Cecca First Winner for Flying The Flag

Bush Hill Stud's regally bred stallion Flying The Flag (IRE) came up with his first winner when 3-year-old filly Cecca (SAF) won at Fairview Racecourse in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on Aug. 3. Bred by Piemonte Stud, the Alan Greeff-trained Cecca got off the mark at the fourth time of asking, when scoring a facile win over six furlongs. Under jockey Teaque Gould, Cecca pulled clear to score by 2 1/4 lengths, with the filly having contested the listed East Cape Fillies Nursery on her most recent start. Out of the Windrush mare Rush to Stardom (SAF), Cecca hails from the first crop of her well-performed sire. Flying The Flag, a son of the world's premier stallion Galileo (IRE), won three times including the Eflow "You First" International Stakes (G3) at the Curragh, where his beaten rivals included the St. James's Palace Stakes (G1) winner Most Improved (IRE). One of 322 stakes winners sired by Galileo, Flying The Flag is a full brother to multiple group 1 winners Rhododendron (IRE) and Magical (IRE), with the latter having recently captured the Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) for the second year running. The blue-blooded Flying The Flag is out of Pivotal (GB)'s top-class daughter Halfway To Heaven (IRE), who won the Boylesports Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1), Blue Square Nassau Stakes (G1), and Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes (G1).