Amazing mare has four millionaire offspring

Diminutive as she was, Sweet Virginia proved to be a giant on the racetrack, and is still the only filly to have pulled off the Winter Classic and Derby double against colts in the Cape winter series.

She added the Final Fling Stakes soon afterwards to complete a hat trick of Grade 3 victories in less than three months during the winter of 2005.

However all of that is dwarfed by her achievements as a broodmare.

As most know she is the dam of Vodacom July hero Do It Again, who has currently won four of his eight starts, for earnings of just over R3.3 million, with plenty more to come.

Less well known locally are the exploits of her progeny in Hong Kong and Singapore.

The now seven-year-old gelding Strongman won three races locally for Glen Puller including the listed Sophomore Sprint before going to Tony Millard in Hong Kong and being renamed Horse Of Fortune.

He has certainly lived up to that tag, amassing over R20 million in stakes, while winning a further six races over there, including a couple of Grade 3s. And the fact he was recently runner up in the prestigious Grade 1 Kranji Mile when taken to Singapore, shows there is life in him yet.

Next was Mighty Emperor. He was imported unraced to Singapore, where he is trained by Ricardo le Grange. While not in the same class as his year older brother, he still won seven minor races, totting up over R3 million in the process.

The one to go most recently was Vilakazi. He won twice and was third to Marinaresco in the Winter Guineas two years ago while with Brett Crawford.

Sent to David Ferraris in Hong Kong and given the eccentric name Sleep Education, he has managed four places in 12 starts, but hasn’t managed a victory as yet.

Despite this he has earned just over R1 million in stakes, which means amazingly four of her six foals to have raced have broken the seven figure barrier.

As for Sweet Virginia herself, she was sold at auction to Robin Bruss after retiring, and two years ago changed hands again when Peter Graaff’s Lammerskraal Stud purchased her.

Stud manager Sally Bruss says: “She has a weanling filly by Visionaire, and is currently in foal to Twice Over, meaning a full brother or sister to Do It Again. Later this year she will be visiting William Longsword. She is a remarkably tough little mare, and there is lots to look forward to.”

Her ex-trainer Riaan Van Reenen also has fond memories of his star.

“She only weighed 380kg when she raced. She was medium sized but narrow. But she gave a huge kick from behind, and was very good on soft going. I could use another one like her, as my string is a mere twelve at the moment,” quipped the affable Philippi based conditioner.

Named after a country-tinged track on the Rolling Stones’ great 1972 album ‘Exile On Main Street’, Sweet Virginia has proven something of a timeless classic herself

Considering the season her progeny have had both here and in the east, Sweet Virginia has to be a front runner for the broodmare of the year Equus award, which would be richly deserved.