Too Strong! Alec Forbes keeps Louvre at her her task to win the Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes
A courageous galloping display from the front from the Doowaley mare Louvre was the highlight of an exciting finish to the R250 000 Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes run over 1450m at Clairwood on Saturday. Jockey Alec Forbes showed again why he is one of the most underrated judges of pace in the country.
Forbes rode an ingeniously judged race from the front to give Louvre a deserved first stakes victory in a career spanning 31 races that commenced in October 2010.
She recently switched yards from Weiho Marwing to the Ashburton operation of Duncan Howells, and the move has paid instant dividends.
Punters were not thrilled when Anton Marcus (Happy Archer) and Piere Strydom (Earth’s Orbit) were stood down. While they were replaced by two capable men in MJ Odendaal and JP van Der Merwe respectively, Marcus and Strydom are included often as automatic choices in the exotics purely because of their engagements.
Despite the start being bizarrely delayed due to various runners going into the incorrect stalls, the field got away on level terms with the strong frontrunning Louvre taking up to lead almost immediately from Espumanti, Earth’s Orbit and Comtesse Dubois.
Into the home run Louvre continued to gallop with Earth’s Orbit challenging and Princess Victoria climbing all over a wall of horses.
At the 300m marker Alec Forbes squeezed the Doowaley mare again and she kicked as the challenges came.
At this crucial stage Bernard Fayd’herbe found himself with nowhere to go on the favourite Princess Victoria and her chances were ruined as the bird had flown and the race was over. It was not one of Fayd’herbe’s most memorable riding moments.
Louvre won by 0,25 lengths in a time of 87,28 secs, and she finished 0,25 lengths ahead of Espumanti, with Earth’s Orbit a further head away in third and Halfway To Heaven, who has yet to spark in KZN, in fourth.
The odds on favourite Princess Victoria was 1,10 lengths behind in a blanket finish in sixth. She certainly deserves another chance as she was hemmed in at a crucial late stage.
Louvre was bred by D Cohen & Sons and is by Doowaley out of the twice winning Saumarez mare, Prive.
She has now won 8 races with 14 places from 31 starts and R761 175 in stakes.
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Tibouchina S. (SAf-G2) (6/8) Clairwood, South Africa, June 8, R250.000, 1450m, turf, good, 1.27.28. 1-LOUVRE (SAF), 60.0, b m 5, Doowaley (IRE) – Prive (SAF) by Saumarez (GB) . Owner S Govender, D Moodley, D Moodley, KN Naidoo & N Ramiah; breeder D Cohen & Sons; trainer DC Howells; jockey A Forbes (R156.250) 2-Espumanti (GB), 57.0, br f 3, Dansili (GB) – Jouet (GB) by Reprimand (GB) . 3-Earth’s Orbit (SAF), 58.5, b f 3, Captain Al (SAF) – Venturesome (SAF) by Rakeen (USA) Margins: nk, nose, nk
