Sean Tarry’s smart stakes performer Cirillo looked the right horse on exposed form and Anton Marcus rode a cracker – getting him over from his wide draw and leading all the way to win the R2,5 million CTS Ready To Run Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Cirillo strides clear to an easy win under Anton Marcus (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
The level weights conditions of the restricted non-black-type feature played right into the hands of the superior form and senior rating of the Pomodoro colt, with only his wide draw dampening additional enthusiasm.
With Marcus judging the pace to perfection, Cirillo, who had run a nice race behind Twist Of Fate in the Cape Classic at the end of October, ran all the way to the wire to hold off the flying late challenge of Majestic Mozart by 2,75 lengths in a time of 85,10 secs.
Candice Bass-Robinson’s Majestic Mozart looks a really promising sort and his connections must be thinking along the lines of the Cape Derby at this stage -and he is bound to relish the summer course.
Captainofthesea came out of the pack a further 1,50 lengths back to bank the R275 000 third cheque, with Elusive Trader running out of puff after looking dangerous halfway up the straight, to run fourth.
Cheques were paid all the way down to tenth finisher, with Ashley Fortune’s Rocky Night (7,95 lengths) doing the honours to take the R30 000 bonus.
Chris van Niekerk and Anton Marcus share a winning word (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
Trained by Sean Tarry for his leading owner Chris van Niekerk, the R300 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale purchase has won 3 races with 5 places from 10 starts for stakes of R1 761 750.
Bred by Riverton Stud, Cirillo is by Pomodoro (Jet Master) – who won the July in the same silks – out of the Lake Coniston mare, Miss Wordsmith.
He looks likely to stay on and take his chances in the Cape Guineas.
