Trainer Joey Ramsden’s high regard for his Silvano filly Epona was vindicated to some extent when the Klawervlei bred galloper stormed to a second career stakes victory in the R150 000 Listed East Coast Cup at Greyville on Friday evening.
Anton Marcus produces Epona at the right moment
It was the Milnerton conditioner’s second feature success of his KZN campaign after Attenborough won the Listed In Full Flight Stakes at Scottsville last month.
While obviously not ideal, the race, originally programmed for the turf, was switched to the polytrack after an inspection earlier in the day had revealed that the track had not dried out sufficiently following last week’s down-pours that saw over 200 mm of rain on the course.
The average penetrometer reading was 29 but the area near the finishing post, that does not receive as much sunlight as the rest of the course because of the shadow cast by the grandstand, read 34.
Mother Nature is unpredictable and the poly once again justified itself.
Gold Circle were naturally mindful of the potential medium term damage to the turf track with the majority of the SA Champions Season still lying ahead. Only the Betting World 1900 went ahead as carded on the turf.
Joey Ramsden – good form maintained
With the field reduced to 12 with 4 scratchings, the race was run at a good pace throughout with Anton Marcus producing Epona from her wide draw after a 15 week break to score a gutsy half length win in a time of 122,85 secs.
Fellow Capetonian Nima ran on best of the rest to hold third, with recent Spook Express winner Silver Stripe a further half length back in third.
The fancied Party Crasher maintained her form to run a decent fourth.
The Klawervlei Stud-bred Epona is a daughter of Silvano out of the Al Mufti mare, Laptop Lady.
She is thus a half-sister to Camden Park stallion Jay Peg, who stands at the same farm.
Epona was registering her second stakes success after winning the Jamaica Handicap at her penultimate start.
A R1,8 million Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale graduate, she has won 4 races with 3 places from 9 starts for stakes of R295 200.
The Mayfair Speculators-owned 3yo looks to have a bright season ahead of her.
