Trainer Alan Greeff has dominated the R700 000 Eastern Cape Fillies & Mares Challenge this season and after Clear Sailing’s win in the first leg, his smart Gimmethegreenlight 3yo Beataboutthebush handed her rivals a galloping lesson in Friday’s second leg – the R150 000 Listed East Cape Paddock Stakes.
Beataboutthebush and Greg Cheyne grab the feature accolades at Fairview on Friday (Pic – Pauline Herman Photography)
There will be no winner of the fairer sex R250 000 ‘Triple Crown’ bonus this season – it takes a really good one to won from 1200m to 2000m – but Greeff must fancy his chances in the third leg, the 2000m Jockey Club Stakes, after the progressive Beataboutthebush won so well on Friday.
The only 3yo in a line-up that included some hard-knocking out-of-province seniors, the Listed Breeders Guineas winner was produced at the 400m by the Highlands sponsored Greg Cheyne and drew off to beat Span Die Seile, putting in a solid first PE run, by 1,50 lengths in a time of 99,05 secs.
Greg Cheyne – nice feature win on a day of a few frustrating seconds
Crackpot ran her usual game race a quarter length back in third, with Trini’s Colateral in fourth. Cup Cake looked dangerous late but failed to go through with her run and finished just out of the money – showing that the mile is just beyond her best.
Beataboutthebush, a half sister to former Gr3 East Cape Derby winner True Master, was a R300 000 buy from the 2015 National Two Year Old Sale.
Bred by Varsfontein, she is a first crop daughter of Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) out of the seven-time winner Bushra (Badger Land).
Beataboutthebush has won 5 races with 3 places from 8 starts for stakes of R365 200.
She must be a candidate for the Champion 3yo Filly trophy at the East Cape Racing Awards next month.
