The Lammerskraal Stud bred Red Ray showed his class in no uncertain terms when romping to victory in Saturday’s G1Mercury Sprint.

The five-year-old entire, who races for owners Ingrid and Markus Jooste, proved himself as good as ever and romped to victory over a field, which included the top rated thoroughbred in South Africa. However, Talktothestars (and the field’s three other Grade One winners) proved no match for Red Ray who ran out an emphatic two length winner of the R800 000 contest.

Red Ray, who was second previously in three other Grade One contests, has now won or placed in 11 of his 13 South African outings and has banked more than R1.87 million in stakes.

No doubt Red Ray (a son of Lammerskraal’s late, great sire Western Winter, will also rate an extremely exciting stud prospect –he is good looking horse who was a G1 2yo who trained on to be a Grade One winner at five!

The Mercury victory also paid further and fitting tribute to Red Ray’s wonderful dam Nacarat, who sadly died last week.

A daughter of former Horse Of The Year Pas De Quoi, Nacarat’s ten individual winners included five stakes winners. Red Ray is the second Grade One winner produced by Nacarat, with his Western Winter own sister Nania having previously lifted the G1 Thekwini Stakes.

Another smart performer produced by Nacarat is this season’s exciting 2yo Bishop’s Bounty, who looks a top class prospect for 2016-20