The very fast and versatile Vercingetorix filly Phedra registered an overdue maiden stakes victory when powering home to win the R150 000 Listed Milkwood Stakes at Fairview on Friday. It could be a timeous success for the Maine Chance bred 4yo who could be off to stud.
It can’t be pleasing any of the stakeholders involved that the Eastern Cape features again had to be switched from the turf to the polytrack, but that’s the reality when the rains arrive and the turf track doesn’t stand up.
Phedra (Louis Mxothwa) finishes well to beat the pacy Tipsy Tina (Phila Mxoli) going away (Pic – Pauline Herman)
Ten fairer sex sprinters lined up at the 1000m and after Suzette Viljoen’s lightning fast Tipsy Tina led the charge for much of the way, Louis Mxothwa produced Phedra (4-1) from midfield with a well-timed effort to beat Tipsy Tina (16-1) by a half length in a time of 57,31 secs.
The Emmanuel Kaknis-trained European Summer (25-1) finished best of the balance for third and 1,50 lengths away.
The Snaith-trained favourite Hunting Trip moved up late down the inside rail, but didn’t appear to enjoy the poly and finished fifth.
The winner, who arrived from the Cape in January 2022 after 11 ordinary starts, has soared from a 70 rating and is now well above 100, with 7 wins and 6 places from her 13 Fairview starts, and stakes earnings of R540 551. Her turnaround is a credit to the Sharon Kotzen team and a great advert for East Cape Racing.
Phedra, a leased filly, is raced in a partnership of Ben Botha (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mr Arne Botha), Messrs K B Larsen, I D Berg, Robin Strydom and G M Kotzen
Bred by Maine Chance Farms, Phedra was a R50 000 Cape Yearling Sale graduate and is a daughter of the top -class Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the Trippi mare, Pritti.
JP van der Merwe guides Silver Falcon to beat Inherit The Rain (Richard Fourie) in a rousing finish to the Fairview 1400 (Pic – Pauline Herman)
Earlier on the programme, the non black-type support feature, the Fairview 1400, was won by the Justin Snaith-trained Silver Falcon, who finished powerfully under JP van der Merwe to beat the Alan Greeff pair of Inherit The Rain and Teatro.
Bred by Drakenstein, Silver Falcon was a R900 000 Cape Premier Sale graduate and was registering his fifth win for stakes of R395 975.
Gavin Smith and Smanga Khumalo were the most successful combination on the afternoon with three winners.
Sharon Kotzen and Louis Mxothwa partnered with two winners.
Justin Snaith saddled two winners, while Richard Fourie rode two winners – one for Snaith and another for Greeff.
The next Fairview racemeeting is on Monday 29 May.
Watch the Listed Milkwood Stakes feature replay here:
