Pathfork Is Second On The National Sires Log

Pathfork’s elevation to second in the national sires championship can not be dismissed with the proverbial “One swallow doesn’t make a summer” adage, because to put it plainly he already has three swallows.

He is also second in the number of individual stakes winners produced this season and all of Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup winner Royal Victory, Gr 2 Betway Jo’Burg Spring Challenge and Gr 3 Betway Graham Beck Stakes winner Main Defender and also the Listed-winning Gqeberha filly And We Danced have contribued to his lofty log position.

Only Querari has had more stakes winner with four, although together those four have won four stakes races, which is the same number of stakes wins Pathfork’s progeny have.

Querari’s four individual stakes winners are Questioning (Gr 3 Cape Classic), Baltic Secret (Listed), Zoomie (Listed) and Quantum Theory (Listed).

Gimmethegreenlight leads the national sires championship with earnings of R5,840,063, although he has only had one stakes winner so far this season.

Pathfork is second on R5,672,263, despite only having had 52 runners.

His season so far might see his popularity being revived.

Main Defender is one of only 12 Pathfork runners from his 2020 crop.

Potala Palace is an example of a sire whose fortunes were revived and he might have another boost this weekend through lively Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guiness runner Red Palace.

Image: Candiese Lenferna, Copy: Turf Talk