Quick Money. Cliffie Miller saddled the feature winner at Flamingo Park today.
Cliffie Miller’s Brazillian-bred gelding Zezinho Belo outclassed his six rivals at Kimberley on Monday as he took the R100 000 Flamingo Park Sprint in his stride, with a balanced display of energy and enthusiasm.
The non black type feature offered a generous gross purse of R100 000 on a quiet Monday afternoon, and proved a bonus for the flamboyant trainer, who also owns the gelding.
The 5yo gelding has few peers over the 1200m Northern Cape sand track, and after jumping keenly he kept at it and even stepped up the pace in the final stages of the race to win going away from the never-say-die Kahal mare, Pisces Star, who started a 12 to 10 favourite.
The only mare in the race, Pisces Star was bidding for seven wins on the trot, but had her attempt stifled by the better horse on the day.
Returning from a three month break, and despite a significant weight turnaround with the favourite, Cliffie Miller’s gelding was easy to back at 3-1, and never gave his supporters a moment’s doubt or stress.
After some delinquent pre-race antics by Jaap Visser’s Kentucky Express, the seven horse field broke well, except for Gangsta Fury who lost lengths at the start.
Jumping well from his 3 draw, Zezinho Belo showed blistering toe all the way around as Pisces Star played catch-up – but to no avail.
Zezinho Belo won going away by 4,75 lengths in a time of 71,15 secs.
A winner of 5 of his 13 starts for 5 places and earnings of R207 200, Zezinho Belo looks like he will pay to follow.
Zezinho Belo was bred by Haras Basano and is by the Music Prospector stallion, Blade Prsopector, a ten-time winning Graded Stakes winner. He is out of the Brazillian-bred Minstrel Glory(USA) mare, Lala Bela.
