A longstanding supporter of South African horseracing, Khaya Stables’ Lady Christine Laidlaw enjoyed a ‘wonderful day’, in her own words, at a humid Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Sunday.
The international owner led in two winners, including her lightly-raced home-bred Gimme A Prince, who won the R450 000 Gr2 Cape Merchants in emphatic fashion.
Coming in off a fast-finishing second behind Resonate in the Listed Southeaster Sprint in October, the clearly very smart and versatile Dean Kannemeyer charge Gimme A Prince started favourite and stamped himself a smart prospect when skipping clear late to register a top-class victory in a race where Winning Form-sponsored Keagan de Melo rode him with supreme confidence.
Gimme A Prince storms clear under Keagan de Melo (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
There are few standouts in the speed ranks at the moment, and while the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship is run at weight-for-age over 200m shorter, that and the Diadem Stakes (sponsored by Khaya Stables), stand out as likely targets for a horse who has already won over 1400m on the KZN all-weather track.
Coming into the final 200m on Sunday, Gimme A Prince (7-2) had them under pressure and he went on well to beat the smart 3yo We’re Jamming (11-2) by 2 lengths in a time of 71,1 secs.
Bereave (25-2) flew up late for third a head back, with Piet Steyn’s Cape Met entry Gem Queen (50-1) running a cracker as he boosted the quartet by running into fourth.
Jockey Keagan de Melo, who was riding his 112th winner of his peak season to date, said that Gimme A Prince gave him ‘goosebumps’.
The Khaya Stables bred winner is a 4yo gelded son of champion sire Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) out of the smashing Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint winner Real Princess.
A delighted Mzwandile Morris Mgcube shows off his Khaya Star Grooms initiative award (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Like Gimme A Prince, the Klawervlei daughter of Trippi was raced by Khaya Stables for Dean Kannemeyer.
Real Princess was the most expensive filly sold at the 2013 Cape Premier Yearling Sale (Book 1) when knocked down to Form Bloodstock for R2,7 million. Gimme A Prince is her first foal, with the unraced The Real Prince currently in training with the powerful yard.
This was Gimme A Prince’s maiden stakes success and his first victory on Cape soil. He took his tally to 4 wins and a place from 6 starts for stakes of R475 700.
A passionate and well-invested owner, race sponsor and a benefactor of the sport via the Star Grooms initiative, Lady Laidlaw has enjoyed her racing in South Africa since 2008 when purchasing the subsequent dual Guineas winner and sire, Noordhoek Flyer. She has since celebrated Gr1 success, including a Durban July victory with Power King in 2015.
The winners return to the lead-in (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
On Sunday Lady Laidlaw was accompanied by her niece and dedicated the win to her sister Patricia, who is ill.
She thanked the Dean Kannemeyer team and Form Bloodstock’s Jehan Malherbe after her ‘star of the day’, SA national log-leading rider Keagan de Melo, rode a confident race.
Dean Kannemeyer acknowledged Varsfontein Manager Carl de Vos who had told him early on that Gimme A Prince, then a foal, was ‘something special’.
Jehan Malherbe said that while Khaya Stables was the official breeder, Varsfontein deserved the accolades as they ‘caught the foals’ and did all the work.
Watch the replay here:
Earlier in the afternoon, Brett Crawford saddled the handsome grey Silvano’s Dasher to victory for Khaya Stables.
