Ebony Flyer
Ebony Flyer confirmed that she remains a filly of true class when running out the fluent winner of the Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m at Kenilworth on Saturday. Arguably disappointing when only sixth in the Gr 1 Queen’s Plate at her previous start, the massive four-year-old got her act together back against her own gender in this WFA contest and may still be on course for an international campaign if circumstances permit, writes MATTHEW LIPS.
Even in the absence of this season’s Cape Fillies Guineas winner Princess Victoria, the Majora brought out a high class field and Welwitschia went off as the marginal 22/10 favourite in a field of eleven, with Ebony Flyer the 5/2 second choice. Covenant was bidding to win this race for a second year in succession, but she was far from impressive in the canter-down and was allowed to start as an 11/2 chance despite having registered a second consecutive success in the Gr 2 Sceptre Stakes over 1200m at her most recent start.
Gibraltar Blue started as the 6/1 fourth favourite and wasted no time in adopting her usual frontrunning tactics, setting a solid pace ahead of Trinity House, Frequent Flyer and Ebony Flyer, with the latter’s stable companion Dance With Al next in line as Welwitschia raced in midfield and Croc Valley brought up the rear. Covenant was amongst the backmarkers as Gibraltar Blue continued to lead the way around the turns. The field all drifted towards the outside fence in the straight, with Ebony Flyer eventually working her way out to be widest of all for the dash for home. Gibraltar Blue weakened coming past the 200m, with Trinity House also not finding much more as Welwitschia battled to quicken over towards the inside.
Frequent Flyer was running the race of her life meantime and briefly stuck her head in front as Gibraltar Blue weakened, but Ebony Flyer was taking giant strides wide out and proved too classy in the end, drawing away inside the final 100m under Felix Coetzee to beat Frequent Flyer by 1.75 lengths. Barcelona Winter finished strongly from almost the rear of the field to be about a neck further away in third and 0.75 lengths ahead of fourth placed Dance With Al. Welwitschia never got into the hunt and looked to have every chance before finishing fifth, 3.30 lengths behind the winner, with stable companion Gibraltar Blue less than a length further way in eighth. Trinity House was beaten just more than four lengths into seventh place after starting from the widest draw and should not be judged too literally on this form. Covenant fared no better in the race itself than she had cantering to the start and finished last of all, clearly running far below her true ability.
Frequent Flyer put up a smashing performance in defeat, as did the fast-finishing Barcelona Winter, but when push came to shove Ebony Flyer was too strong for them all and despite her well-documented respiratory problems she is back to at least something like the horse she was when she inflicted the last defeat ever suffered by Igugu in the Cape Fillies Guineas of December 2010. “She’s a monster, she’s world class,” enthused her trainer Justin Snaith, who described Ebony Flyer’s part-owner Barry Irwin (of Team Valor International) as “a genius”, who begged the trainer to “please back off this filly.” Future plans for Ebony Flyer remain to be decided and will largely be left up to Irwin, but with her history of respiratory trouble a raid on Gauteng would seem improbable. She may follow in her half-sister and fellow Cape Fillies Guineas winner Captain’s Lover’s footsteps and embark on a campaign in France, but there are plenty of options both here and abroad for the massive daughter of deceased multiple champion sire Jet Master.
Ebony Flyer is the third foal, second runner, and second Gr 1 winner produced from Badger Land mare Sunshine Lover, who won once over 1200m but who has (to put it mildly) been somewhat better at producing racehorses than she was at racing herself. Sunshine Lover now belongs to Team Valor, but Ebony Flyer was bred by Willem Engelbrecht and was acquired for R700 000 at the 2009 National Yearling Sale. The four-year-old is raced by Team Valor in partnership with Gaynor Rupert’s Drakenstein Stud and with Anant and Vanashree Singh. She has won seven times from ten starts, earning R1 337 474.
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Klawervlei Majorca S. (SAf-G1) (1/28)
Kenilworth, South Africa, January 28, R500.000, 1600m, turf, good, 1.38.80 (CR 1.36.20).
EBONY FLYER (SAF), 60.0, b f 4, Jet Master (SAF) – Sunshine Lover (SAF) by Badger Land. Owner Drakenstein Stud, Team Valor International and V & A Singh; breeder W J Engelbrecht (SAF); trainer J Snaith; jockey F Coetzee (312.500)
Frequent Flyer (SAF), 60.0, b f 4, Silvano (GER) – Fov’s Fancy (SAF) by Foveros (GB)
Barcelona Winter (SAF), 60.0, b f 4, Western Winter – Barcelona Baby (SAF) by Golden Thatch (IRE)
Margins: 1¾, ¼, ¾
Also ran: Dance With Al (SAF) 60.0, Welwitschia (GB) 59.5, Happy Archer (AUS) 60.0, Trinity House (SAF) 55.0, Gibraltar Blue (IRE) 60.0, Croc Valley (SAF) 60.0, Super Elegant (SAF) 55.0, Covenant (SAF) 60.0
