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Australian-bred products captured a notable Group double in South Africa over the weekend.
Champion sire Fastnet Rock featured with a new stakes-winner when the 3YO Ilitshe (Fastnet Rock x Reem Albaraari, by Sadler’s Wells) took out the Listed Derby Trial at Turffontein.
The Mike de Kock trained gelding won the 2000m feature by a head and has now won three of five starts for Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa after he was a bargain $15,000 Inglis Premier purchase by Colm Santry Bloodstock.
Ilitshe is a half-brother to dual GI winner Morshdi, the Champion 3YO of Italy and Germany in 2001.
He is the sixth winner from the now retired imported mare Reem Albaraari, a daughter of champion sprinter Habibti and becomes the 59th stakes-winner for Fastnet Rock.
• AT Clairwood the G3 Strelitzia Stakes was won by talented Australian bred filly Rich Girl (Rock of Gibraltar x Miss Moguls, by Giant’s Causeway).
Trained by Charles Laird for Markus Jooste, Rich Girl had won and finished second at her only two previous starts and bolted away to win by four lengths.
Rich Girl was a modest $11,000 Inglis Premier II Session purchase for Livestock Traders from the draft of Chatswood Stud.
A three-quarter sister-in-blood to stakes-placed Tariks, she is the first winner for Miss Moguls, a half-sister by Giant’s Causeway to stakes-placed Wyndam Easy and Twin Peaks from the family of Magic Millions winner Catnipped.
It’s also the family of Golden Slipper winner Overreach and Blue Diamond winner Reward for Effort.
Rich Girl is the 91st stakes-winner worldwide for Rock of Gibraltar and comes from his last Australian bred crop of foals.
