Tapit Grandson of Ipi Tombe Breaks Maiden in So. Africa

Wheel of Time (SAf) (Tapit), whose dam Pin Turn (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) is a daughter of South African, Zimbabwean and UAE champion Ipi Tombe (Zim) (Manshood {GB}), showed sharp acceleration over the final 2 1/2 furlongs and held sway late for a cosy half-length graduation in Saturday's opening race at Turffontein.

A drifter in the markets from an opening price of 3-2 out to twice that at the off, the Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa colourbearer was in the latter half of the field at the 600m before being switched to the inner by Anthony Delpech soon after. He hit the front going well with a quarter-mile to travel and never looked like losing from there as favored Battle Front (SAf) (Judpot) closed well to make the final margin close.

Wheel of Time, the seventh South African winner for his wildly successful US-based stallion, was bred by Mrs Gaynor Rupert's Drakenstein Stud, who acquired Pin Turn for US$65,000 in foal to Canadian sire Old Forester at the 2012 Keeneland November sale. The mare remained stateside and was covered by Tapit on Southern Hemisphere time, producing Wheel of Time on Sept. 3, 2014. Drakenstein consigned the chestnut to last year's Bloodstock South Africa National Yearling Sale, where he fetched a final bid of R1-million from Jehan Malherbe's Form Bloodstock.

Ipi Tombe was trained by Mike de Kock to victories in the prestigious G1 Durban July H. in 2002 and the G1 Dubai Duty Free S. in 2003 when raced by Barry Irwin's Team Valor, WinStar Farm and Sunmark Partners. Sent to the US, she added a victory in the GIII Locust Grove H. and retired with 12 wins from 14 starts.