The juggernaut that is Drakenstein Stud just keeps rolling on. Breeders of a record 18 individual stakes winners last season, the farm picked up right where it left off by claiming the Listed Hollywoodbets Settlers Trophy at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday.
Gavin Pickford, Kira Pickford and Candice Bass-Robinson lead Charles and Aldo in (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The Listed 2000m race went the way of homebred Somerset Maughan, albeit that it was on objection. Be that as it may, his victory capped a quickfire treble for both his owners and sire Trippi which was book-ended by victories in the first and final races on the card by a pair of highly promising three-year-olds.
The Trippi filly Hunting Trip set the tone in the day’s opener where she broke her maiden in emphatic fashion, whilst the colt Charles Dickens soundly thrashed some smart sorts in the last race.
Significantly, both Somerset Maugha and Charles Dickens are out of the Dynasty mare Demanding Lady.
Somerset Maugham surges through the middle in a dramatic finish to the Listed Hollywoodbets Settlers Trophy (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The latest gem in Drakenstein start-studded broodmare band was acquired following a track career highlighted by a signature win in the Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge where she narrowly defeated her future paddock companion Louvre, who would go on to produce Gr2 winner Trip To Fortune.
Drakenstein racing manager Kevin Somerville elaborated: “At the time we were looking for mares to suit Trippi and Demanding Lady fit the bill. Physically she’s a lovely mare, a really classic Dynasty type.”
Besides, her prowess on the track was backed up by a hard-knocking American pedigree, which has excelled on a global scale. Standouts in the family include Epsom Derby runner-up and successful sire Silver Hawk, Coolmore stallion and Dewhurst winner War Command and American Gr1 hero Papal Power.
As a broodmare, Demanding Lady first hit the headlines when her first foal, the Trippi colt Charles topped the 2017 Cape Premier Yearling Sale at a cool R6-million.
Trained by Brett Crawford, he proved himself a talented, if somewhat frustrating galloper, his finest moment a second in the Gr1 Cape Derby, where he failed by no more than a neck to peg back ill-fated winner Atyaab.
Somerset Maugham came next, and although he finished third in both the Gr3 Legal Eagle and Pocket Power Stakes, it was his younger full brother Charles Dickens who beat him to full black type honours when a facile winner of last season’s Listed Somerset 1200.
The Candice Bass-Robinson runner remains unbeaten in three starts and again reiterated his lofty reputation following Saturday’s visually impressive win.
Kevin is cautiously optimistic. “It’s early days yet, he still has to prove himself over a mile.”
Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas prospect Charles Dickens cruises in under Aldo Domeyer (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
It would be fair to say that Drakenstein has hit upon a winning recipe, that of Trippi on Dynasty mares.
Interestingly, Demanding Lady is not the first Dynasty mares to produce stakes winning siblings to the former champion, that honour belongs to champion racemare Beach Beauty, the dam of Wild Coast and his sister Amanzimtoti. The former won the Gr2 Guineas at Hollywoodbets Greyville, while the latter claimed the Gr2 Western Cape Fillies Championship.
By the way, the reverse cross of mating sons of Dynasty with Trippi mares is also proving fruitful. Futura currently leads the way with his stakes winning fillies Sweet Future, Vihaan’s Pie, and Pink Tourmaline, while Legislate is the sire of Hoedspruit and Jackson sired Freed From Desire from a daughter of Trippi.
The success of Demanding Lady’s stakes-performed sons certainly whets the appetite for the siblings’ two-year-old half-sister by Lancaster Bomber. Named Charlotte Bronte, she is destined to join Somerset Maugham in the Justin Snaith yard.
Sadly, Demanding Lady has not had a foal since, but was recently covered by champion Gimmethegreenlight.
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