Covenant registered her second Graded race success in less than a month when easily taking out the Sceptre Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth on Sunday. The three-year-old had won the Gr 2 Southern Cross Stakes over 200m less four weeks previously, and in some style, but Sunday’s race marked her first attempt at 1200m and some pundits had a few question marks over whether she would see it out. Now, they know, writes Matthew Lips.
It was Dance With Al who went off as the 22/10 favourite in a 16 horse field for this WFA fillies’ and mares’ event. With four course-and-distance wins to her credit, most recently against male rivals in the Gr 2 Merchants in November, Dance With Al looked to have a sound chance in a race where her owner Hassen Adams was represented by five runners and her trainer Justin Snaith by four. Covenant was the 9/2 second favourite, with Madrisa the third choice of punters at 6/1.
Covenant was quickly away, but instead of breezing along up front as she has frequently done over the minimum distance she was settled in just behind the leaders and raced in around third spot as Madrisa set a brisk pace from Pisces Star. Dance With Al was right in touch with the leading trio, with Country Girl further back. Dance With Al was delivered with her challenge more than 200m out, running on well between horses to pick it up inside the final furling, but Covenant soon put the year-older favourite firmly in her place.
Quickening well when Karl Neisius gave her the green light, Covenant ranged up to Dance With Al 100m out and drew clear in the final stages to beat the market leader by 2.25 lengths. State Blue was running on steadily and finished within half-a-length of her stable companion Dance With Al in third place, with Madrisa tiring late to finish another length away in fourth. Very few every really got into this with a serious chance, and while Dance With Al did everything she could she ultimately proved to be no match for an obviously talented and progressive winner.
As noted in this newspaper after her Southern Cross success, Covenant has a pedigree to die for. A daughter of Western Winter, she is out of London News’ dual Stakes-winning full sister Secret Pact and is therefore a half sister to dual Gr 1 winner Promisefromyheart and to Listed winner Secret Heart. The last named is in turn of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Pluck, whose primary goal for the first half of the 2011 European season is evidently a tilt at the Irish 2000 Guineas. What a win by Pluck at the Curragh would do for Covenant’s already enormous value as a prospective broodmare is obvious enough.
Whether Covenant will stay much further than 1200m remains to be seen, although the way she finished the Sceptre Stakes off was certainly encouraging. There is not much left for her at the Cape this season if connections are unwilling to stretch her to races around the turn, but an obvious longer term objective must be the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint at Scottsville in the winter. A win at the highest level would really put a cherry on the cake for the Mike Bass-trained Covenant.
Owned by her breeders the Varsfontein Stud, Covenant has won four times from seven starts and earned R345 850 in stakes.
Sceptre S. (SAf-G2) (1/2)
Kenilworth, South Africa, January 2, R200.000, 1200m, turf, good, 1.12.46 (CR 1.09.90).
COVENANT (SAF), 56.5, b f 3, Western Winter – Secret Pact (SAF) by Bush Telegraph (SAF). Owner & breeder Varsfontein Stud (SAF); trainer MW Bass; jockey K Neisius (R132.609)
Dance With Al (SAF), 60.0, b m 5, Captain Al (SAF) – Dancing Miss (SAF) by Dancing Champ
State Blue (SAF), 60.0, ch f 4, National Assembly (CAN) – Jacaranda Blue (IRE) by Entrepreneur (GB)
Margins: 2¼, ½, 1
Also ran: Madrisa (SAF) 56.5, Twinkle Star (SAF) 60.0, Seal Of Approval (SAF) 60.0, Comet Chaser (SAF) 60.0, Pisces Star (SAF) 56.5, Edukat (SAF) 60.0, Possible Dream (SAF) 60.0, On Her Toes (SAF) 60.0, Maureen De Lago (AUS) 56.5, Country Girl (SAF) 56.5, Play Nice (SAF) 60.0, La Rosita () 60.0, Dream River (SAF) 56.5
