Article courtesy of EBN: Varsfontein stallion Judpot was in hot form on the Vaal sand Feature day on 26 September, delivering a Stakes race double courtesy of his four-year-old son Deputy Jud and the progressive sprint filly Little Genie. Adriaan and Rika van Vuuren’s Deputy Jud, a couple of pounds lighter following a gelding operation, opened his Stakes account with a stylish victory in the Gr.2 Supreme Cup (1450m) on the Vaal all-weather.
Link to video about SAP GR 2 Supreme Cup
The Mike Azzie-trained gelding flashed an electrifying turn of foot to take the lead at the quarter pole and strode home unchallenged to score with authority from last year’s runner-up Uncle Tommy (Kahal). It was an overdue Stakes success for the chesnut, who proved himself one of last season’s more prominent sophomores when finishing runner-up in the Gr.1 SA Derby and third to Champion French Navy in the Gr.1 SA Classic. Now a three-time winner, the rich winning stake almost doubled his Stakes earnings to R1,383,375. He is the second Stakes winner out of New Zealand-bred Star
Deputy (Deputy Governor), who won the Listed Queen Palm Stakes and was saved for stud after fracturing a leg in training. Fortuitously so, as the mare has a 100% success rate at stud, with five winners from as many runners, the most notable being Gr.1 Golden Horseshoe hero War Horse (Victory Moon). The mare has a yearling colt by Var. Star Deputy is a half-sister to yet another well-performed New Zealand import, Brutal Force, winner of the Gr.2 Skeaping Trophy and third in the Gr.2 Gold Circle Derby. This is the prominent New Zealand family of outstanding three-year-old Sovereign Red, Gr.1 Melbourne Cup winner Gurner’s Lane and New Zealand Champion Xcellent. Deputy Jud was born and raised on Varsfontein Stud.
Little Genie capped her sire’s double with a smooth victory in the Listed Banyana Handicap over the minimum trip. Making her debut on the all-weather surface, the four-year-old quickened up smartly before asserting powerfully in the closing stages to repel a sustained challenge from Brightnumberfour (Kahal) by a length. This black-type victory capped a four-win streak for the Dominic Zaki-trained filly, who had ripped through her previous three starts, all on turf, by a combined margin of more than 15 lengths. Bred by Nikki Bartlett of Danika Stud, she is out of Listed Breeders Guineas victress Cast A Spell (Rambo Dancer), from an American family which has produced some very fine fillies, notably Flying Snowdrop (Gr.1 Fillies Guineas and grandam of Gr.1 winner Sparkling Gem), as well as American Champion Filly Davona Dale.
