Val De Ra
Val De Ra returned from a six month absence to make a successful Cape Town debut in the Tony Taberer Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m at Kenilworth on Saturday. This was a highly appropriate and emotional success for the Avontuur Stud-bred and owned mare, for it was the first time that the race carried the name of the Late owner of Avontuur and was run on the same card as the Avontuur-sponsored Fillies Guineas. Just for good measure, she is of course a daughter of Avontuur resident sire Var. What more could you want by way of portents, asks MATTHEW LIPS.
Val De Ra had not been seen since winning the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint at Scottsville in late May, but she went off as a 7/20 favourite in a field of ten after being available at 5/10 in the ante-post market for this WFA fillies and mares event. Covenant, winner of the equivalent race in 2010 and starting for the first time since the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint at Clairwood in July, was the 4/1 second favourite. State Blue (9/1) was the only other runner with a starting price in single digits.
Val De Ra was quickly away and was prominent from the start as her paternal half sister Varushka showed plenty of early speed. Lake Drawsko and Nova Zembla were closest to the two daughters of Var early on, with State Blue and Covenant further back. Varushka was under pressure coming to the last 300m and Val De Ra was soon galloping clear of her nine rivals, with no intention of stopping. Dennis Drier’s mare had the race won a furlong out and only had to be steered home by Alec Forbes to win by two lengths from State Blue, who ran on stoutly to get the better of Covenant for second place by half-a-length. It was another 2.5 lengths away to Lake Drawsko in fourth.
Covenant stayed on and looked to have second place in the bag until late in the race. Mike Bass’ filly could have just needed the run and will no doubt be aimed at the Gr 2 Sceptre Stakes over 1200m in January, a race which she is also won last season. She may be lucky enough to avoid Val De Ra in that race as the latter is likely to be aimed at the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship over 1000m against male rivals later in January instead, but when all is said and done Covenant finished the identical distance (2.5 lengths) behind Val De Ra as when she finished third in the SA Fillies Sprint.
Val De Ra has no peers amongst sprinting fillies at present, and over the minimum trip there are precious few –if any – males who can lower her colours, either. She destroyed the boys when she won the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint back in the autumn, and they will all have their work cut out to beat her in the Cape Flying Championship even if there was a whole lot to like about the way What A Winter won his comeback race the previous weekend.
“She is absolutely brilliant,” said Alec Forbes of Val De Ra after the Southern Cross, adding that “she had won with no stick” and complimenting her trainer for being “a master conditioner.” Drier himself didn’t want to make any firm commitments to future plans for his five-year-old, saying that “we’ll see what happens and take it from there,” but he did obviously make mention of the Cape Flying Championship as a likely target. Whatever the future holds, Val De Ra has made a miraculous recovery after finding herself almost at death’s door in the second half of 2010 and she looked as good as ever in this first appearance of the current season.
Val De Ra is the third foal and third winner produced from Elliodor mare Minelli, who won four races over 1200/1600m and who was afforded the honour of having one of the minor races on Saturday’s card named after her. Needless to say, Var had a race named after him, too. Val De Ra failed to reach her R300 000 reserve when offered at the 2008 National Yearling Sale and has now won ten races from only 12 starts for stakes of R1 471 053.
Southern Cross S. (SAf-G2) (12/3)
Kenilworth, South Africa, December 3, R200.000, 1000m, turf, good, 58.72 (CR 56.67).
VAL DE RA (SAF), 60.0, ch m 5, Var – Minelli (SAF) by Elliodor (FR). Owner & breeder Avontuur Estate (SAF); trainer D R Drier; jockey A Forbes (R132.909)
State Blue (SAF), 60.0, ch m 5, National Assembly (CAN) – Jacaranda Blue (IRE) by Entrepreneur (GB)
Covenant (SAF), 60.0, b f 4, Western Winter – Secret Pact (SAF) by Bush Telegraph (SAF)
Margins: 2, ½, 2½
Also ran: Lake Drawsko (SAF) 60.0, Comtesse Dubois (SAF) 56.0, Princess Alberta (SAF) 56.0, Dance With Al (SAF) 60.0, Varushka (SAF) 60.0, Captain’s Emblem (SAF) 60.0, Nova Zembla (SAF) 60.0
