Aneck is all that's left after Gibraltar Blue made all the running - Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge (JC Photo)
Doing things the easy way is not a concept with which Gibraltar Blue is well acquainted. Trying to bury her opposition from the start is much more her life’s philosophy, and she has the raw talent to make it work. She was at it again at Turffontein on Saturday, where she made every inch of the running to win the Ipi Tombe Challenge over 1600m on the standside course, writes Matthew Lips.
Gibraltar Blue is versatile as well as gifted and the runaway winner of a Listed handicap on her seasonal debut over 1000m in November was the heavily backed 4/10 favourite to defy 60 kgs top weight in the Ipi Tombe, a conditions race for fillies and mares named after one of the legendary former inmates of the Mike de Kock stable which Gibraltar Blue now inhabits. 7/1 second favourite Autumn Gold was the only other runner to start at single-figure odds in a field of 14.
Gibraltar Blue immediately wasted no time in heading off to the front and set a solid pace some three lengths clear of Queen’s Bay and Lisa Anne, with Jo Piper , Quick Single and Gluwein further back as the slow-starting Spiced Gold brought up the rear. Gibraltar Blue was certainly not hanging about in front as she turned for home, and do not for one moment be fooled into believing that she “stole” the race or that her rivals’ jockeys fell asleep in the race. One by one every other horse in the race began to come off the bridle not long after turning in, while Anton Marcus on Gibraltar Blue continued to sit with appeared to be a double handful until they approached the final 200m.
Marcus became much more animated with the favourite inside the last furlong. Those who had raced closest to Gibraltar Blue had all long since given up the chase and disappeared from contention, but Jet Trail was unwinding a strong late run wider out – so much so that she closed the gap dramatically in the last few strides and was only a neck behind Gibraltar Blue at the line. One never really had the feeling that Gibraltar Blue was going to be caught, but the winner had surely had enough at the finish. That is hardly surprising, given how much work she’d done under 60 kgs from the start, but one is left with the very strong feeling that 1600m is as far as Gibraltar
Blue cares to go.
This nevertheless looks like good form on paper, for Gibraltar Blue was conceding Jet Trail 3.5 kgs and the latter got to within about half-a-length of winning at Gr 1 level in the Woolavington 2000 during the winter. There was a further 1.75 lengths back to third placed Queen Mira, who ran on very strongly from nearly last on the turn. Candy Singer, a stable companion to the winner, made late headway and was another three-quarters of a length away in fourth, but second favourite Autumn Gold was never seen with a chance.
Irish import Gibraltar Blue was bred to northern hemisphere time and as such is entitled to be making more improvement at this stage than her SA-bred contemporaries. She’d shown her mettle when easily winning last season’s Gr 2 KZN Fillies Guineas less than a month after her real third birthday, and she will only turn four in April of next year. All things considered she put up a terrific display in the Ipi Tombe, and she is of course hugely effective over sprint distances as well, so there could be a very profitable 2011 in store (together perhaps with a first Gr 1 success) for the Klawervlei Stud colour-bearer. Gibraltar Blue’s only defeat from six South African starts came when she finished second in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint, but even at this early stage there must be a great chance that she will make amends in that Scottsville 1200m event next time around. A daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar, the Ipi Tombe winner is out of the Bluebird mare Holly Blue and was a winner in Ireland before being imported into South Africa.
Ipi Tombe Challenge (SAf-G2) (12/4)
Turffontein, South Africa, December 4, R300.000, 1600m, turf, good, 1.36.74 (CR 1.35.44).
GIBRALTAR BLUE (IRE), 60.0, ch f 4, Rock of Gibraltar (IRE) – Holly Blue (GB) by Bluebird. Owner Klawervelei Stud; breeder Annalee Bloodstock & Rockhart Trading (IRE); trainer MF de Kock; jockey A Marcus (R187.500)
Jet Trail (SAF), 56.5, b f 4, Jet Master (SAF) – Azabu Park (AUS) by Bletchley Park (IRE)
Queen Mira (AUS), 56.5, b f 4, Danehill Dancer (IRE) – Celtic Queen (IRE) by Sadler’s Wells
Margins: nk, 1¾, ¾
Also ran: Candy Singer (ARG) 57.0, Gluwein (SAF) 59.0, Secret Babe (SAF) 56.5, Autumn Gold (SAF) 57.0, Jo Piper (SAF) 56.5, Precedent (SAF) 57.5, Tree Of Perfection (SAF) 56.5, Lisa Anne (SAF) 57.0, Queen’s Bay (SAF) 59.0, Quick Single (SAF) 56.5, Spiced Gold (SAF) 59.0
