Confidence and class! That’s the Richard Fourie trademark and the Cape lightweight demonstrated his skills again when overcoming a wide draw on the class Cape challenger Oh Susanna to take advantage of the tailwind and go all the way to win the R400 000 Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes at Greyville on Saturday.
Courage and class! Richard Fourie drives Oh Susanna to a big win from the draw (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
Fourie and Snaith picked up a Gr1 at the same venue with a similar swashbuckling ride in the Woolavington 2000 a week earlier (and another on Saturday!) and the class filly of the race didn’t disappoint when she put her ears back late as Fourie gave a half delighted bounce from the saddle to hold his advantage to the line and score by a quarter length in a time of 83,45 secs.
The multiple Gr1 winner, the first 3yo filly to grab the honours in the Sun Met in over a century when she secured the prized trophy in the Cape flagship in 2018, Oh Susanna was just too smart on the day and we must wonder why the wide barrier gate ever concerned us.
Power team Snaith Racing (photo: Wayne Marks)
The eyecatching run of the race came from the lightly exposed Sean Tarry 3yo In The Dance – a Gimmethegreenlight half sister to champion Capetown Noir – who stormed up late to keep Fourie’s mind on the job. This was a good effort and pencil her name in!
Local trainer Mark Dixon would have been thrilled to have his Crusade 3yo Silent Crusade – a three time winner from five starts – who was definitely not disgraced with a valiant effort a further 1,50 lengths away in third.
The winner was bred by Drakenstein Stud and is by Street Cry out of the valuable USA six-time winner Sharp Susan (Touch Gold), who was purchased for A$1 million in foal to Street Cry in 2012.
Oh Susanna has won 6 races with 5 places from 14 starts for stakes of R5 397 375.
She has been scratched from the July.
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Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes (SAf-Gr2)
Greyville, South Africa, June 8, R400k, 1400m, turf, good, 1.23.45
1 – OH SUSANNA (SAF), 60.0, bl/br f 4, Street Cry (USA) – Sharp Susan (USA) by Touch Gold (USA). Owner Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert); Breeder Drakenstein Stud; trainer J Snaith; jockey R Fourie
2 – In The Dance (SAF), 55.5, b f 3, Gimmethegreenlight (AUS) – Akinfeet (SAF) by Fort Wood (USA)
3 – Silent Crusade (SAF), 55.5, b f 3, Crusade (USA) – Silver Fantasy (SAF) by Silvano (GER)
Margins: 0.25, 1.50, 0.40
