Our Baby! Virgo’s Babe (MJ Odendaal) storms clear to win the SA Nursery
The bomb dropped once again in the R400 000 Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery run at Turffontein on Saturday! Nobody took the David Niewenhuizen trained Virgo’s Babe too seriously but the Midlands Thoroughbreds product scooted home as if winning is the only way she knows how.
After the massive strike by the then Kimberley based King’s Temptress in the 2012 running, punters expected things to revert to normal this time round. It was not to be though!
The Australian bred Arcetri Pink was all the rage after two wins, including a smooth victory in the Pretty Polly Stakes. But after showing up prominently, she had no answer for an ordinary little lady from down the road, and the highly vaunted sort faded disappointingly to finish out of the money.
The oace was on from the jump with Tiger Quest leading the stampede from Usisi and For The Lads, with Arcetri Pink beautifully poised for her assault.
At the 300m marker Virgo’s Babe shot clear and went on to draw and win by an extending five lengths in a time of 67, 03 secs.
Dom Zaki’s Tiger Quest held on relatively well for a maiden in second, while the Ramsden visitor Icy Winter Air ran on well enough for third after being outpaced early.
The 28 to 1 shot Virgo’s Babe was a first Group winner for trainer David Nieuwenhuizen.
Winning jockey MJ Odendaal said that he thought the formline was strong going into the race: “I must give David (Nieuwenhuizen) ten out of ten for keeping Virgo’s Babe on the boil.This is a big win for a relatively small yard and is a great achievement,” he said.
Trainer David Nieuwenhuizen said that Virgo’s Babe ‘is a lovely filly who will go 1400m.”
Virgo’s Babe was bred by Midlands Thoroughbreds and is by Malhub out of the unraced Special Preview mare, Linzertorte.
A vote of confidence in the smaller yards and it goes to show we don’t only have three or four trainers capable of producing the Group winners.
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SA Fillies Nursery (SAf-G2) (4/27) Turffontein, South Africa, April 27, R400.000, 1160m, turf, good, 1.07.03 . 1 – VIRGO’S BABE (SAF), 58.0, ch f 2, Malhub (USA) – Linzertorte (SAF) by Special Preview (SAF) . Owner DR & M Foster and T Pandaran; breeder Midlands Thoroughbreds; trainer D Niewenhuizen; jockey M Odendaal (R250.000) 2 – Tiger Quest (AUS), 58.0, b f 2, Where’s That Tiger (USA) – Sempervirent (AUS) by Canny Lad (AUS) 3 – Icy Winter Air (SAF), 58.0, b f 2, Western Winter (USA) – Icy Air (SAF) by Jallad (USA) Margins: 5, nk, 1½
