Winless in over a year, the Querari filly Homely Girl put her best foot forward with the aid of a set of blinkers to win the R250 000 East Coast Radio Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.
With a propensity to run places, the former Justin Snaith charge was easy to back at 7-1, but cracked a career peak success with a gutsy showing under jockey Keagan de Melo for trainer Johan Janse Van Vuuren and the Wernars family.
The Gauten raiders filled the first 4 places, with Homely Girl holding a late challenge from Sean Tarry’s Ecstatic Green (16-1) by under a length in a time of 85,47 secs.
Homely Girl (Keagan de Melo) holds off Ecstatic Green (Gavin Lerena) to score an overdue win (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Corne Spies’ Supreme Quest (5-1) retained her consistent form with a good effort in third, ahead of Mike de Kock’s Bold Act (25-1).
After Caya Coco won this race in 2021, Homely Girl’s success made it a double for Maine Chance kingpin Querari (Oasis Dream).
Bred by Narrow Creek Stud, the winner is out of the Silvano mare Sherry, and bred on the same Querari/Silvano cross as graded stakes winners Cosmic Light and Wonderwall.
Homely Girl has won 3 races with 8 places from 12 starts for stakes of R480 900.
Currently the Leading Sire of 2yo’s by stakes, Querari has a single lot on offer at the 2022 CTS Farm Yearling Sale on Sunday 19 June in the form of a filly (Lot 37) – coincidentally also bred on the same cross as Homely Girl.
Watch the replay here:
