Lammerskraal Stud’s successful young sire Visionaire looks to have a well above average sort on his hands in the form of The Thinker.
The latter downed some high-class speedsters, in a pinnacle stakes over 1000m at Turffontein on Thursday, to take his tally to four wins from just eight outings.

Bred by Summerhill Stud, and owned by Mayfair Speculators (who also own Visionaire’s highly promising daughter Champenois), The Thinker dug down deep, under a good ride from jockey Donovan Mansour,  to deny G3 Protea Stakes winner Isphan victory by a long neck.

Among the notable scalps claimed by The Thinker in Thursday’s race were former Equus Champion Sprinter Talktothestars, G1 Golden Horse Sprint runner up African Ruler, G3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap heroine Wrecking Ball and G3 Lebelo Sprint winner Rivarine.

The Thinker, who is bred on the same Visionaire/Northern Guest cross as Fillies Guineas winner Heaps Of Fun, was a R180 000 buy from the 2015 CTS Johannesburg Ready To Run  Sale.

His sire Visionaire has made a bright start to his stud career in South Africa, with his first crop yielding the likes of the above mentioned Heaps Of Fun and G3 winner Royal Pleasure, and his second crop the G3 Byerley Turk winner Africa Rising, The Thinker, and G1 filly Visuality.