First Australian Stakes-Winner for Johannesburg
9th February 2008
Johannesburg posted his first Australian stakes-winner at Caulfield on Saturday when the Anthony Cummings trained colt Turffontein (3c Johannesburg x Spirit of Grace, by Dr Grace) powered home to claim the Listed MRC Wellington Racing Club Stakes.The powerful chestnut enjoyed the run of the race from barrier two and finished too strongly for Rock of Gibraltar colt Pillar of Hercules to win by a length, giving Coolmore sires a stakes quinella.
“We had trouble getting him to Melbourne because of all the DPI rules and he got here only the day before his last start and as a result he hung out and did a few things wrong,” said Cummings, who added a cross-over noseband as a gear change for this assignment.
“With a few weeks to settle and find his right leg, he’s really shown the benefit, although he will need to improve further to win the Guineas, but I think he can.”
Turffontein boasts the tidy record of two wins and three placings from six starts with prizemoney of $145,700 and will now progress towards a start in the Group One VRC Cadbury Australian Guineas on March 8.
A $70,000 purchase for Anthony Cummings from the draft of Fulmen Park at the 2006 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Turffontein is the fourth foal and first stakes-winner for the Dr Grace mare Spirit of Grace, a half-sister to stakes-placed Bails and Broadband.
He comes from a prolific Black Type family that features Group One winners Alynda, Penny Gem and Hit the Roof, so there is no surprise to see him out there measuring up with the best of his age group.
Turffontein is the 13th stakes-winner worldwide for Johannesburg who was also active in America last week with a new Group Two winner in Eaton’s Gift.
He has good representation at the 2008 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale with 13 youngsters catalogued and a further eight to be offered at Magic Millions. On the Gold Coast.
