Turffontein has been a happy hunting ground for South Africa’s second Triple Crown winner Louis The King.
He reserved his greatest triumphs for the Joburg track, which appropriately also features as the venue of his first Stakes success as a stallion, courtesy of the game victory of first-crop son Pamushana’s Pride in last weekend’s Listed Derby Trial.
Pamushana’s Pride wins the Listed Derby Trial (Pic -JC Photos)
Trained by Alec Laird for owner/breeder Louis van der Vyver, Pamushana’s Pride was scoring for the fourth time in six starts and races in the same silks carried by his sire. Incidentally, he was bred from the Ideal World mare Ponal, whose third dam Rawl Plug is a half-sister to none other than the first Triple Crown winner, the mighty Horse Chestnut!
On the track, Louis The King added to his Triple Crown by claiming the Gr1 Sansui Summer Cup at four and fully deserved his chance at stud as a triple Gr1 winner of seven races and earnings in excess of R5-million. In addition to his Gr1 treble, he finished second in the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and third in the Gr1 Daily News 2000.
Bred by The Alchemy and by far the best South African-bred performer sired by Irish 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes winner Black Minnaloushe, Louis The King is the only foal out of Rich Man’s Gold mare Pamushana and traces to a fine old family which excelled at the long-gone Hartford Stud, that of the imported English triple winner and Princess Margaret Stakes third Anne Of Orange, who descends from the legendary race and broodmare, Pretty Polly. For what it’s worth, several of the ancestors in the female line of Louis The King are inbred to this peerless mare, most notably his grandam Milden Magic, through her sire National Emblem, who traces to Pretty Polly’s great-grandaughter Sister Sarah.
Terry and Annabel Andrews
Louis The King now holds court at Terry and Annabel Andrews’ Sorrento Stud in the Western Cape and to say that he has received limited support, would be an understatement. His first three crops total around 80 foals, less than those sired in a single crop by any of the most popular stallions!
Unraced at two and given his own racetrack achievements, his progeny were always going to improve at three as proven by Pamushana’s Pride and three-time winning daughter Princess Of Fire, both of which have shown their ability over ground.
Yet it was Matthew The King who displayed precocity to become his sire’s first juvenile winner and proved his sprinting ability when second to Erik The Red in the Listed Somerset 1200. As for Louis The King’s second crop, he already boasts a winner in juvenile filly Waymaker, who made an auspicious debut, scoring at cramped odds for Gavin Smith.
Sorrento’s Annabel Andrews was understandably over the moon following the Derby Trial success by Pamushana’s Pride. “We expected this horse to go a trip. We foaled and raised him on behalf of Mr Van der Vyver. He was a beautiful, big foal and also the mare’s first. She now has a filly foal at foot, a chestnut full sister to Pamushana’s Pride, a big strong girl.”
“Louis has the most divine temperament, he is very gentle and very fertile. Sadly, he has received only limited support and has had to do it the hard way, yet his foals can run and they are so brave.”
Louis The King
Despite receiving just R80 000 for a Louis The King filly related to Running Brave at the recent Mistico Yearling Sale, Annabel nevertheless remains upbeat: “There was quite a bit of interest and the vibe was positive. We supported him with our own mares and have some super two-year-olds on the farm if anyone is interested!”
Sorrento will not be taking any Louis The King yearlings to Johannesburg for the National Sale – however he will be represented at the Klawervlei farm sale in June.
As for Pamushana’s Pride, the progressive three-year-old is clearly on an upward curve. Considering that his dam is an own sister to Gr3 Track and Ball Derby winner Cape Speed, hopes are high that he can go close to emulating his sire in next month’s Gr1 SA Derby. He certainly has the cv and the pedigree for the task at hand.
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