Champion Arrowfield sire Flying Spur has a leading candidate for the classics in South Africa this season.

His Group 1 colt Mushreq (Aus) stood up to be counted with a seven-length victory in the Joburg Tyres Novice Plate (1800m) at Vaal on Saturday.  It was an easy kill for the Mike De Kock trained colt who is a homebred for Sheikh Hamdan.

“I’m very happy with Mushreq’s preparation,” De Kock said.  “He’s a Derby-type horse and will be kicking in when others are getting tired.”

Mushreq (3c Flying Spur – Alharir by Jeune) won on debut and at his third start contested the G1 Golden Horseshoe (1400m) at Greyville in July.  He led until collared two strides from the post by Fighting Warrior.

The Australian-bred colt finished his first preparation in the G1 Premier’s Champion Stakes (1600m) but bogged down in the heavy going and pulled up coughing.

Mushreq returned for two pipe-openers over a mile last month prior to outclassing his rivals on Saturday.  De Kock had originally planned to send him to Dubai but quarantine issues kept him at home.

Mushreq’s dam Alharir won races at Caulfield and Seymour and she is a half-sister to Sheikh Hamdan’s G1 MRC Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner Rewaaya (Singspiel).

Her first foal Jazza Bell (Zabeel) won 9 races to Listed level over 1800m in Macau and the mare has just foaled a colt by Hard Spun.

Flying Spur (Danehill) has been a perennial success story for Arrowfield since retiring to stud in 1996.  He has now sired 766 individual winners at a 65% strike-rate.

His stock surface year in – year out and Caulfield trainer Mick Price produced his latest winner when promising filly Kitty Cotswold trounced a Traralgon maiden field by six lengths on Sunday.