CONFORMATION

“I could look at this filly all day long and never get tired of it,” laughed Barry Irwin. “When you first lay our eyes on a really good horse, you can tell right away by the way the walk out of their stall if they have the posture of an athlete.

“This filly puts her feet down squarely, she has a bold look about her and her eyes hold nothing but promise.

“She has great length of rein, is a tight unit and built like a superb athlete. She gave me a great feel. I really, really, really love this filly.”

PEDIGREE

Click here for pedigree of Hip 448 - Penny's Drift

SIRE - Badger's Drift

Badger’s Drift was a top-class 3-year-old, winning the South African Derby, Guineas and Classic among 7 career wins from 6 ½ furlongs to beyond 12 furlongs.

His first crop races this season at 2 in South Africa.

He is a son of Badger Land. Team Valor has bought two other yearlings in this consignment out of mares by Badger Land. Badger Land, apparently, is the Team Valor sire of the moment.

Badger’s Drift is out of a mare by Thatching, a brilliant sprinter and excellent source of speed in Britain, Europe and the United States.

FAMILY

Penny’s Drift was produced by Catchpenny, a stakes winner from 7 to 9 furlongs. This hard-hitting dual stakes winner won 6 races and placed 10 times.

Catchpenny is the dam of 3 winners including Catchchelli, best in 6 races and runner-up in the Grade 3 Magnolia Handicap.

The family traces to the famed matron Majorca, the fourth dam, for whom a Grade 1 race is named for fillies and mares going a mile at Kenilworth in February.

Majorca won the Paddock Stakes, a Grade 1 event at Kenilworth that is considered the top credential on the South African racing calendar for future broodmare success. Majorca was second in the South African Derby.

BROODMARE SIRE - Freedom Land

Freedom Land is a son of Danzig that has 7 of 8 ancestors in common with perrenially leading Two-Year-Old sire National Assembly, in the initial removes of his pedigree.

He is the sire of Polo Classic, which won the 2002 renewal of the Grade 1 J & B Met, which along with the Durban July is considered be the premier race in all of South Africa.

NOTES

The photo was taken when the sun went down, so it does not show off the filly’s physique to its best advantage. We will try to get new shots soon. She is a spectacular looker.

TRAINER

Basil Marcus is the trainer.

The brother of current leading rider Anton Marcus, who ride Team Valor’s Sally Bowles to victory in the recent KZN Fillies Guineas in Durban, Basil was a Champion rider in South Africa before going on to an even more prominent career in Hong Kong, where he remains a legend in the sport.

Marcus took up training just recently and this season he has been represented by his own yearling selection Jay Peg, best at 3 in the Derby and Guineas during the Cape Town season at Kenilworth.

Click here the view a story on trainer Basil Marcus.