Racing in similar conditions to those on which she won the Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery last season, Paul Peter’s talented Soft Falling Rain filly Heavens Girl put it all together at only her third run as a 3yo when winning the R150 000 Listed Bauhinia Handicap as the curtain came down on the weather impacted Turffontein Sunday racemeeting.
Trainer Paul Peter (3 winners) and jockey Warren Kennedy enjoyed a feature double on the delayed afternoon after River Queraress won the Ruffian Stakes earlier.
Warren Kennedy keeps his head down as Heavens Girl powers on out front to win a cracker – May Queen (Denis Schwarz) tries hard in second (Pic – JC Photos)
And Heavens Girl’s (10-1) victory was Kennedy at his confident best as the KZN-based champion appeared to have plenty underneath him as he glanced left and right after hitting the front late.
The winning margin of 0,20 lengths may have flattered the 33-1 runner-up May Queen (33-1) under replacement rider, Denis Schwarz.
She chased for all she was worth, but one just had the sense that Heavens Girl was too good and she clocked 56,89 secs in the fastest 1000m on the afternoon.
A R110 000 2020 BSA Cape Yearling Sale graduate, the winner is an Ndoro Stud-bred daughter of Wilgerbosdrift’s ill-fated National Assembly sire Soft Falling Rain. She is out of the Dynasty one-time winner Maggie Muggins.
She has won 3 races with 6 places from 10 starts for stakes of R400 000.
The meeting was abandoned after this race. The Acacia Stakes will be run on Classic Day.
