Milnerton trainer Vaughan Marshall opened his KZN season feature account on a high at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
The veteran saddled the first leg of a feature double and a Cape clean sweep treble when the grey Captain Al filly Mirage came in fresh off a ten week break to clinch her first stakes success in the R100 000 Listed Kwazulu-Natal Stakes.
Mirage (Richard Fourie) gets the better of Warren Kennedy and Vernichey in a thrilling tussle to the wire (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
After local star 3yo Vernichey had looked a winner at the 200m, the Cape flyer was stalking and unleashed late by Richard Fourie, Mirage (14-1) finished powerfully to nab the pacy year younger Vercingetorix filly Vernichey (9-2) by a neck in a time of 57,43 secs.
Lezeanne Forbes’ consistent Crusade mare Linear ran a further 1,30 lengths back in third.
The favourite Singforafa (14-10) took an awkward step out of the gate and finished out of the money, if only 2,25 lengths behind.
A R500 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale graduate, Mirage was bred by Klawervlei Stud and is by late champion Captain Al (Al Mufti) out of the US-bred Holy Bull mare, Sea Glitter.
She has won 3 races with 5 places from 12 starts for stakes of R251 725.
