It was also a good day for Maine Chance Farms as the sires of these two winners, Black Minnaloushe and Lateral, both stand at that stud farm.

However, the result of the Investec Gr 2 Dingaans over 1600m, won easily by Unparalleled, might have cast further doubt on the strength of this year’s three-year-old male crop, at least on paper.

The reason is their form against older horses.

In Cape Town the Gr 1-winning Afrikaburn finished a flying two length second in his reappearance in the Gr 3 Matchem Stakes over 1400m on weight for age (wfa) terms, but was beaten 6,35 lengths into seventh in the wfa Gr 2 Green Point Stakes over 1600m. Another highly regarded three-year-old, Light The Lights, finished 6,55 lengths back in eighth in the Green Point.

Dingaans winner Unparalleled only won his maiden in his fifth start over 1450m and after finishing a narrow second in a three-year-old handicap over 1450m in his first run out of the maidens, he then ran second again against older horses in a MR 72 Handicap over 1400m, despite running off only an 83 merit rating. However, he was admittedly a touch unlucky in the latter event.

Furthermore, Dingaans third-placed French Navy, beaten 5,5 lengths on Saturday, was beaten in a MR 76 Handicap over 1400m in his penultimate start, despite running off a merit rating of only 79.

However, history has shown that it is nothing unusual for young three-year-olds to battle in handicaps and that the visual impression they create is probably more important than their early season form against older horses.

Furthermore, the Sean Tarry-trained three-year-old Trippi colt Trip To Heaven beat older horses comfortably in the Gr 2 Merchants on Saturday, a handicap over 1160m, despite running off a 101 merit rating and being 1,5kg under sufferance.

Harry’s Son, the Equus Champion Two-year-old of last season, started favourite in the Dingaans and was as visually impressive going down to post as usual, while French Navy is also an eyecatching sort and was only having his fourth start.

Unparelleled put up a fine performance, considering he quickened from a handy position off a strong pace and galloped all the way to the line. Van Vuuren confirmed that this horse is improving all the time. The Dingaans time was just over a second slower than the Gr 2 Ipi Tombe Stakes, which was won by the four-year-old filly Arcetri Pink who carried only 1,5kg more than Unparalleled, So that shouldn’t detract from the Dingaans form, especially considering the latter race’s time was comfortably quicker than the other two 1600m events on the card.

Some pundits felt that Piere Strydom had Harry’s Son too far back in the running. However, his ride can hardly be faulted as he rousted him in the early stages and then took a bump that knocked him sideways before he slotted him into a midfield position that looked perfect considering the strong pace. Harry’s Son looked to be cruising at the 300m mark, but unlike his previous start over 1400m in the Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes when doing his best work late, he could only plug on gamely from then on and was beaten 4,25 lengths into second. It is too early to tell whether he would prefer an easier mile as he is bred to stay further and this was also the second time within a month that he had travelled from Durban to Johannesburg.

Unparelleled is by the champion freshman sire of last season, Lateral, who was a Gr 1 winning miler in Italy. Lateral is proving versatile and having produced the winner of the Gr 1 Golden Slipper over 1400m last season in Bilateral, he recently produced a Gr 2 jumps winner over 3500m in Europe.

Unparalleled has a strong female line. He is out of Sublime Surge, an unraced half-sister by Elliodor to the dual Gr 1-winning miler Crimson Waves. He is a half-brother to the three-times Gr 1 runner up Straight Set. He was signed for at the sale by V. Veeramootoo for what now looks a bargain R150,000. Veeramootoo owns him in partnership with Andre Fouche, M Gullan and BJD Pepper. The last mentioned is the father of the well known racing presenter Gareth.

Saturday’s Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup winner, the Black Minnaloushe colt Louis The King, was regarded by Kahan as his best male on the 2012 Suncoast Yearling Sale, despite being the resulting foal of a maiden Rich Man’s Gold mare that he had bought in foal for a mere R20,000. However, the colt drew little interest in the ring and was bought back for R55,000 before Kahan famously sold him to Woodruff in a deal that was done in the sales car park. Woodruff’s client Tiaan van der Vyfer then bought him and named him after his son Louis. He gave Louis the horse as a gift and Louis The King was the first ever racehorse the latter owned.

After Saturday’s success Louis The King’s stake earnings soared to R4,802,500, and that excludes the R2 million bonus he landed when becoming the first horse this century to win the SASCOC Triple Crown.

Black Minnaloushe was a twice Gr 1-winning miler, while Louis The King’s second dam was the Gr 3-winning sprinter Milden Hall. Therefore, Louis The King likely gets his stamina from Rich Man’s Gold, who is a son of Forty Niner, a multiple Gr 1 winner up to 2000m.

Picture: JC Photos