High-profile owner-breeder Sabine Plattner was back in the news in South Africa on Wednesday when her homebred gelding Viking Lizzy won at Durbanville.

Viking Lizzy (4g Lizard Island – Lady Dane by Danehill) became the first winner for Plattner’s new private trainer Yogas Govender when he scored a four length victory in the UK Soccer 6 Maiden Plate (1400m).

The new team’s initial winner was foaled at Plattner’s La Plaisance Stud and is by an Australian bred sire out of an Australian bred mare.

Plattner enjoyed tremendous success with trainer Brett Crawford until their eight-year partnership ended on August 31.  Together, they combined to win Group 1 races with Angus (J&B Met), Bad Girl Runs (Paddock Stakes) while flying mare Laisserfaire claimed the G1 Cape Flying Championship and G1 SA Fillies & Mares Sprint on two occasions.

Plattner was a regular buyer at Australian yearlings sales a decade ago and struck gold with the Danehills.  She bought Laisserfaire (Danehill) for $575,000 at the 1998 Inglis Easter Sale but the champion sprinter wasn’t her only long-term investment at Newmarket.

Another Plattner purchase at the 1998 Inglis Easter sale was a $450,000 Danehill filly from Golden Slipper winner Burst.  Named First Burst, she earned black-type at Scottsville and Kenilworth and at stud has produced the stakes performers Quick as Lizard (Lizard Island) and Winter Burst (Western Winter).

Winter Burst was G2 placed in the Fillies Championship at Kenilworth earlier this year and she will set her for the Cape classics this summer.

Coolmore agent James Bester bid on Plattner’s behalf at the 1998 Inglis Easter sale and he also bought her a Lure – Prawn Cocktail colt for $800,000.

He was named Lizard Island and raced just three times in South Africa for two wins and a place before retiring to La Plaissance Stud in the Cape Province.  His first stakes winner was the Plattner homebred Jamaican Dream who was a G3 winner of the Langerman Hcp and Cape Classic.

Lizard Island is an older half-brother to Danehill’s Group winning fillies Langoustine and One World and Queensland based stallion Dane Supreme.

Lizard Island sired yesterday Durbanville winner from Lady Dane who was a $250,000 buy for Plattner at the 1999 Inglis Easter Sale.  The Danehill filly went on to win two races in South Africa and Viking Lizzy is her first foal.

Viking Lizzy’s second dam Ladybird Blue (Bluebird) was a Listed winner of the MVRC Great Western Stakes and she is a half-sister to French Clock (SAJC Goodwood Hcp-G1) and Dream About It (Ballarat Cup-LR).

Dream About It is the second dam of Show A Heart Group 1 winner Heart Of Dreams (VRC Australian Guineas, MRC Underwood Stakes) and his brother Rightfully Yours who will be gunning for a G1 of his own in the Emirates Stakes at Flemington on October 31.