Former Grade 1 Cape Guineas winner and stallion, Noordhoek Flyer, has died. Bred by Wilgerbosdrift, the chestnut was the fifth top lot sold at the 2008 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.

Sold under the name White Hills, he fetched R2.5 million. Subsequently renamed Noordhoek Flyer, he was second in both his outings as a two-year-old and showed good improvement at three, winning his seasonal debut by more than three lengths.

Second to subsequent Grade 1 Met and Equus Champion Past Master in the Grade 2 Selangor Cup, he then ran out a one-length winner of the 2009 Grade 1 Bloodstock SA Cape Guineas. His beaten rivals that day included subsequent Gold Cup winner Ancestral Fore, July champion Bold Silvano and Singapore champion Lizarre.

Noordhoek Flyer was game when second to Bravura next time out in the Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby, when he appeared to find the 2000m beyond him, but bounced back to win his next two in a row – including the Grade 2 KRA Guineas at Greyville.

He ended his career having won or placed in 10 of 11 outings and earned R1,274,500. At the time of his death, Noordhoek Flyer who spent his stud career at the Gary Player Stud Farm had left behind 25 winners who had earned over R3,384,000.

In other sad news Carolina Cherry, dam of Triple Tiara winner Cherry On The Top, died recently at Mauritzfontein Stud.

Bred and owned by Mauritzfontein, Carolina Cherry was one of two major winners to emerge from the third crop of her champion sire Fort Wood, with the other being subsequent Horse Of The Year Celtic Grove.

Carolina Cherry won first time out over 1000m as a two-year-old, but came into her own as a three-year-old. Trained by Mike De Kock, she won three times, with her biggest victory coming in the Grade 2 Gold Circle Oaks, where her victims included SA Oaks winner Idle Fancy.

Carolina Cherry won from 1000m to 2400m and retired to stud having won or placed in 14 of 20 outings. She left behind just five foals with her four winning foals including Cherry On The Top and Cherry On The Cake.

Cherry On The Top, a daughter of Wilgerbosdrift’s ill-fated sire Tiger Ridge, made history when joining Horse Of The Year Igugu as a winner of South Africa’s Triple Tiara. She was later named 2013 Equus Champion Three-Year-Old Filly and retired to stud having won or placed in 14 of 19 outings.

Cherry On The Cake, by Strike Smartly, was also a high-class racer whose victories included the Grade 3 Jacaranda Handicap.

–  Cape Breeders Club/TABNews