Drakenstein's Trippi Tops The Tree!
When Charles Dickens romped home to win Saturday’s L’Ormarins Gr1 King’s Plate, he continued the tremendous run of form enjoyed by his sire Trippi.
The latter, South Africa’s Champion Sire of 2015-2016, had enjoyed a tremendous year in 2023, with his sons Charles Dickens, Jet Dark, Trip Of Fortune and Winchester Mansion claiming the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, Gr1 WSB Cape Town Met, Gr1 H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes and Hollywoodbets Gr1 Durban July, respectively.
The brilliant Charles Dickens has now won three Grade One races, with his past triumphs also including a jaw-dropping win in the 2022 Gr1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas.
Incidentally, Charles Dickens hails from the same family as last year’s Gr1 American Pharoah Stakes winner Muth (Good Magic), brilliant winner of the Gr2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday. His Majesty mare Beautiful Bedouin ranks as the fourth dam of both Charles Dickens and Muth.
Trippi’s sons have also enjoyed great success in the L’Ormarins King’s/Queen’s Plate in the past few years, with Jet Dark winning the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate in both 2001 and 2022, and Charles Dickens and Jet Dark finishing second and third respectively in the 2023 Gr1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate.
Trippi’s success on Saturday was not limited to Charles Dickens.
His speedy daughter October Morn enjoyed a change of fortune when she claimed the Cartier Gr2 Sceptre Stakes.
In landing the 1200m feature, the three-year-old joined Live Life as a second Sceptre Stakes winner sired by Trippi.
One of more than 90 stakes winners sired by the son of End Sweep, October Morn had stamped herself a horse to follow when landing last season’s Listed Perfect Promise Sprint by six lengths. She hails from the same crop as this season’s Gr2 Cape Punters Cup winner Hluhluwe, one of two Trippi sons to contest the 2024 L’Ormarins King’s Plate.
Also sire of Saturday’s Anthonij Rupert Wine Gr2 Premier Trophy third place finisher Pacaya, Trippi also struck as a broodmare sire at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
Trippi is broodmare sire of Dance Variety, winner of the eighth race run at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, and his daughter Carousel Swing is the dam of Future Swing, who claimed Saturday’s G3 Glorious Goodwood Chairman’s Cup.
Winner of the 2023 Jonsson Workwear Algoa Cup, Future Swing is a son of Futura, with the former Horse Of The Year having enjoyed plenty of success with daughters of Trippi.
The Futura/Trippi cross has also produced graded stakes winners Pink Tourmaline and Vihaan’s Pie, as well as the stakes winners Future Girl, Dawnofanewday, and Sweet Future, while Futura’s own sire Dynasty is broodmare sire of the aforementioned Charles Dickens!
