The three South Africans to run to date have hit the high notes on American tracks to date reaffirming the belief that South African horses can run - a lost thought with the current generation such has been the length of South Africans competing on American tracks.

The most recent case on Sunday of Feather Boa (pictured) eating up the turf, under America's best jockey Irad Ortiz Jr, over a distance short of her best, was lovely to watch. Another 100m and she is a winner easing up. It particularly impressed Irad Ortiz claiming that she is a filly for bigger races and trainer Todd Pletcher who called her a "powerhouse of a filly". Interestingly Pletcher trained her sire, the 2005 G1 Travers and G2 Jim Dandy winner, Flower Alley, so it's a full circle moment in which he now trains a South African bred daughter of his star colt.

She ran a half length and a neck from the winner after trailing early and running on well.

Isivunguvungu won his race a few weeks back and it was particularly pleasing for Peter Muscutt who trained him previously. Muscutt said that he has been trained to run from any position whereas when he started he was running his races 'upside down', as he put it. He was running too fast too early and the team got him to settle in races. With ace jockey Richard Fourie working with the horse to do this in races, it reaped rewards for him in the G1 Mercury Sprint of last year. The form has worked out exceedingly well too, with both Thunderstruck and Surjay winning Grade 1 races post running 3rd and 2nd respectively in that race.

With Isivunguvungu winning at Colonial Downs for Graham Motion, his target is to get a run in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint over 1000m at Del Mar. If that materializes, then the expected showdown with star sprinter and Saratoga 1100m course record holder, Cogburn, is on.

The first runner from that US shipment was Beach Bomb who ran an excellent 2nd in her race, running on well, beaten by a fitter filly on the day in stakes company. Much is expected of her too as she heads for the Breeders' Cup.

It comes as a slight surprise that the three to date have overcome fitness and travel. It is also encouraging for the rest of 8 remaining off that shipment. Some are near ready to take their places in races soon and others not so. It's a great start though!