Maine Chance Farms pulled off a notable achievement when their past and present resident stallions Silvano, Vercingetorix, Querari and Erupt all claimed sires titles for the just finished 2021-2022 South African racing season.
Once again, Silvano was crowned Champion Sire of South Africa, while his outstanding sire Vercingetorix, who finished runner up to his sire on the General Sires List last season, was South Africa’s Leading Sire of 3YOs for the 2021-2022 season.
Already a Leading Sire of 2YOs (he topped that premiership in 2108-2019), the ever reliable Querari was named South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2YOs for 2021-2022, while Dubawi’s blue blooded son Erupt was officially crowned Leading First Season Sire for the season just ended.
The late, legendary Silvano claimed a remarkable sixth South African General Sires List, with the son of Lomitas ending the 2021-2022 season more than R1.262 million clear of runner up, and current star sire, Vercingetorix.
Silvano runners earned R17 688 263 million in the past season, with Silvano’s 10 black type winners of 2021-2022 winning 16 stakes races in that season. Pride of place goes to Silvano’s star daughter Sparkling Water, who became Silvano’s fifth July winner when she won the 2022 G1 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Silvano runners dominated the finish to this year’s July, with his daughter Sparkling Water winning South Africa’s most famous horse-race and his son Safe Passage finishing third.
Other stars representing Silvano last season included top three-year-olds Safe Passage and Silver Darling, who provided their sire with a G1 double when landing the G1 Daily News 2000 and G1 Woolavington 2000 respectively on the same day, and Marina, winner of Saturday’s G2 Gold Bracelet and runner up in the G1 Brentford FC Garden Province Stakes.
Silvano’s tally of 28 G1 winners is a modern day record for a South African sire, with Silvano responsible for a total of 29 G1 winners overall.
Silvano’s progeny excelled at Hollywoodbets Greyville last Saturday -not only did his daughters Marina and Follow The Star finish first and second in the Gold Bracelet, his son Silvano’s Timer captured the Listed Marshalls World Of Sport Darley Arabian, and another son, Imperial Ruby, finished second in the G3 Marshalls World Of Sport Gold Cup.
Silvano is also broodmare sire of both Canadian Summer and Bless My Stars, who ran 1-3 in Saturday’s G1 Thekwini Stakes.
It was an emotional, posthumous triumph for Silvano, who died almost 12 months before recording his latest title.
However, Silvano has left behind a worthy heir to his throne in the form of his outstanding son Vercingetorix- South Africa’s Leading Sire of 3YOs for 2021-2022.
It was an exceptional season for Vercingetorix, whose progeny shone both on the track and in the sales ring. Vercingetorix’s three-year-olds, headed by the G1 winners Alesian Chief, Chansonette and Pomp And Power, earned more than R7.835 million last season, and captured such notable races as the G1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas, G1 Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby, G1 Golden Horse Sprint, G2 Concorde Cup, G2 Post Merchants and G3 WSB Merchants.
His stablemate Querari had an exceptional season with his two-year-olds, with Querari sired juveniles earning more thanR2.855 million in 2021-2022. Querari was responsible for 23 two-year-old winners last season, including graded stakes winners Galla Vanting, Gobsmacked, and Prophet. His two-year-olds were seen to great advantage on Saturday when Godsmacked won the G2 Prosport International Debutante, and Querari sons Quantum Theory and Prophet ran third and fourth respectively in the G1 Premiers Champion Stakes.
Erupt looks like joining the likes of Night Of Thunder and New Bay as a top-class son of Dubawi. The close relative of Encosta De Lago and Holy Roman Emperor is officially South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire for 2021-2022, with Erupt’s nine early winners headed by G3 Protea Stakes/Listed Storm Bird Stakes winner Karangetang.