Jackodore
Jackodore – one of only two three-year-olds in a field of eleven females – proved too swift for foot for her rivals when justifying her role as 15/10 favourite for the Magnolia Handicap over 1160m down the Turffontein straight course on Sunday. In the process, Jackodore recorded her first Feature race success, having finished fourth when possibly finding 1400m a touch too far in her solitary previous attempt in a black type contest, writes MATTHEW LIPS.
Jackodore had been well weighted in a novice plate when trotting up by eight lengths over 1200m at the Vaal ten days earlier, for which she earned a six pound penalty, but she looked to still be potentially well handicapped and was a popular favourite to land the Magnolia. Flowers Of Spring was supported from an ante-post call of 7/1 to start as the 5/1 second favourite, with former Gr 1 Allan Robertson Fillies Championship winner Chocolicious (11/2) most favoured of the others in her third appearance since she returned from a visit to the Dubai carnival earlier this year.
Jackodore was up with the speed from the start, allowing Forest Lecture to lead early but soon asserting herself to pick it up as Carey’s Qui, Flowers Of Spring, and Waywest Goddess showed considerable toe as well. Chocolicious was several lengths off the early action, with Larussa and Fair Rosalind – winner of the corresponding race a year ago – amongst the backmarkers. Flowers Of Spring was still right in contention well inside the final furlong before running out of gas close home, while Chocolocious ran on strongly from off the pace, but the bird had flown. Jackodore never really looked in danger inside the last 100m or so and was kept up to her task by Robbie Fradd to beat Chocolicious by three-quarters of a length.
Larussa ran on stoutly late to finish 1.75 lengths further behind Chocolicious in third, with her stable companion Fair Rosalind also doing good work at the finish but having to settle for fourth place this time around, a neck behind Larussa. Fields Of Spring tired late to finish fifth, 2.80 lengths behind the winner, with the likes of Waywest Goddess (runner-up to Chocolicious in the Allan Robertson of 2010) and Carey’s Qui fading out of contention altogether.
It was a promising effort in second from Chocolicious, who is threatening to get back into the winner’s enclosure at any moment and who conceded a substantial 6 kgs to the year-younger Jackodore. The winner was actually half-a-kilo out at the weights, but it was always on the cards that she would prove up to the task at hand and she is certainly a useful sort, although it remains to be seen whether she is really close to top notch. She seems best suited to distances around 1200m, at least for the time being, and there will be opportunities for Sean Tarry’s filly to add to her haul of Feature race victories in basically similar events next year. She has done little wrong, especially when racing in a straight line, and she’s still getting better.
Jackodore is a daughter of the Danehill stallion Toreador, who never won a black type race himself (although he failed by only a head to win at Gr 1 level) but who has made a more than satisfactory start to his career at stud. She is the fifth foal and third winner produced from Shoe Danzig mare I’m Alright Jack, who won one race over 1400m. It is possible on pedigree that Jackodore will still prove very effective over distances around 1400m, but she is in-bred 3×3 to the spectacularly quick Danzig and as such it would come as no surprise if sprinting remained her forte. Bred by The Alchemy and bought for R95 000 at the 2010 Cape Summer Yearling Sale, Jackodore has won three times from seven starts for R233 975 in stakes.
Magnolia Hcp (SAf-G3) (12/4)
Turffontein, South Africa, December 4, R165.000, 1160m, turf, good, 1.06.36 (CR 1.05.12).
JACKODORE (SAF), 52.0, b f 3, Toreador (IRE) – I’m Alright Jack (SAF) by Shoe Danzig. Owner C J H van Niekerk; breeder The Alchemy (SAF); trainer S G Tarry; jockey R Fradd (R103.125)
Chocolicious (SAF), 58.0, b f 4, Kahal (GB) – Candy Box (SAF) by Exclusive Patriot
Larussa (SAF), 52.0, b f 3, Doowaley (IRE) – Magic Girl (SAF) by Model Man (SAF)
Margins: ¾, 1¾, nk
Also ran: Fair Rosalind (SAF) 56.0, Flowers Of Spring (SAF) 54.0, Onehundredacrewood (SAF) 58.5, Kalaam (SAF) 53.5, Waywest Goddess (SAF) 58.0, Forest Lecture (SAF) 52.0, Carey’s Qui (SAF) 60.0
