Golden Group 1 Victory in South Africa

Kiwi bred colt Gold Onyx notched up a scintillating win on Saturday when he took out the Group 1 Premier's Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville, South Africa.

Despite a bad draw, the two-year-old son of Black Minnaloushe came from last to mow down the field and score by three quarters of a length going away. Although Gold Onyx started with odds of 33/1 they were not a true indication of his chances as he had signaled his potential with an impressive win on debut when he claimed the Group 3 Protea Stakes (1100m) in March.

The win for Gold Onyx made it a Group 1 double at Greyville for his South African trainer Sean Tarry after he had success earlier in the day with Happy Archer (Dubawi x So Tempted) in the Group 1 Durban Thekwini Stakes.

Owned by Mr C J H van Niekerk, Gold Onyx was bred by Windsor Park Stud and P A Newman and purchased by New Zealand Bloodstock as agent for $80,000 at the2009 Karaka Premier Yearling Sale from Windsor Park Stud.

One of 17 stakes winners for Black Minnaloushe and is his fourth Group 1 winner, Gold Onyx is from the stakes-winning Kaapstad mare Egoli Lass. The dam of four winners Egoli Lass's impressive pedigree page includes Victorian Derby winner Amalfi and Group 2 winners Vigor and Joey Massino.

Egoli Lass had a yearling filly by Volksraad fetch $230,000 at the 2010 Karaka Premier Yearling Sale to the bid of Michael Wallace Bloodstock. Another exciting prospect from this stellar dam is a yearling colt, by leading sire and six-time Group 1 winning High Chaparral, who is nominated for the 2011 Karaka National Yearling Sales Series.

The 2011 National Yearling Sales Series commences 31 January at Karaka.