Climbing! Blueridge Mountain (Glen Hatt) bursts through to win the Gr2 Graham Beck Sceptre Stakes
The big guns were sent scurrying with their tails between their legs in Saturday’s R200 000 Gr2 Graham Beck Sceptre Stakes run over 1200m at Kenilworth. The Argentinian bred Gauteng visitor Blueridge Mountain made them look quite ordinary with a top performance under Glen Hatt.
The general consensus in the build-up to the fillies and mares sprint feature was that it was a boat race between the Australian bred fast 4yo Sunshine Rock and the locally produced Gr1 winning grey flyer, All Is Secret. The latter tried her heart out, but was sadly unable to emulate her well-performed mother Secret Of Victoria who won it in 2006.
The first-time blinkered Reflective Image played up badly prior to the race, but the rest of the ten-horse field underscored the quality and status of the race as they looked and behaved beautifully.
As anticipated, the pacy Sunshine Rock was quickly out of the gates, and she led All Is Secret and Blueridge Mountain, with ake Drawsko and Sue For Peace.
Into the 400 marker the Drier filly continued to roll as Marcus got stuck into All Is Secret.
At this point Hatt was waiting for a gap to materialise as Blueridge Mountain was climbing all over the leading pair.
At the 200m marker Sunshine Rock shortened her stride, while All Is Secret shifted slightly allowing Blueridge Moutain to burst through the middle and win going away.
The lead. Derek Brugman leads Blueridge Mountain in
It was Blueridge Mountain’s day and she beat the multiple Gr1 winner All Is Secret fairly and squarely by 0,75 lengths in a time of 72,34 secs.
The 13 to 10 favourite All Is Secret was given every chance by Anton Marcus when tracking the speedy Sunshine Rock, but had no answers in the final 200m.
Miss October found some of her old dash to fly through for third and 1,15 lengths behind the winner.
The blinkered Reflective Image appeared intent on harming her jockey Karis Teetan in the pre- race parade. Her exertions and naughtiness no doubt cost her vital energy, but she nevertheless managed to run a nice fourth 1,2 lengths behind after battling to get into top gear down the inside.
The fancied Dennis Drier-trained Sunshine Rock tired late to finish in fifth right on top of the placed horses. This was a major blot on her impeccable copybook and she warrants another chance.
Trainer Joey Ramsden, who deputised for Gary Alexander, said that in contrast to her Guineas prep, Blueridge Mountain had enjoyed a fabulous build- up to this race.
He said that Blueridge Mountain had a lovely turn of foot and he felt that she would get a mile, observing that she had run all the way to line.
A thrilled winning jockey Glen Hatt, who has had to lay second fiddle so often to his colleague Anton Marcus, called her a lovely filly ‘who had always impressed us.’
“She does nothing wrong and has really come well in the last two weeks or so,” he said.
Blueridge Mountain was bred in Argentina and is by Storm Cat stallion Giant’s Causeway out of the Australian-bred Distant View mare, Skyline Drive.
Giant’s Causeway was champion sire in the USA in 2012, 2010 & 2009.
He is the best son of Storm Cat and one of the best sires in the world. He was champion freshman sire in Europe in 2004, Champion 2yo sire in the USA. in 2005.
He is a versatile producer and has already sired champion 2-y-o’s, Classic winning 3-y-o’s, record breaking older horses, and exceptional colts and fillies on both dirt and turf. He is the sire of 22 Gr.1 winners and 16 Gr.2 winners
Blueridgemountain was sold for R2 million on the National Yearling Sale.
She has run 5 times for 2 wins and 2 places, for stake earnings of R223 425.
The winner looks an exciting prospect, and will probably go to Durban for the KZN Champions Season.
Result:
Sceptre S. (SAf-G2) (1/19)
Kenilworth, South Africa, January 19, R200.000, 1200m, turf, good, 72.34
BLUERIDGE MOUNTAIN (ARG), 56.5, ch f 3, Giant’s Causeway (USA) – Skyline
Drive View (USA) by Distant View (USA). Owner I and MJ Jooste; bred in
Argentina; trainer GM Alexander; jockey G Hatt (R125.000)
All Is Secret (SAF), 56.5, gr f 3, Captain Al (SAF) – Secret Of Victoria
(SAF) by Goldkeeper (USA)
Miss October (SAF), 60.0, b f 4, Var (USA) – Bushgirl (SAF) by Huntingdale
(IRE)
Margins: ¾, ½, sh hd
