Just over a month after winning the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship, Lance’ smashing daughter Quid Pro Quo made it four wins on the trot when destroying some highly vaunted opponents to win the R500 000 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Gr2 Golden Slipper at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.
Quid Pro Quo (Smanga Khumalo) makes her first run at the Durban track look so easy (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The standout performer in the 1400m contest, the Barend Botes trained Quid Pro Quo was having her first run at the Durban track. But made it all look so easy as she showed that she’s headed for even better things.
How she started at 28-10 is something of an enigma – and that price would have likely been somewhere close to the red had she hailed from one of the powerful yards.
Unleashed from behind a wall of horses, and switched out at the 250m marker by Smanga Khumalo, Quid Pro Quo (28-10) exploded down the centre to beat the long-time pacesetter Fatal Flaw (50-1) going away by 2,50 lengths in a time of 83,40 secs.
Highveld raider VJ’s Angel (25-2) was a half length back in third, with local star Just Reckless (20-1) completing the handsome quartet.
The 15-10 favourite Gimmie’s Countess had every chance, but was beaten just under 4 lengths out of the money.
A daughter of Heuningsfontein stallion Lance (Jet Master), Quid Pro Quo is raced and was bred by Gerald Kalil, one of the Botes stable’s foundation owners, and is out of the five-time winning daughter of The Sheik, Delightful Diva.
She was offered at the 2023 KZN Yearling Sale by Summerhill Equestrian and bought back for just R60 000 by her breeder.
Now a winner of 4 races with 2 places from 6 starts, Quid Pro Quo took her earnings to R1 144 000.
