According to SAH Racing, Team Valor International is finalizing details on a private purchase of Quid Pro Quo, who as a juvenile earned Horse of the Year Honors at the KZN Racing Awards.
The racing news site reports that the deal was spearheaded by Team Valor CEO Barry Irwin along with Johannesburg bloodstock agent Robin Bruss and will be completed in the new year after export blood tests are cleared. The daughter of Lance has been campaigned in South Africa by Gerald Kalil.
Quid Pro Quo is the first horse to win all three of the Champions Season's chief 2-year-old fillies' races, the Allan Robertson Championship (G1) at Scottsville, the Golden Slipper (G2) at Greyville and the Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes (G1), also at Greyville.
Irwin told the site that the plan is to race Quid Pro Quo in Europe although she could start once more in South Africa before being shipped there. Further plans would include a winter 2026 campaign in the United Arab Emirates.
"South African racing has always been special to me, and I've made significant investments here," Irwin told the site. "Quid Pro Quo will carry the torch for Team Valor over the coming years and even possibly in South Africa if she isn't exported in time early next year."
In 2002 Team Valor, WinStar Farm, and Sunmark Partners partnered on the private purchase of Ipi Tombe, a two-time group 1 winner in South Africa. The new owners campaigned her to four stakes wins, including the 2003 Dubai Duty Free (G1T) at Nad al Sheba and the Locust Grove Handicap (G3T) at Churchill Downs.
"One cannot but hope that she could be the next Ipi Tombe and we plan to give her every opportunity to achieve the lofty international accomplishments of that former South African runner," Irwin said.
Quid Pro Quo has won six races, including four group stakes wins, and has never finished worse than second in eight starts.
