Gallica Rose powers home to beat Estidraaj
Crack heavyweight jockey Bernard Fayd’herbe notched up a personal Group winning double and in the process rescued Cape trainer Joey Ramsden’s Super Saturday aspirations, as he steered the Silvano mare Gallica Rose to a career best performance when scoring a great victory in the R350 000 Gr2 Gold Bracelet at Greyville.
With the fancied Jet Belle (the 2014 Gold Bracelet winner) running a rare poor race and finishing some ten lengths downfield, the door was left ajar for an upset result. But Gallica Rose had her supporters at 5 to 1, and her resillience saw off two potential Pick 6 clangers, in the second and third placed Estidraaj and Acrostar.
With nobody willing to show the way, Jet Belle was taken out to lead by Anton Marcus, at what was little more than a Sunday afternoon stroll early on, but was soon overtaken by Bilateral and Estidraaj.
Bilateral, a reluctant spearhead, led them for home but Anthony Delpech quickly went for broke and poached a two length lead on Estidraaj, as Gallica Rose powered up the middle.
In an exciting finish, Gallica Rose collared the free-striding Estidraaj – but then faced a flying Acrostar, who ran on powerfully up the wide outside under repacement rider, Keagan De Melo.
But Fayd’herbe had timed it sweetly and the Ramsden runner came through best of the lot at the right moment to win by a half length in a time of 127,39 secs.
Gallica Rose is a R200 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate, and has now won 5 races with 4 places from 15 starts. She took her stake earnings to R550 175 and looks to be getting better with every run.
This was a well deserved Gr2 prize for the daughter of Silvano, who was bred by Digteby Stud out of the five time winning Al Mufti mare, Al Jestic.
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Gr2 Gold Bracelet (SAf-Gr2)
Greyville, South Africa, August 1, R350k, 2000m, turf, soft, 2.07.39
1 – GALLICA ROSE (SAF), 58.5, b m 5, Silvano (GER) – Al Jestic (SAF) by Al Mufti (USA). Owner Maine Chance Farms (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Dr W A & Mrs N Jacobs); Breeder Digteby Stud; trainer J Ramsden; jockey B Fayd’herbe
2 – Estidraaj (AUS), 56.5, br f 4, Hard Spun (USA) – Nufoos (AUS) by Elusive Quality (USA)
3 – Acrostar (AUS), 58.0, ch m 5, Danehill Dancer (IRE) – Nova Star (AUS) by Iglesia (AUS)
Margins: 0.50, 0.05, 1.50
