

Owned in partnership by Tony Jelenski and Sterling Miller, the grey gelding tried a mile in the Model Man Listed but it was possibly a stretch too far – he did come back from the race to win a 1400m and relished the 1200m on offer on Sunday, leading from start to finish under Serino Moodley who has ridden him in all of his starts and may be a nice sprinting prospect for the coming KZN season ahead.

The next to follow was part of a double for the stable of Duncan Howells as Mission Rocks, by Crusade out of Gr2 winner Tempted by Jallad, won for owner Mr Lawrence Pillay. Mission Rocks dug deep to win and enjoyed the 1400m on the Polytrack to win by almost a length under Sean Veale, one of his four winners on the day.

Bush Hill Stud, owned by Warwick and Karin Render, are currently on 30% winners to runners for the season and over R1,4-million in stakes earned for their horses connections.

Well done to all concerned.