The Scribante family found a tiny ray of sunshine after the sad loss of a much loved mare when her daughter Hurricane Shelley stormed out of the doom and gloom at a wet Fairview to win the R75 000 Guineas Plate on Friday.
Hurricane Shelley and Greg Cheyne storm clear to win the Guineas Plate (Pic – Coastal Photos)
The talented daughter of Argonaut was clocking a hat-trick of victories when she sauntered home to make it 4 wins from 8 starts under Avontuur-sponsored Greg Cheyne in the non black-type 1400m feature.
Hurricane Shelley showed she has plenty in the tank as she drew off to beat the former Gauteng stakes performer Star Burst Galaxy by 4,25 lengths in a time of 83,25 secs.
The winner was trained by Alan Greeff and races in the familiar orange and white of the Scribante’s.
For Piemonte Stud’s Lee Scribante the victory celebrations were tinged with sadness.
“We just lost her dam Tanzania, so the win has boosted the team’s spirits and we have fostered her latest foal by Ideal World,” said the KZN based breeder, who has found some reverse success with buyer scepticism about the Argonaut progeny.
And the familiar tale once again worked in their favour…
“Like O’Tamara, nobody wanted Hurricane Shelley and we bought her back for R10 000. Everybody thought the Argonauts would be early and they have shown themselves to be late maturers. I think the industry were premature in their judgement of this good-looking well-bred stallion,” said Scribante, who added that Hurricane Shelley looked decent and they were very hopeful of picking up some black-type.”
Bred by Piemonte Stud, the winner is by Argonaut and is a first foal of the three-time winning Black Sam Bellamy mare, Tanzania.
Tanzania’s second foal, a filly by Silvano, was sold for R160 000 at the KZN Sibaya Yearling Sale –‘’we have told the buyer we want to talk to him when her racing career is over!” says Lee.
Hurricane Shelley has now won 4 races with 3 places from 8 starts and stakes of R185 225.
The honours on the day were evenly spread, with Alan Greeff scoring a double.
Avontuur sponsored Callan Murray (Pic – Equine Edge)
There was drama in the seventh race when the fast-finishing Captains Slipper got into a boxing match with the former Cape-based Mister Matchett in the final 100m.
The Avontuur sponsored Callan Murray held his head on the winner, who ducked out sharply onto Mister Matchett at a crucial stage. Murray straightened his mount out and rode the gelding to the line.
The ensuing objection was overruled and this is one we feel that the Stipes got 100% right!
The jockeys were happy to end things in the eighth with conditions getting quite uncomfortable.
Ryan Munger brought the curtain down with a peach of a ride on the Peter and Val Fenix-owned Classic Delight, who won from an impossible gate to knock Pick 6 players for the proverbial six.
