It’s been a while between drinks for the well travelled Australian-bred mare Roy’s Riviera. But she put the Joburg feature hard-luck stories behind her in good style and stamped her class when sweeping to a deserved victory in the R250 000 Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes at a buzzing Hollywoodbets Greyville on Thursday.
History gave an indicator to the outcome of Thursday’s feature for the stats buffs, with Roy’s Riviera’s third in 2017 to Hashtagyolo, and second last year behind the talented Camphoratus, suggesting that 2019 was going to be her year if she maintained the curve.
Bernard Fayd’herbe has Roy’s Riviera well in command (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The final KZN feature of 2019 produced a favourable result for punters with the top two fancied runners filling the exacta.
That said, the bumper R1 827 000 Pick 6 carrot was a more difficult catch with a few rocky results early on making things difficult and paying a dividend of R1 271 983.
The Flamboyant Stakes was run over the turf mile at weight-for-age plus Gr1 win penalties, and on her best fringe form over time in decent company, the mature Roy’s Riviera had to be a serious contender.
Hotter than July! The crowd at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Boxing Day (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
And the signs were there when Bernard Fayd’herbe accepted the invite to ride Roy Moodley’s game mare from trainer Frank Robinson.
Allowed to settle in midfield as Warren Kennedy had the favourite Vistula (7-4) neatly positioned in the box seat in the run for home, Roy’s Riviera (9-2) was switched in and under a typical Fayd’herbe left-handed urge she found her best stride and surged into lead to win convincingly by 1,25 lengths in a time of 96,71 secs.
Silent Crusade (13-2) kept the hometown flag flying in third with another game and consistent effort, while Waiting For Change (40-1) gave the quartet a boost in fourth.
The Baramul Stud-bred Roy’s Riviera is a daughter of Vinery’s Casino Prince stallion All Too Hard. She was purchased for A$70,000 at the 2016 Gold Coast Magic Millions by World Wide Bloodstock, who signed the chit on behalf of owner Roy Moodley
A half-sister to the Listed Strutt Stakes winner Sebring Sally, she is out of the Anabaa mare, Donna Amata and has won 5 races with 11 places from 28 starts for stakes of R716 800.
Her trainer feels she will be a force to be reckoned with in the 2020 SA Champions Season.
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Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes (SAf-Gr3)
Greyville, South Africa, December 26, R250k, 1600m, turf, good, 1.36.71
1 – ROY’S RIVIERA (AUS), 58.0, b m 5, All Too Hard (AUS) – Donna Amata (AUS) by Anabaa (USA). Owner Mr Roy Moodley; Breeder bred in Australia; trainer F Robinson; jockey B Fayd’herbe
2 – Vistula (SAF), 60.0, b f 4, Ideal World (USA) – Venus Rising (SAF) by Second Empire (IRE)
3 – Silent Crusade (SAF), 58.0, b f 4, Crusade (USA) – Silver Fantasy (SAF) by Silvano (GER)
Margins: 1.25, 0.75, 0.05
