Going Away! Sunshine Rock (Sean Cormack) wins the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday. The pink sleeves of the third-placed Enchanting Cathy are in the background
In an afternoon of fast times, Dennis Drier’s superb 4yo Sunshine Rock lowered the Kenilworth 1100m track record on Saturday when cruising home to win the R125 000 Listed Laisserfaire Stakes.
The Summerveld-based Drier has been handsomely rewarded for bucking the stay-at-home trend set by most of his colleagues in KwaZulu-Natal and grabbed yet another Sizzling Summer feature event with what looks like a top sprinting filly in the making.
The feature, named in honour of a great of the South African sprinting ranks of over a decade ago, was sponsored by Plattner Racing and attracted a mixed bag field of ten.
After having won her Cape debut in sizzling fashion just two weeks previously, the Drier flyer was always at the top of the boards and went off a rather generous 11-10.
The race was run at a cracking pace from the break with the field spread across the track from the inside to the outside rail.
Kotzen’s Blouberg Beach showed solid initial toe to lead the favourite Sunshine Rock with Agra and Enchanted Cathy also amongst the action.
At the 300m marker Sean Cormack gave Sunshine Rock her head and she lengthened impressively to win going away by two lengths in a new course record time of 63,06 secs.
In A Canter. Sunshine Rock (Sean Cormack) is led in by part-owner Bernard Kantor after her smooth win
Brett Crawford’s frustratingly consistent Reflective Image ran on strongly for second and seems overdue to win something decent in the near future.
Enchanting Cathy maintained her recent improvement and stayed on for third, while Valdivia is struggling to find her 2yo form and plodded into fourth and 3,90 lengths behind.
Justin Snaith’s Agra faded to finish out of the money again. She ran second last and 6,50 lengths behind and may be worth another chance as she appears to be battling to regain her optimal race fitness.
Having changed hands from the Haug’s Tonsberg Stud, the winner now races in the interests of Messrs Bernard Kantor and Larry Nestadt.
This was a first black-type credit for Sunshine Rock, now a winner of 4 races from 5 starts with 1 place credit. She took her career earnings to R207 400.
The Australian-bred Sunshine Rock was bred by Dr M Santangelo in New South Wales and is by Rock Of Gibraltar out of the unraced Desert Sun mare Summer Angel.
Sunshine Rock is likely to round off her Cape campaign with a tilt at the Gr2 Graham Beck Memorial Sceptre Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday 19 January.
