On a windy sunny Friday afternoon at Fairview, eight runners contested the Non-Black Type Founders Trophy over 1600m on the polytrack, You Know Who being the late withdrawal.
The R175,000 contest went the way of the Gavin Smith trained Perfection (7/2), well ridden by JP van der Merwe for owners Denver Moodley and VC Veeramootoo.
Perfection (JP van der Merwe) nabs a perfect victory (Pic – Pauline Herman)
A gelded son of Ideal World out of the Not For Sale mare Quintessential, he was bred by Wilgerbosdrift/Mauritzfontein.
The four-year-old provided the in-form trainer Gavin Smith with a treble on the afternoon after earlier success with easy maiden winner Fire Glow and Global Goddess.
From the start, bottom weight Prince Vihaan set the early fractions under Jabu Jacobs going an even pace from Medlers Tart in second with the winner Perfection well settled in fourth, one off the rails.
Top weight and tote favourite Port Louis was given a chance settled towards the back of a tightly knit field.
Turning into the short straight and headwind, Prince Vihaan gave a kick from the front end and looked to have poached a good two-length lead around the 200m marker, but the bunch were closing.
Bush Tracker and Gallic Tribe stayed on well, but Perfection finished best of all down the middle of the track to win going away under a hands ride.
Enjoy the replay:
Earlier in the day, Gavin Smith had stated that Perfection was in with a realistic chance having a nice galloping weight and being unlucky on his last start when squeezed out at the start.
Perfection won by a length and a quarter from Bush Tracker with a neck back to Gallic Tribe in third. Prince Vihaan was a head away in fourth. The winning time recorded was 96.04 seconds.
Now a five-time winner from thirteen starts, with stakes earned totalling R468,938, he looks one to follow over a mile.
