Proud mom churns out winners

Mike Moon

Was it Hawwaam’s ridiculously easy win in his last race in SA? Summer Pudding’s eye-popping performance in the Woolavington? Or Rainbow Bridge or Got The Greenlight in their flawless Durban July prep-run victories?

There were so many stunning performances at the “super” weekend of 20 graded races that it’s hard to pick a standout. But perhaps the true star was a horse that wasn’t even at the races.

Halfway To Heaven was happily munching grass in a paddock in Piketberg on the West Coast as her legend was being burnished thousands of kilometres away in Joburg and Durban.

The mare was already the most celebrated mother in the country, with her first three foals – Rainbow Bridge, Hawwaam and Golden Ducat – all having won Grade 1 races. At the weekend she almost made it another “slam” of Grade 1s – within just two days.

Rainbow Bridge and Hawwaam delivered in the Gold Challenge and Champions Challenge respectively, but Golden Ducat just failed in the Daily News 2000 – nonetheless managing a third.

Halfway To Heaven was named Broodmare of the Year in 2019 and will surely this year attain “blue hen” status – a rare honour reserved for the world’s most exceptional equine mothers.

She was bred by Gavin Walker at his Bush Hill Stud in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, from his mare Pas De Basque and the champion sire Jet Master. Her granddam was Our Elegant Girl, who Walker bought after seeing her toss off a jockey at Scottsville and trot back to check on him and allow him to remount.

Her daughter by Rambo Dancer, Pas De Basque, won eight races before her visit to Jet Master. The progeny, Halfway To Heaven, was weaned at another of Walker’s farms in the Western Cape, where she ran into a pole and nearly killed herself.

Soon after, Halfway To Heaven narrowly escaped drowning when the nearby 24 Rivers system flooded the farm. Moved to The Alchemy stud, she fractured her off-hind and had to be box-rested for six months. The next escapade was breaking free and galloping through a vineyard, where wire supports ripped up her flesh.

Eventually, at four years, trainer Eric Sands got her onto a racecourse, where she blossomed, winning a clutch of races, including the Grade 3 Prix Du Cap.

Racing doyenne Mary Slack spotted Halfway To Heaven’s paddock potential, bought her from Walker and won the Off To Stud Stakes before sending her to stud at Wilgerbosdrift on the West Coast.

Halfway To Heaven became just the eighth South African broodmare to produce three different Grade 1 winners, joining the likes of Maritime and Julie Andrews.