An inability to speak his owner’s language proved a godsend for Summerveld trainer Frank Robinson when he purchased the classy Dynasty filly Olma at the 2013 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale. A caution from an astute colleague was thrown to the wind and Olma finally cracked a long overdue first stakes win when scoring in Friday evening’s R250 000 Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes at Greyville.
Olma waltzes in to score her first stakes win
The traditional KZN New Year’s day fixture looked tailormade at the weights for the Rusland Bifov owned Olma, who didn’t disappoint her supporters with a fluent victory.
And on this showing, she looks like a decent KZN Champions Season prospect as a mature 4yo.
“Muis Roberts came up to me after I had signed for her and said she had cysts on her stifles. My spoken Russian is very limited so I was not in a position to try and explain that to my client. But all’s well that ends well!” laughed the experienced Robinson about a not so rags-to-riches tale of going with your eye, your heart and a simple good gut feel.
Olma has always shown herself to be way above average and after campaigning at Gr1 level as a 3yo, her happy trainer conceded on Friday evening that she may not quite stay as far as he had always believed she would. She certainly looks very effective up to 2000m.
Ian Sturgeon, who travelled to Russia a few years back for an unsuccessful Gr2 bid, finally cracked the Gr3 for the same owner.
Olma as a yearling
Sturgeon rode a confident race some five lengths off the pace.
“She pulled me up the hill and I don’t always like that. But she went through with it beautifully and won well,” he said.
After Lertasha had set a healthy gallop, Olma ran on powerfully to beat the late finishing Lala by 2 lengths in a time of 94,68 secs.
Cassie O’Malley ran above her mark to finish third and a further 2,75 lengths back, with her stablemate Brown Sugar in fourth.
Sean Tarry’s second favourite In Other Words failed to take the step up after four wins on the trot and faded out to 5,15 lengths off the winner.
The Cheveley Stud bred Olma is a daughter of Dynasty out of the UK placed Danzig mare, Theas Dance.
She cost R450 000 at the National Yearling Sale (cysts and all!) when signed for by Malkinsky Stud.
Olma has now won 6 races with 3 places from 16 starts and took her stakes to R484 125.
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Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes (SAf-Gr3)
Greyville, South Africa, January 1, R250k, 1600m, turf, good, 1.34.68
1 – OLMA (SAF), 60.0, b f 4, Dynasty (SAF) – Theas Dance (GB) by Danzig (USA). Owner Mr Z Bifov; Breeder Cheveley Stud; trainer F Robinson; jockey I Sturgeon
2 – Lala (SAF), 55.0, ch f 3, Visionaire (USA) – Hlabelela (SAF) by Muhtafal (USA)
3 – Cassie O’malley (SAF), 60.0, b f 4, Jet Master (SAF) – Antonia’s Lass (SAF) by Jallad (USA)
Margins: 2.00, 2.75, 0.05
