Klawervlei Stud’s very much inform sire, and four time G1 winner, TWICE OVER (Observatory) enjoyed yet more feature race success this season when his classy son TAIKONAUT ran out a courageous winner of the G3 Lebelo Sprint (1000m), run at Turffontein on Saturday afternoon.

Winner of the World Sports Betting Sophomore 1000 last time out, Taikonaut was duly dispatched a well backed favourite for Saturday’s Lebelo Sprint.

Under a strong ride from Muzi Yeni, the three-year-old son of Twice Over dug down deep to hold off a strong challenge from the talented, and year-older, SUPREME WARRIOR (Vercingetorix), and claim the 2022 Lebelo Sprint by a short-head.

Trained by Roy Magner (who also handles Twice Over’s Listed Topbet Spring Spree Stakes winning son TEAM GOLD), the Cheveley Stud bred colt is owned by Robert Chung.

Out of the CAPTAIN AL mare EARTH’S ORBIT, the progressive Taikonaut (a potential contender for the G1 Golden Horse Sprint) has now won four of just ten starts and he looks to be another fine flagbearer for his sire Twice Over.

The latter has some very promising three-year-olds to his name this season, with Taikonaut joining the likes of Listed Model Man Mile hero SEE IT AGAIN, the smart CHAMPION WARRIOR and smart recent winner GRINKOV as classy sophomores representing Twice Over in 2022-2023