The title of South Africa’s Broodmare Of The Year for the 2021/22 season appears very much up for grabs. With one final major race meeting to be run, the award could only be wrapped up at the end of the current racing season.
The likes of Espumanti, Imvula, Lyrical Linda, and Secret Obsession, to name but a few, are all mares who have had notable updates this season.
UK-bred Espumanti
Top-class racemare Espumanti, a daughter of outstanding broodmare sire Dansili, had already produced Gr2 Joburg Spring F&M Challenge runner up Gin Fizz (Soft Falling Rain) as her first foal but went considerably better when her second foal turned out to be this season’s Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Sparkling Water (Silvano).
To date, the latter has won a trio of graded races with her earnings currently standing at over R4,354 million.
Imvula, a half-sister to Dancer’s Daughter, is not only dam of Equus Champion, and this season’s Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara winner, Rain In Holland, but also the luckless Rain In Newmarket – who has finished second in six graded or listed races. Imvula’s two-year-old son Itsrainingwilliam (William Longsword) also caught the eye when shedding his maiden by three lengths at Kenilworth recently.
The talented Lyrical Dance (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Former Garden Province Stakes queen Lyrical Linda (Jallad) produced her fourth stakes winner when her daughter Lyrical Dance (Vercingetorix) captured the Listed WSB Scarlet Lady, in so doing joining the likes of Gr1 Summer Cup winner Liege, Secretariat Stakes winning sire Lance and Thukela Handicap winner Lockheed Jetstar.
Winner of the Listed Syringa Handicap, Secret Obsession (by emerging broodmare sire Captain Al) celebrated her second stakes winner when her son Salvator Mundi (Dynasty) won the Listed Kenilworth Cup earlier this season before finishing second in the Gr3 Track And Ball Derby. The well-bred Secret Obsession also ranks as the dam of Salvator Mundi’s Gr2 winning own brother Bunker Hunt, as well as former Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas runner-up Silver Thursday (Silvano).
Sea Point, a winning daughter of successful broodmare sire Spectrum, marked her second graded stakes winner, following Gr1 Gold Medallion winner Sand And Sea, when her son Winchester Mansion (Trippi) won this season’s Gr3 WSB Pocket Power Stakes, while Pink Tourmaline became her dam Sapphire Gem (Trippi)’s second graded stakes winner when victorious in the Gr2 Track And Ball Oaks.
Galileo’s beautifully-bred daughter Miss Galidora has had a fine season this past year or so, with the half-sister to French classic winner, and successful sire, Clodovil, responsible for this season’s Gr1 World Sports Betting SA Derby winner Aragosta, and also the very impressive debut winner Mrs Browning, a full-sister to Aragosta.
Dynasty’s daughter Beach Beauty
Dynasty’s brilliant daughter Beach Beauty, an Equus Champion in both 2013 and 2014, has proven nearly as successful at stud as she was on the racecourse. The seventeen-time winner, and five-time Gr1 victress, has already produced a pair of graded stakes winners in the form of Gr2 WSB Guineas winner Wild Coast (Trippi) and the 2021 Gr2 Western Cape Fillies Championship queen Amanzimtoti (Trippi). Beach Beauty is also dam of the recent Gr3 DSTV Gold Vase runner-up Rex Union and the very impressive debut winner Narina Trogon (Silvano), who caught the eye when scoring first time out over 1000 metres.
Candy Stripes’ daughter Peru looks another leading contender for this year’s award.
A half-sister to triple Gr1 winner Paraca, South Africa’s Champion 2YO Filly of 2001, Peru is dam of this season’s Gr1 Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby winner Pomp And Power, and is also responsible for the smart filly Pucallpa, who finished third in the Gr3 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery. Pomp And Power also claimed the 2021 Gr2 Concorde Cup.
Peru could arguably have had a Gr1 winner earlier in her career when her son Punta Arenas finished a controversial second in the 2015 Gr1 Vodacom Durban July. In total, Punta Arenas earned more than R2 million during a career which saw the Silvano gelding capture a trio of graded races.
- The Equus Awards will be held at Emperors Palace on Wednesday 24 August.
