End e dry spell as Flirtation, the 2010 Summer Cup winner, lands the Gr2 Colorado King
Flirtation brought an end to something of a lean spell when she landed the Colorado King Stakes over 2000m on the Turffontein standside course on Saturday, writes MATTHEW LIPS.
This marked the mare’s first success since she won the Gr1 Summer Cup over the same course-and-distance in November 2010, but she had been knocking on the door with second place finished in her last two starts going into this conditions event and started as the 33/10 second favourite in a field reduced to eight starters by three scratchings.
Heading the market was last season’s Gr1 SA Derby winner Seal, who’d shown very consistent form in four recent starts since being equipped with blinkers and who went off as the 22/10 favourite. He looked to be favourably treated by the conditions of the Colorado King, despite having to concede weight all round. Galanthus (75/20) amd Safwan (11/2) were the next most popular choices.
Seal wasted no time in getting to the head of affairs but set only a modest pace once he got there. He showed the way ahead of Flirtation and Galanthus, with Meadow Magic next in line ahead of Safwan and Captain’s Wild, who was bidding to win the race for a second year in succession. House Of Wax brought up the rear just behind English Garden, who was starting for the first time since he broke blood vessels at Kenilworth in December.
Seal led them into the straight, but he was starting to come under plenty of pressure inside the last 300m as Flirtation gradually got the better of him. Working her way to the front inside the final furlong, Flirtation kept going strongly under title-chasing Gavin Lerena to shake off a strong challenge from her paternal half brother Galanthus by a neck, with Safwan running on stoutly late to finish another half-a-length away in third. House Of Wax stayed on to be fourth, with Seal weakening to finish fifth, 2.75 lengths behind the winner.
Flirtation was one of three runners sent out by champion trainer Mike de Kock, who was back in town after the conclusion of the Dubai Carnival. He attributed this success to different tactics adopted with Flirtation, who is usually ridden from well off the pace but who on this occasion was never out of the first two. Whatever the case, it was a game win from De Kock’s mare, who was by no means favourably weighted on merit ratings. She met runner-up Galanthus on 4 kgs worse terms than in a handicap, and her third placed stable companion Safwan 1.5 kgs worse off than would have been the case in a merit rated event. The Colorado King Stakes is something of a lead-up race to the Gr1 Champions Challenge over the same course-and-distance on April 28th, and not surprisingly her trainer announced that she would be taking her chances in that valuable contest.
Flirtation is a five-year-old daughter of Silvano. She is the sixth foal, third winner, and first Stakes winner produced from Mullineaux mare French Treasure, who won five races between 1200m and 1600m and who finished third at Gr1 level. Bred by Advocate Altus Joubert, Flirtation was acquired for R350 000 at the 2008 National Yearling Sale. She has won five of her 20 starts, earning R2 305 250 in stakes for owner Costa Livanos.
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Colorado King S. (SAf-G2) (4/7)
Turffontein, South Africa, April 7, R300.000, 2000m, turf, good, 2.07.25 (CR 2.00.13).
FLIRTATION (SAF), 58.0, ch m 5, Silvano (GER) – French Treasure (SAF) by Mullineaux. Owner Mrs B A and Mr C Livanos; breeder Adv AP Joubert (SAF); trainer M F de Kock; jockey G Lerena (R187.500)
Galanthus (SAF), 57.0, b g 5, Silvano (GER) – Al Jestic (SAF) by Al Mufti Safwan (AUS), 58.5, ch g 5, Encosta De Lago (AUS) – Showella (NZ) by Lord Ballina (AUS)
Margins: ¼, ½, 1½
Also ran: House Of Wax (SAF) 57.5, Seal (SAF) 60.0, English Garden (SAF) 59.5, Meadow Magic (SAF) 57.0, Captain’s Wild (SAF) 58.5
