Hot Affair is on her own under Sean Cormack to win the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery (Equine Edge)
No race! That was the short outcome of the R200 000 Gr3 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery run over 1200m on soft going at the Southern Suburbs track on Saturday. Mike Robinson’s obviously smart Jay Peg filly Hot Affair handed out a galloping lesson of some note to her eight rivals, in the process showing some of the signs of the legendary guts and ability of her lionhearted Dad.
Sean Cormack missed out on Hot Affair’s victory in the Listed Prefect Promise Sprint last month as he had commitments to Dennis Drier’s yard at Scottsville, where he won the Umzimkhulu Stakes on the promising Eventual Angel.
But the Durban based rider flew into Cape Town for one ride on Saturday and it was all rather worth it, but very academic in the end.
No doubt young Xavier Carstens, who piloted Hot Affair to the win in the Perfect Promise Sprint would have been watching the outcome on the weighing room television set and thinking what could have been.
His chances will come.
Touted by the veteran Cape racing man Stan Elley as one of the best Nursery fields in years, the race was seen as wide open with Hot Affair, Heart Warming and eventual runner up Red Disa, all taking their turns at the top of the betting boards.
Mike and Luella Robinson
In the end it was no race, after Red Disa had reared badly in her 1 stall gate and the field was despatched to a level break.
Glen Kozten’s lovely Argentinian bred chestnut Aliysa’s Pride gave Hot Affair some cheek in the first 100m of the race but eventually resigned herself to follow the leader as Cormack bounced Hot Affair into a confident lead.
At the 400m it was patently a question of how far with Aliysa’s Pride running green but fighting on as Red Disa unleashed her effort.
At the line Hot Affair was 3 lengths clear and Red Disa showed resolve over what is probably short of her best to run on very well and snare second spot by just under a half length.
And what price the third placed Aliysa’s Pride in a maiden next time?
Greg Ennion’s consistent Perpetua was not disgraced in fourth and has had quite a busy programme.
Eventually going off as an 18 to 10 favourite, Hot Affair scored her second consecutive stakes win in a time of 73,18 secs.
Sean Cormack rode a confident race
The Mike Bass trained Heart Warming went off at 28 to 10 second favourite after her cracking maiden win last Saturday. The daughter of Miesque’s Approval appeared outclassed and finished 13,15 lengths behind the winner.
Hot Affair is Jay Peg’s fourth stakes winner (third individual) and was bred by Nutfield Stud out of the Captain Al mare, Wild Liasion, who never won. That makes her a half brother to the two time winning Var colt Gabronza.
Wild Liaison is being offered on the forthcoming Cape Mare and Weanling Sale.
Hot Affair has won 2 races from 3 starts and took her earnings to R204 750.
Hot Affair cost just R70 000 on the Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 2. She races for the well known partnership of Marsh Shirtliff and Bryn Ressell.
Trainer Mike Robinson’s charge will probably stay as far as a mile but right now looks a formidable sprinter in the making.
She will be taking some time off though.
The Stipes reported as follows:
HOT AFFAIR (S Cormack) returned suffering from an epistaxis due to an exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage and is suspended, for a period of 90 days, from racing in any race under the jurisdiction of The National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa in terms of Rule 93.1.
