Wylie Hall Sweeps Home in Champions Challenge

Outstanding galloper Wylie Hall captured his second elite Group One race in South Africa overnight when he cruised to victory in the R2 million Group One President’s Champions Challenge (2000m) at Turffontein.

After sitting midfield for much of the race, the Weiho Marwing trained Wylie Hall came with a strong run on the outside of the field under Bernard Fayd’Herbe to hit the front and clear away for a strong victory.

Wylie Hall led home a one-two finish for Australian bred products by champion sire Redoute’s Choice with the favourite Majmu the best of the beaten brigade in second place, no match for the winner, a length and a quarter in arrears despite being in receipt of a four and a half kilo allowance in the weight-for-age contest. No Worries was third, a further length back.

A winner of the Group Two Colorado King Stakes at his lead up run, Wylie Hall won last year’s Durban July only to controversially lose the race after a stewards inquiry. This time around there would be no problems and the star performer added another feature to his record.

The Australian bred star has raced consistently at the highest level and as a three-year-old at the same meeting won the Group One SA Derby (2450m). He also won the Derby Trial leading into the blue riband.

Wylie Hall was purchased for owner Michael Leaf by Andy Williams’ World Wide Bloodstock for $205,000 at the 2011 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Newhaven Park.

He is one of two Group One winners for his dam, the Sydney winner of five, Beauty Belle (Ideal Planet).

A sister to Roanoke Boy and half sister to Voltage, the stakes placed dam of Anamato, Drum and Port Watch, Beauty Belle won races from 1300 to 1800 metres including three in Sydney before being retired to stud.

There she has produced seven winners from eight runners and her other headline act is the former Champion Hong Kong sprinter Absolute Champion.

Originally kicking away his racing life in Australia and a winner of the Pago Pago Stakes at two as Genius and Evil, Absolute Champion won the Hong Kong Sprint in record time as well as a Chairman’s Sprint Prize and Centenary Sprint Cup during a career in which he earned about $3.6 million.

Beauty Belle’s other winners include four time Hong Kong winner Amazing Venture, Melbourne winner Iridescente and Sydney winner Dream a Dream. Another of her winners Two Beauties, is the dam of this season’s winning and stakes performed Perth juvenile Chengdu.

Winner: Wylie Hall
Breeding: Redoute’s Choice-Beauty Belle (Ideal Planet)
Race: Turffontein President’s Champions Challenge G1 (2000m)
Sold for: $205,000
Sale: 2011 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Newhaven Park
Buyer: World Wide Bloodstock
Earnings: R3,600,000
Owner(s): Mr ME Leaf
Trainer: Weiho Marwing