Probably best remembered as the horse that gave Richard Fourie a record equalling 334th winner when scoring in the Hollywoodbets Sharks Listed Gatecrasher Stakes on the East Coast last season, the Justin Snaith-trained Great Plains stamped himself a likely classic prospect with an eyecatching victory in the R300 000 Gr3 Cape Classic at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
While owner Nic Jonsson pragmatically suggested afterwards that ‘we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves’, it was the manner of Great Plains cavalier rails dash in a fast-run race that caught the eye as he got the better of the clearly talented Boundless Energy, who was bidding to make it three on the trot.
Great Plains wins a good race under Gran van Niekerk (Pic- Chase Liebenberg)
Great Plains (4-1) was tote favourite and accounted for the smart finishing Boundless Energy (4-1) by a half length in a decent 85,15 secs for the 1400m winter track.
The Drakenstein bred Great Plains was a first stakes winner at the time when winning the Gatecrasher for his sire Danon Platina (Deep Impact) and is out of the one-time winning Var mare, Mara.
Danon Platina also sired Luhaba Phambili, the earlier winner at the same venue of the Need For Speed Sprint
He cost R700 000 at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale and took his tally to 4 wins with a place from his 7 starts for stakes of R515 625.
Trainer Justin Snaith suggested that the obvious route of the Cape Punters Cup into the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas may not be the programme for Great Plains. We wait to see.
Great Plains was a third winner on the day for the Grant van Niekerk-Justin Snaith combination.
Snaith saddled four winners, with JP van der Merwe booting Lickety Split home in the Pick 6 opener.
