Ashton Arries opened his win account in the Eastern Cape with a well-balanced ride on Glen Kotzen raider Virginia Sweet to grab top honours in the R150 000 Listed East Cape Oaks at Fairview on Good Friday.
The Cape visitors dominated matters in the six horse field, with Kotzen’s William Longsword filly, a smart half-sister to Snaith champion Do It Again, scoring an overdue victory after two Cape seconds when getting the better of a short duel with the more fancied Snaith galloper Silverlinks in a thrilling finish.
Ashton Arries has Viginia Sweet in command as Silverlinks puts her head into the frame (Pic -Pauline Herman)
Drawing clear late in windy conditions, Arries got Virginia Sweet (15-4) into full stride to beat Silverlinks (5-4) by 1,15 lengths in a time of 122,95 secs.
Sharon Kotzen, who saddled the winner on behalf of Glen Kotzen, had Medlers Tart (11-2) run into third.
Riaan van Reenen – great success with Friday’s winner’s dam
Raced and bred by Lammerskraal Stud, the winner is a daughter of Captain Al’s Gr1 winning son William Longsword out of the diminutive High Season Stud-bred six-time winner Sweet Virginia, a daughter of Casey Tibbs out of the Royal Prerogative mare, Millie Bovana.
Sweet Virginia was purchased for R160 000 by George Naidoo of the Summerveld Trust and sent to Dennis Drier. After an ordinary debut at Hollywoodbets Scottsville she was transferred to the Cape, where she was ultimately gifted to past Glen Puller assistant Riaan van Reenen, then just starting on his own.
Sweet Virginia achieved 5 wins at 3, proving herself the lion-hearted heroine of the 2005 Cape Winter Series by defeating the boys – including subsequent Gr1 winner, African Appeal – in the 1800m Gr3 Winter Classic and repeating the feat in the 2400m Gr3 Winter Derby.
Good enough to be entered for the 2007 J&B Met, a foot injury left her watching from the sidelines as African Appeal, who she beat easily in the Winter Classic, ran third.
Sweet Virginia (photo: Lammerskraal Stud)
Riaan van Reenen gave George Naidoo a 50% share and she won the Gr3 Final Fling Stakes in the Summerveld silks, defeating subsequent Gr1 winner Saraband by 2 lengths. Sweet Virginia retired with 6 wins and 12 places from 40 starts and is fondly described by Riaan as the best and gamest horse he ever trained.
A prolific producer of winners, Sweet Virginia’s offspring include Do It Again (Twice Over), a dual Durban July winner and 2018/19 Horse Of The Year with earnings in excess of R9 million and Strongman (Stronghold) who made R18 ,000 at the 2012 CYPS and won the Sophomore Sprint before being exported to Hong Kong to race as Horse Of Fortune for another 7 wins and in excess of R30 million in earnings.
Other winners from Sweet Virginia are Mighty Emperor (Kahal), sold to Pat Shaw to race in Singapore He was a winner of 8 races and in excess of R5 million in earnings.
Watch the replay of the 2023 Listed East Cape Oaks:
The next Fairview racemeeting is on Friday 14 April.
