Wilgerbosdrift’s well-performed young stallion Fire Away, currently one of the leading First Season Sires in South Africa, looks to have come up with a very smart filly in the form of Luna Halo.
The latter made it three Listed wins in a row when she romped away with the R150 000 Listed Lady’s Slipper Stakes, run at Fairview on Friday.
Richard Fourie steers Luna Halo to a smart win (Pic – Pauline Herman)
And it was unfortunately yet another turf- scheduled feature to have been switched to the all-weather. According to reports, it has been Gqeberha’s wettest May since 1944 but the grass surface is clearly not draining as well as it used to in the pre-poly days.
But at least we could race and it was the versatile Luna Halo, who was sent off a well backed tote favourite who duly obliged in facile fashion.
Under a red hot Richard Fourie, the daughter of Fire Away was in command a long way from home, and powered clear at 8-10 to win decisively by two and a quarter lengths in a time of 82,79 secs.
Idita (25-2) was a game second and 1,50 lengths ahead of the winner’s stablemate Joy And Peace (6-1) in third.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Luna Halo has now four of just five starts, with the filly having captured the Listed East Cape Fillies Nursery and Listed Dahlia Plate in her two previous starts.
A R160 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, Luna Halo took her stakes total to R357 500.
Out of the Captain Al mare Sun Sentinel, she looks likely to be crowned the East Cape’s champion two-year-old filly come the end of the current season.
She is one of eight winners to have emerged from the first crop of Fire Away, whose other early winners include Listed Storm Bird Stakes runner up Fire ‘N Flames and G1 Gold Medallion entrant Egyptian Mau.
It was a great for Alan Greeff who saddled five winners. Richard Fourie rode four winners.
Watch the feature replay here:
