Klawervlei Stud’s homebred Cape Guineas winner WILLIAM LONGSWORD (Captain Al) had a fine season in 2022-2023, and the son of Captain Al’s good form has continued into the new season. William Longsword had a double on Friday when his son VALYRIAN SWORD and daughter ELLA’S DELIGHT won the first and eighth races respectively at Fairview.

The Emmanuel Kaknis trained Valyrian Sword defied his starting price when he stormed home to break his maiden with a neck victory in Friday’s Betway Aviator Work Riders Maiden Plate over 1200 metres. Bred by the Collins Stud, Valyrian Sword races for Five Star Racing & Stud CC.

His sire’s second success on Friday came when the William Longsword filly Ella’s Delight won the eighth and final race at Fairview. Making her first start at Fairview, the Kelly Mitchley trained filly powered home, under the red hot Muzi Yeni, to claim the second win of her career by a length and three-quarters. Bred by Klawervlei, like her sire, Ella’s Delight races for Messrs N P Pitsiladi, S C Meadows, T P Zackey, Mr D & Mrs K van der Merwe.

William Longsword also received a boost to his female line at the 2023 Cape Racing And Breeding Awards, held at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth racecourse on Friday evening. His close relative GIMME A PRINCE (Gimmethegreenlight), who is out of William Longsword’s G1 winning half-sister REAL PRINCESS (Trippi), picked up no fewer than four awards at Friday’s ceremony and was voted Champion Sprinter and Champion Older Male by both Cape Racing and the Cape Breeders.

William Longsword also hails from the same female line as FUTURE PEARL (Futura), the Equus Champion Stayer of 2022-2023. Future Pearl was also honoured on Friday, with the gelding named the Cape Breeders’ Stayer Of The Year for the recently concluded season.