Another Feature winner! Justin Snaith
A public relations oversight marred an otherwise superb win by the Justin Snaith trained Victorian Secret in the R130 000 Listed Lady’s Pendant at Fairview on Friday. The daughter of Captain Al looks very promising indeed and appeared to have shrugged off any side effects of a nasty incident at the start at Kenilworth a week earlier.
Kicked and withdrawn from her scheduled previous engagement less than seven days earlier, Snaith’s very smart 3yo came out with all guns blazing and in the pink of health in a race that was served to her on a platter.
In the absence of the standard 12 day suspension that usually follows a scratching, and which was lifted by a Stipendiary Board without public knowledge, there were many that felt that Victorian Secret could not win this and probably wouldn’t run.
But Snaith had other plans.
Glen Hatt dropped Victorian Secret out some eight lengths off the pace as Cat’s Paw and Vivalda led from Wimbledon Queen and Annie Be Quick, with Hurricane Katrina further back.
Vivalda continued to lead into the 400m marker, but in a matter of strides Hatt gave Victorian Secret her head and she drew away late in the race to win very well.
Whatever the doubt and lack of information to customers and the punting public, Victorian Secret started a 17 to 10 favourite and won by 1,25 lengths in a time of 68,39 secs.
Winning jockey Glen Hatt said that his mount ran green and didn’t travel well early. But he concede that she had won readily when asked the question.
Trainer Justin Snaith admitted that it was a ‘bit of a risk to bring her up here’ but that he needed to get a run under her belt prior to her KZN campaign. She is likely to have the SA Fillies Sprint as her main target.
The Cheveley Stud bred daughter of Captain Al is out of the twice winning Joshua Dancer mare, Spring Lilac.
The Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate came within a heartbeat of recouping her R250 000 purchase price. A winner of 3 races with 4 places from her 7 starts, her gross earnings are R224 850, with plenty to come.
