Klawervlei Stud’s homebred G1 Cape Guineas winner WILLIAM LONGSWORD (Captain Al) has had a great season thus far, and his good season has continued this week.

William Longsword has had a winner at each of the three last racemeetings, with his son COMMANDING providing jockey Richard Fourie with his 300th win of the 2023-2024 season at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday. Promising two-year-old Commanding, who had contested the R1 000 000 G3 City Of Cape Town Cape Of Good Hope Nursery last time out, got off the mark in fine style on Sunday.

The Glen Kotzen trained colt romped home to break his maiden decisively by three lengths, as he put daylight between himself and his rivals. Bred by Maine Chance Farms (Pty) Ltd, Commanding races for Messrs R P Macnab, S H G Pretorius, A Robertson, L Robertson & J M Singh.

His sire William Longsword struck again at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Tuesday when his daughter DOUBLE DREAM won at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.  The mare, trained like both William Longsword and Captain Al by Vaughan Marshall, stormed home from off the pace and got up to land the Perfectly Placed Class 5 (F&M) (1200m). Bred by Klawervlei Stud, the Vaughan Marshall owned Double Dream was winning for a third time when victorious on Tuesday.

William Longsword’s winning streak continued at Hollywoodbets Greyville the following day when his son IMAGINABLE won the seventh race on the card. The four-year-old, one of five winners on the card for his trainer Alyson Wright, hit the front 150m from home and stayed on gamely to win by just under half a length. Bred by Varsfontein Stud, Imaginable was one of three winners for his owner Rikesh Sewgoolam at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wednesday.

Not only has William Longsword been enjoying a great season, so too has his family. William Longsword’s G1 South African Fillies Sprint winning half-sister REAL PRINCESS (Trippi) is the dam of the hugely exciting filly GIMME’S COUNTESS (Gimmethegreenlight), who recently  romped home to a more than four length win on debut. A full-sister to dual G1 winner GIMME A PRINCE, Gimme’s Countess has been entered in the G1 Allan Robertson Championship.

The sire of this season’s star sprinters DYCE and RULERSHIP, as well as high-class three-year-olds WILLIAM IRON ARM (a runner in Saturday’s G1 Daily News 2000) and SABRE STRIKE, William Longsword has five lots on offer at the upcoming Cape Racing Winter Yearling Sale, and a single lot on offer at the 2024 KZN Yearling Sale.

Klawervlei Stud’s G1 Cape Guineas winning sire WILLIAM LONGSWORD had a great day at Turffontein on Sunday, with his progeny winning two races and son SABRE STRIKE landing Sunday’s Listed Secretariat Stakes over 1450 metres.

The highly promising Sabre Strike made it two wins from just three starts when he won Sunday’s Listed contest, the first leg of the inaugral Highveld Winter Series.

Trained, like his top-class paternal half-brother Dyce by Lucky Houdalakis, Sabre Strike hit the front 200m from home and kept finding, under Raymond Danielson, to win by just over half a length. The classy Sabre Strike was bred by his owner Peter van Schoor.

William Longsword is also the sire of classy three-year-old filly JUST BE LEKKER, who showed her class when victorious in Sunday’s eighth race. With 150m to go, the S’Manga Khumalo ridden Just Be Lekker powered into the lead and went on to score by more than two lengths.

Trained by Candice Dawson, the Ralphs Syndicate bred Just Be Lekker did well to overcome a poor draw and she won’t stop here.

Owned by Ralphs Racing, Just Be Lekker had shown smart form earlier when runner up in the Cape Racing Sales The Ready To Run Stakes and was not beaten far in the R7 500 000 Cape Racing Gold Rush. The classy daughter of William Longsword has now earned well over R860 000 in stakes.

One of legendary sire Captain Al’s best sons, William Longsword is having a wonderful season in 2023-2024 with his flagbearers also including G1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship winner DYCE and G3 Betway Lebelo Sprint hero RULERSHIP.

The half-brother to G1 winner REAL PRINCESS (Trippi) has five lots on offer at the upcoming Cape Racing Winter Yearling Sale.

Klawervlei Stud’s four time G1 winning sire TWICE OVER (Observatory) had a fine run over the weekend with the champion supplying four winners.

Twice Over is also the sire of BALLROOM BLISS, who ran third in Saturday’s Listed KRA East Coast Cup. Twice Over’s winning streak this weekend commenced at Fairview on Friday when his sons SWISS WALT and PAINITE won the first and eighth races respectively.

Third and second in his two starts prior to Friday, the Zietsman Oosthuizen trained Swiss Waltz got off the mark when he won Friday’s Welcome To Nelson Mandela Bay Work Riders Maiden Plate (1000m) by three lengths. Bred by Mayesh Chetty, Swiss Waltz races for Messrs P J van Staden & G J Geyer.

His sire’s second success on Friday came when gelded four-year-old Painite captured the Racing240 For Racing. For You MR 90 Handicap over 2000m. The Sharon Kotzen trained Painite has now won or been placed in each of his last five starts. Bred by Stefan Mynhardt, Painite races for Faan Mynhardt.

Twice Over also had a double at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday where his sons TAMBOURINE MAN and OLIVER won races one and nine respectively. Both Tambourine Man and Oliver are trained by Adam Marcus and both horses were bred by Klawervlei Stud.

The consistent Tambourine Man got off the mark when he ran out a clear cut, one and a quarter length winner of Saturday’s Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Welcomes You Open Maiden Plate.

Ridden to victory by Gareth Wright, the gelding, who is from the same family as Twice Over himself, races for Messrs Gujadhur, Adam Marcus and Wendy Probert.

His paternal half-brother OLIVER followed up three consecutive runner up finishers when he won Saturday’s #destinationcaperacing Class 4 (1200m) in fine style. Under Aldo Domeyer, the four-year-old hit the front 200m from home and stormed home to win convincingly by two and a half lengths. Owned by Bernard Kantor, Oliver was described by his trainer as a horse with lots of ability.

A proven sire of top-class performers, Twice Over’s best offspring include dual G1 Vodacom Durban July winner DO IT AGAIN, the latter’s dual G1 winning three-parts brother SEE IT AGAIN and 2024 G1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met winner DOUBLE SUPERLATIVE.

At the time of writing, Twice Over has been responsible for more stakes winners in South Africa this season than the likes of WHAT A WINTER (Western Winter), PATHFORK (Distorted Humor), and SILVANO (Lomitas).

Twice Over also hails from an excellent female line. Not only is Twice Over’s close relative TIME TEST (Dubawi) sire of recent G3 Gordon Richards Stakes winner OKEECHOBEE, but another close relative of Twice Over, TIME LOCK (Frankel) finished a close up second in the G2 William Hill Jockey Club Stakes and holds an entry in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes.

Klawervlei Stud’s well performed resident sire ROYAL MO (Uncle Mo) may not have many runners to his name but he is the sire of a top-class performer in the form of ROYAL AUSSIE.

The latter made it back to back feature race wins when he won Wednesday’s G2 The Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes (1400m) at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Winner of the Listed Pongracz Jet Master Stakes back in February, the top-class four-year-old showed his class with a courageous victory over a top-class field on Wednesday.

Under a great ride from Richard Fourie, the Justin Snaith trained Royal Aussie flew home down the inside of the track to hold off Equus Champion COUSIN CASEY (Vercingetorix) and win by a neck.

Further back in running, came such graded stakes winners as GLADATORIAN (Vercingetorix), AL MUTHANA (Deep Field), HUMDINGER (What A Winter) and WATERBERRY LANE (Soft Falling Rain). Bred by Klawervlei Stud, Royal Aussie is likely to run next in the G1 Gold Challenge.

Royal Aussie, who races for Dane Squance, Suzette Viljoen and Dr Warner, has now won six of 18 starts with Wednesday’s graded win pushing his earnings to over R6.126 million.

His G3 Robert B Lewis Stakes winning sire Royal Mo is one of more than 100 stakes winners for outstanding US sire UNCLE MO (Indian Charlie), broodmare sire of Friday’s G1 Longines Kentucky Oaks winner THORPEDO ANNA (Fast Anna).

Royal Mo has seven lots on offer at the upcoming Cape Racing Winter Yearling Sale including a colt (Lot 45) from the family of world-class sprinter SHEA SHEA (National Emblem).

Klawervlei Stud’s multiple G1 winning stallion CAPTAIN OF ALL (Captain Al) looks to have a smart sort to his name in the form of THE SHEPHERD.

The latter made it three wins from his last four starts when winning at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.

Under Richard Fourie, the Peter Muscutt trained three-year-old stormed home to land Sunday’s Beach Beauty MR 94 Handicap (1400m) a shade cosily by just over a length and a quarter.

Bred by Klawervlei, The Shepherd races for the Hollywood Syndicate.

Lightly raced, The Shepherd looks to have the scope to build on his latest win.

His sire Captain Of All, himself a dual Grade One winner at Scottsville, has another smart three-year-old to his name this season in the form of MEU CAPITANO. A smart winner on debut, Meu Capitano has won his last two starts and he looks capable of going on to bigger and better things.

South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire of 2018-2019, Captain Of All has six lots on offer at the upcoming Cape Racing Winter Yearling Sale, including a filly (Lot 99) very closely related to the Captain Al sired champion CELTIC SEA.

Klawervlei Stud’s inform stallion WILLIAM LONGSWORD (Captain Al)’s great run of success this season continued when the former Cape Guineas supplied a trio of winners over the weekend.

William Longsword’s first success this weekend came when his Tara Laing trained daughter KILMONIVAIG won at Fairview on Friday for owners Tara Laing and Ewan Garratt.

Bred by Klawervlei Stud, Kilmonivaig has now won twice.

The Klawervlei resident went close to having a double at Turffontein on Saturday when William Longsword filly ICE STAR won over 1000 metres and William Longsword gelding BRAVE VIKING finished a close second over 1450 metres.

Classy three-year-old Ice Star downed some smart fillies when she won Saturday’s Take A Bet Wina Numba Numba FM 92 Handicap for Fabian Habib and Gavin Lerena.

Runner up to the top-class TIME FO ORCHIDS (Time Thief) last time out, Ice Star made all in Saturday’s race to win a good race by nearly a length and three quarters.

Bred by Lammerskraal Stud, the strapping Ice Star, third in the 2023 G3 Joburg Tourism Carry On Alice Stakes, races for Tri-Deal Sixteen CC (Nom: Mr Z L Nassif), Messrs M G Bothma, Andre Fouche, G, K & M M Nassif, G J Nassif and J Nassif.

William Longsword’s final success this weekend came when his daughter EMMA OF NORMANDY won at Borrowdale on Sunday. Bred by Summerview Stud, the three-year-old claimed Sunday’s The Buy A Racehorse Maiden Plate by half a length.

Owned by Messrs M B Mallett, K Smith, P D Parham and Mrs A L Parham, Emma Of Normandy had finished either second or third in each of her three starts prior to Sunday’s win.

William Longsword, whose flagbearers this season include all of DYCE (G1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship, G3 New Turf Carriers Merchants), RULERSHIP (G3 Betway Lebelo Sprint, third G1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint) and WILLIAM IRON ARM (3rd G1 TAB SA Classic), is currently sixth on the South African General Sires premiership with his offspring having already earned more than R9.65 million this season.

The half-brother to G1 winner REAL PRINCESS (Trippi) has six lots on offer at the 2024 Cape Racing Winter Yearling Sale.