Spring Valley Stud’s beautifully bred and well performed young stallion Just As Well was represented by his first winner at the Vaal on Thursday.
His two-year-old son Just Africa, who hails from his sire’s first crop of runners, strolled home at just the second time of asking when scoring an easy four length win at the Vaal on Thursday.
A good second on debut, Just Africa simply outclassed his field on Thursday to win a maiden juvenile plate in the style of a well above average colt and he looks a nice type in the making.
Bred by Bruce Le Roux, Just Africa (who is owned by Messrs da Costa, T Zackey and the Hyperpaint Syndicate), was a bargain R35 000 buy from last year’s Suncoast KZN Yearling Sale.
His sire Just As Well was a top class racehorse, whose victories included the G1 Northern Dancer Stakes and the G3 Arlington Handicap. Placed in a further three G1 races (including the Arlington Million), Just As Well raced sound from three to seven and earned over $850 000. He shares his champion sire A P Indy with such outstanding stallions as Bernardini, Malibu Moon, and Pulpit, as well as highly successful South African sire Judpot.
Just As Well comes from a very strong female line as well. He is out of former G1 Del Mar Oaks winner No Matter What, and is a half brother to, amongst others, former Champion 2YO Filly Rainbow View. This is the family of leading sires E Dubai and Raven’s Pass.
This magnificently bred young sire has seven well bred lots on offer at this year’s National Yearling Sale:
Lot 23 is a filly out of a winning daughter of Jet Master and the classic placed mare Asmara, and this well related filly hails from the wonderfully successful Sun Lass family.
Lot 156 is a brother to five winners and out of a full sister to a stakes performer. His second dam was a high class stakes winning half sister to none other than former champion Lady Windermere and this is also the family of former July winner Classic Flag.
Lot 225 is a granddaughter of former star filly Melting, who is also the second dam of G1 winning 2yo Zeeno and the ten time stakes winner Pisces Star. Also the family of G1 Majorca Stakes winner Gluwein.
Lot 288 is a colt from one of the finest families in the world. This blue blooded colt’s relatives include a pair of Epsom Derby winners and outstanding sires in Galileo and Sea The Stars, as well as the likes of Urban Sea, King’s Best and Anabaa Blue.
Lot 329 is a half brother to the useful Leven Point. His G3 dam is a half sister to former champion and G1 Cape Guineas winner Pointing North, and this is the high class family responsible for millionaire Blue Tiger and record breaking Queen’s Plate winner Wainui.
Lot 330 is a colt out of a Fort Wood half sister to former G1 Champions Cup hero Master Plan and fellow feature race winner Great Rumpus. The family of champions Along Came Polly and Young Rake to name but two.
Lot 367 is a half sister to four winners and she is out of a full sister to 12 time winner and G2 placed Escobar. Her dam is also a half sister to top class graded winners Cartel and Viva, with the latter subsequently producing the brilliant, and now exported, filly Cold As Ice.