Dual Grade 1 winner Lucky Lad will retire to stud at Suzette and Basie Viljoen’s Hopes and Dreams Stud in Wellington in the Western Cape, where he will commence stallion duties at the start of the 2026 breeding season in September.
Five-year-old Lucky Lad becomes the third son of three-time Champion Stallion Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) to join the stallion ranks, following Sandringham Summit and Green With Envy, both of whom were added to the roster at Varsfontein Stud in recent years.
The majority shareholding in Lucky Lad will remain with his US-based owner Anthony Beck of Gainesway Farm in Kentucky, while Hopes and Dreams Stud will retain an agreed minority interest.
Varsfontein-bred Lucky Lad started his career with four successive wins as a two-year-old, including the 2023 World Sports Betting Grade 2 SA Nursery over 1160m and the Grade 1 Gold Medallion at Hollywoodbets Scottsville by 5.30-lengths.
He raced only five times as a three-year-old for three victories, including the 2024 Grade 2 Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m at Turffontein and a sensational triumph in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint at Hollywoodbets Scottsville. On that occasion, Lucky Lad defeated established older stars such as Dyce, At My Command, I Am Giant and Cruise Control with a barnstorming late run from a seemingly impossible position.
In the same season, he finished second with a strong performance in the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m, proving his versatility against Sandringham Summit, the champion three-year-old.
Lucky Lad was twice Grade 1-placed at four, including a third to star sprinter Gimme a Prince in the Grade 1 HKJC World Pool Cape Flying Championship over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. While not at the peak of his ability, he again finished ahead of top sprinters including Dyce, Questioning, Asiye Phambile and Café Culture, reminding everyone of the depth of his ability.
Lucky Lad completed his career with seven wins and seven places from 24 starts, with R2,464,750 in stakes earnings.
His trainer Sean Tarry, commented: “Lucky Lad was a phenomenal two-year-old and superbly performed at three. He started getting coltish as an older horse, which affected his five-year-old career. But he was always wonderful to train, a horse with incredible looks and a good demeanour who should make a fine stallion.”
Tarry said that Lucky Lad will be going into quarantine soon, en route to Wellington, and that Anthony Beck shared his optimism about the horse’s prospects at stud.
At Hopes and Dreams, the Viljoens are preparing a stallion barn for their new acquisition. Lucky Lad will share residence with Frantastic (Frankel), the full-brother to Cracksman, who is approaching his third season at the 150-hectare establishment.
An excited Suzette Viljoen said: “Lucky Lad joins us at a wonderful time. We’ve worked diligently over the last three years to re-establish our property as an ideal place to raise thoroughbreds.
“Our paddocks have been rebuilt, the barns and stables have been renovated, and our decision to expand through the purchase of an adjacent farm for weanlings is already bearing fruit, with yearlings now better suited to the sales market.”
Hopes and Dreams has more than 100 broodmares to support its stallions, and the long-term plans naturally include cross-matings involving mares from both the Frankel and Gimmethegreenlight lines, in addition to the planned and booked coverings from outside mares for the pair of stallions.
Lucky Lad’s female line (Caesour) is rich in black type through successive generations and, on both pedigree and performance, he appears certain to attract his share of support from breeders.