Var’s one-eyed daughter Hanabi opened her stakes account in style at Kenilworth on Sunday when she went all the way up the 1200m outside rail to win the R150 000 Listed Olympic Duel Stakes.
Lucian Africa keeps Hanabi to her task (Pic – Wayne Marks)
The Oldlands Stud-bred daughter of Var lost her left eye in an accident with the branch of a tree as a youngster but her impaired vision has not been an obstacle in her ability to run.
“Eric Sands and his owners lease her from me and it was very good of him to try with her. We could not have sent her to sale. I am thrilled and she is so typical of this game and gutsy family,” said a happy Mrs Barbara Sanne after the race.
Lucian Africa had Hanabi out quickly and despite the attentions of Scandola and China Pearl in the inside group, she galloped on resolutely.
Eric Sands -trained the winner
The year younger unbeaten Trippi filly Love To Boogie came out to challenge at the 200m and looked a winner, but a determined Hanabi and jockey Africa weren’t going down without a fight and they held on to win at 25 to 1 by 0,30 lengths in a time of 72,06 secs.
Love To Boogie, who was the second of a frustrating feature narrow defeat for the Nel-Van Niekerk combination on the beautiful afternoon, was coming off an unbeaten two straight wins and she looks smart, while another daughter of Var in Miss Marker ran third.
Hanabi registered a hat-trick of wins and took her tally to 5 wins with 6 places from 16 starts for stakes of R355 125.
Bred by Oldlands, she is raced by a partnership that includes the Sands Grooms Racing Trust.
Hanabi is a 4yo daughter of Var out of the four-time winning Modern Day mare, Cyber Toy.
The mare, who gets her progeny to run, has a yearling colt at foot by Ashaawes and he is likely to be offered at the National 2yo Sale, according to Mrs Sanne.
