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Five-year-old hands late sire Cape Cross 119th stakes winner

The William Haggas-trained Nkosikazi (5 m ex Whatami by Daylami) ran out a ready winner of the Hoppings Fillies’ Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f) at Newcastle on Saturday and in the process handed the late Darley stallion Cape Cross (Green Desert) with his 119th stakes winner. 

Having the 16th start of her career, the five-year-old mare responded well to Tom Marquand’s urgings to beat Virgin Snow (Gleneagles) - the second foal out of champion racemare Snow Fairy (Intikhab) - by a decisive two and a half lengths with another length and a half back to Look Around (Kingman) in third. 

The mare is no stranger to the sale ring having been purchased by McKeever Bloodstock for 25,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2016 and she began her career with Brian Meehan. 

The daughter of Cape Cross was then purchased by Avenue Bloodstock for 30,000gns at the 2018 Tattersalls December Mares Sale from the Castlebridge Consignment draft and was sent into training with Haggas. She was once again offered at the 2019 December Mares Sale and she was snapped up by Kern/Lillingston Association for 220,000gns, who kept her in training with the Newmarket-based trainer - for whom she has now won twice. 

Nkosikazi is out of the placed Daylami (Doyoun) mare Whatami, making her a half-sister to Group 2-placed Juan Elcano (Frankel) and one further winner. 

Whatami herself is a half-sister to Italian Group 3 winner Whazzis (Desert Prince), while her Listed-winning sister Whazzat produced Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed sprinter James Garfield (Exceed And Excel). Whatami’s other half-sister - Unaided (Dansili) - is the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Uni (More Than Ready).

Cape Cross’ progeny is headed by 13 top-flight winners and he died in 2017.