Whilst it is not uncommon to see two foals from a single mare carded to run on the same day at the same venue, it is a bit of a rarity when it concerns three siblings.
Saturday’s Turffontein racemeeting is one of those unique occasions, with no less than three offspring of the Danehill Dancer mare Elegantes scheduled to be in action.
First up is juvenile daughter Elegantrix, who will make her debut in the 1100m opener for the Corné Spies stable. An R850,000 daughter of Vercingetorix, she rated amongst the highest-priced lots at last year’s August 2YO Sale and was bred in partnership by the Greenacres Trust and Hemel ‘n Aarde Stud.
That price comes as no surprise, given that she is a half-sister to the very smart What A Winter four-year-old sprinter Elegant Ice.
Trained by Lucky Houdalakis, she earned Gr1 black type as a juvenile when third behind Mrs Geriatrix and Winter Cloud in the Allan Robertson Championship, subsequent to which she has added a number of stakes placings, most recently when second, beaten just a head in the Gr3 Carry On Alice.
The Hemele ‘n Aarde Stud bred filly contests the fifth race, a very competitive 1000m Pinnacle Stakes where she will face a number of fellow stakes performers, notably Carry On Alice victress Chasing Happiness.
Rounding out the Elegantes trio is Elegant Ice’s year-younger full sister Exceedingly Glam, who was bred by Greenacres Trust and is set to take her place in the last race on the card, a 1400m Classified Stakes.
Trained by Sean Tarry, the three-year-old steps up in trip barely two weeks after cracking her maiden over 1160m under Pierre Strydom, who retains the ride.
There is no such thing as a racing certainty, yet should the racing gods decree, Turffontein racegoers could witness a bit of history in the making, should all three manage to end up in the number one box.
The first race is off at 12h00.