Eight Winners for Johannesburg

3rd May 2007

Johannesburg regained the lead on the Australian first season sires table by individual winners after Lord Bantu (2g Johannesburg – Nadia, by Akaaber) scored on debut at Warrnambool on Thursday.

Prepared on the track by Darren Ryan, Lord Bantu became the eighth individual Australian winner for his sire when he finished resolutely in the slow conditions to post a neck win in the open event for juveniles over 1200 metres.

Bred and offered for sale by Tim and Di Dennis of Glenwood in Victoria, Lord Bantu passed in short of his $70,000 reserve at the 2006 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale but was later sold privately.

Lord Bantu is the fourth foal of the Akaaber mare Nadia, a full sister to Group Three winner Suavity and stakes-winner Akarana.

Nadia is now back in foal to Johannesburg, who has representation in the major Northern Hemisphere events this weekend.

A former World Champion Two Year Old, Johannesburg will have two runners in the Group One Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs this Saturday with Scat Daddy and Teuflesberg, while in the Group One English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket there is support for lightly raced Diamond Tycoon.

Johannesburg is now one winner clear of his Coolmore companion Rock of Gibraltar by individual Australian winners with three months of the season left to run.

Johannesburg returns to Coolmore Australia this spring at a fee of $33,000.