The influence of former South African champion sire and broodmare sire Fort Wood was well and truly felt at Turffontein on Saturday afternoon.
Fort Wood’s grandson Act Of War produced Saturday’s Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks heroine, and this season’s Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara queen, War Of Athena, while his Spook Express Handicap winning daughter Justthewayyouare is the dam of Saturday’s impressive Gr1 World Sports Betting SA Derby winner, and Triple Crown hero, Malmoos (Captain Al).
Act Of War wins Matchem in 2015
SA Derby third place-getter Second Base (whose sire Gimmethegreenlight has enjoyed notable success with Fort Wood mares) is out of the Fort Wood daughter Passionate Kiss, adding further gloss to Fort Wood’s posthumous success on Saturday.
This is not the first time that Fort Wood has had a major impact on either the South African Triple Crown or Triple Tiara.
His outstanding son Horse Chestnut lifted the Triple Crown in 1999, while his Oaks winning daughter Carolina Cherry is the dam of fellow champion, and Triple Tiara heroine, Cherry On The Top (Tiger Ridge).
In turn, Carolina Cherry’s Gr3 Jacaranda Handicap winner Cherry On The Cake (Strike Smartly) is the dam of last season’s Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara victress Summer Pudding (Silvano).
Fort Wood’s son Elusive Fort seen winning his 3rd Gr1
Fort Wood’s SA Derby winning son Elusive Fort, the sire of this season’s top-class three-year-olds Catch Twentytwo and Kommetdieding among others, went close to siring a Triple Tiara winner with his daughter Siren’s Call victorious in both the Gr2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas and Gr1 SA Fillies Classic of 2015, before going down narrowly in the Gr1 SA Oaks of that season.
Yet another Triple Tiara victress Igugu, while not by Fort Wood, was sired by Galileo –who, like Fort Wood, was sired by Sadler’s Wells.
Already champion broodmare sire in South Africa on four occasions, Fort Wood is currently second on this season’s Leading Broodmare Sires list.
Fort Wood has had quite an impact on the Gauteng legs of the Triple Crown, with his sons capturing the now Gauteng Guineas on three occasions, the SA Classic three times and SA Derby times twice respectively.
The former champion sire has also enjoyed notable success with his three-year-old daughters capturing the Gauteng Fillies Guineas twice, SA Fillies Classic three times and SA Oaks three times respectively.
Fort Wood (Sadler’s Wells – Fall Aspen)
In total, Fort Wood left behind nearly 140 black type horses, and his offspring banked over $24 000 000 in stakes.
Fort Wood (Sadler’s Wells) also ranks as the broodmare sire of Equus Champion Capetown Noir (Western Winter) – who recently enjoyed a feature race double courtesy of his son Jaeger Moon (Listed East Cape Guineas) and daughter Under Your Spell (Gr3 Protea Stakes)
With his grandsons Act Of War, Futura, and Legislate all showing considerable promise at stud – his maternal grandson William Longsword came up with a smart looking first crop winner in the form of Safe Return – and son Elusive Fort enjoying one of his finest seasons at stud this season, Fort Wood’s legacy looks set to continue unabated for seasons to come.
