Normandy Stud’s founding mare Terpsichore played a big role at Turffontein on Classic Day on Saturday 2 March. The daughter of Drum Beat features as the fourth dam of Saturday’s hugely impressive Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 SA Fillies Classic winner Gimme A Nother (Gimmethegreenlight).
Terpsichore is also the fourth dam of Saturday’s Wilgerbosdrift Listed Ruffian Stakes winner Almond Sea (Canford Cliffs).
Normandy Stud-bred champion Winter Solstice (Pic – Supplied)
Remarkably, between them, Gimme A Nother and Almond Sea have won all nine of their combined starts with both fillies having already contributed handsomely to the South African racing scene this season.
Gimme A Nother, who claimed her fourth graded win on Saturday, sports Gr1 winning champions as her first two dams. Her Tiger Ridge sired dam Nother Russia was the Equus Champion Older Female in 2017-2018, with Nother Russia winning eight races including back to back runnings of the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes.
As talented as Nother Russia was, her dam, Mother Russia, was, if anything, even better. A daughter of Windrush, Mother Russia was Equus Champion Older Filly/Mare in 2010.
Like Nother Russia, Mother Russia won the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes, with her three other top-level victories including a memorable win in the 2011 Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate where she accounted for such standout performers as Ebony Flyer, Pocket Power and Past Master.
In total, Mother Russia won 13 races, and earned more than R5 000 000, with her wins including ten graded or listed features.
Sadly, Nother Russia was the only foal produced by the ill-fated Mother Russia.
Dupont mare, and Gimme A Nother relative, Sylvie has already enjoyed good success at stud.
Almond Sea is the second stakes winner produced by Sylvie, whose daughter Sarah (What A Winter) won the Listed Swallow Stakes of 2020. Sylvie is also the dam of the smart four-year-old filly Celtic Rumours, who recently made it four wins from ten starts when winning at the Vaal last month.
The prolific Terpsichore also ranks as the ancestress of Gr1 Queen’s Plate winning champion Winter Solstice, as well as Gr1 Cape Derby winner Bravura, and graded stakes winners Depardieu (a three-parts brother to Sylvie), and Cap Alright.
