The Elusive Fort Filly Chitengo rounded off a happy day for Alec Laird and the Wilgerbosdrift-Mauritzfontein breeding partnership when she led for most of the 2400m journey to win the R150 000 Listed Aquanaut Handicap at Turffontein on Classic Day.
The fast improving filly, a daughter of Montjeu’s 100th stakes winner Gorongosa, was given a perfect ride by Gavin Lerena in a field that included some decent long-distance males.
Gavin Lerena steers Chitengo to a courageous win (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Mauritzfontein-sponsored Gavin Lerena, who won the opening race on the big day on Roman Royalty for Weiho Marwing, only had a handful of rides, but took full advantage and judged his race to perfection as the 33-10 favourite Chitengo lengthened her stride to win the Classic day feature finale by 3,50 lengths in a time of 155,10 secs.
Glider Pilot (11-2) ran on well for second, to shade Flichity By Farr (12-1) for third.
Chitengo is a Wilgerbosdrift-Maurtzfontein-bred daughter of Klipdrif Stud-based Equus Champion Elusive Fort (Fort Wood) – and his ninth stakes winner.
Chitengo is bred to stay all day and is out of the Irish-bred nine-time winning Montjeu mare Gorongosa. A €110,000 graduate of the 2008 Goffs Million Sale, Gorongosa, who won to 3200m for Mike de Kock, is out of the juvenile winner Parvenue, who is out of Patria, a winning full-sister to the Gr1 Middle Park Stakes winner Lycius and to the imported mare Sit Akul, who produced Gr.1 Gommagomma Challenge winner Eddington (Model Man).
Chitengo has won 5 races with 4 places from 17 starts for stakes of R484 475.
