The Maine Chance-bred Ekoria quelled any concerns about her ability to cope with a step up to the mile when the daughter of Futura skated home a popular winner of the R200 000 Listed Breeders Guineas at Fairview on Friday.
Ridden by regular pilot JP van der Merwe, Ekoria took off late down the inside to register her second stakes success in the fashion of a filly with plenty in the tank.
Ekoria storms home under JP van der Merwe (Pic -Pauline Herman)
Hollywoodbets-sponsored reigning East Cape champion trainer Gavin Smith expressed his relief that his charge had settled over the mile, and it was certainly a plan come together for the high-riding family operation, with equipment and training initiatives coming into play.
Raced by Brad Ralph and Mark Greene, Ekoria gave reigning regional champion Gavin Smith his third winner of the afternoon and started at 13-10.
Ekoria beat the improved again Rimaah (25-2) by 1,25 lengths in a time of 99,56 secs.
The runner-up’s stablemate Hazy Crazy Night (50-1) was a head away in third, in the process giving the trifecta a minor kick.
A daughter of past SA Horse Of The Year Futura (Dynasty), Ekoria was bred by Maine Chance Farms and is out of former Zimbabwe star and Silvano mare Equina – who, like Futura, is directly descended in female line from the Plum Bold mare Bold Vixen.
This is also the family of impressive Gr2 Heineken SA Nursery & Gr3 Three Troikas Stakes winner Miss Cool – whose dam French Rose is a half-sister to Futura.
A model of consistency, Ekoria was a R260 000 buy from the 2021 August Two Year Old Sale has earned at all of her 9 starts – including a major centre Gr1 place – and took her earnings on Friday to R422 750, with her fourth win and 5 places from 9 starts.
