Fighting Fire. Anthony Delpech keeps Lehaaf at it as Blaze Of Fire runs a cracker in second
Champion trainer Mike De Kock was very bullish about the prospects of his 3yo Lehaaf in Saturday’s R135 000 Listed Thukela Handicap at Greyville. He was spot on as usual as the Argentinian bred gelding won his final race on African soil in great style . He now jets off to continue his career in Dubai.
The KZN 1600 winner is improving with every outing and showed tremendous courage and fight in the face of a stunning rally from the PE visitor, Blaze Of Fire.
Yvette Bremner only had one runner on the afternoon, but the performance of her Victory Moon colt Blaze Of Fire was the run of the race.
Karis Teetan had the 4yo tracking Territorial Waters and after that one died early in the straight, he kicked and went on smartly before being passed by the stampede.
Extraordinarily Blaze Of Fire came right back, with even the commentator seemingly in denial as he stormed up again to challenge Lehaaf and make him run all the way to the line.
General Sherman and Lehaaf disputed favouritism with 9 to 2 freely available about both.
Territorial Waters made the early running from Blaze Of Fire and Sabadell, with Amur Affair and Pacific Dynasty going together ahead of Lehaaf.
Territorial Waters kicked for home as Ice Machine challenged wide out.
Lehaaf got going down the inside with the PE challenger Blaze Of Fire running a cracker as he rallied and came right back again to stretch Lehaaf all the way to the wire.
Lehaaf went off at 33 to 10 in the mile contest and won by 0,25 lengths in a time of 98,03 secs.
Winning jockey Anthony Delpech said that Lehaaf is getting better and better with racing and had run a great race.
Mike De Kock said that it was fantastic to have a winner on July day for Sheik Mo.
Lehaaf was bred in Argentina by Phalaris Breeding Ltd and is by Excellent Art out of the three time winning Danehill mare Sarkha
The multiple Gr 1 winner Excellent Art was sold earlier this year by Coolmore to continue his stud career at Poonawalla Stud in India. His profile in India was enhanced in November when his daughter Art of Enchantment finished second in the Bangalore 1000 Guineas.
Excellent Art, a 9-year-old son of Pivotal, was to stand at Coolmore in Ireland for 10,000 euros this year. From two crops of racing age in the Northern Hemisphere, he has sired Gr3 winners Hazel Lavery and Experience, as well as stakes winners Artistic Jewel, Tropaios, Nimohe, and Sparkling Portrait. He also has sired French Quebec and Pegas, champions in the Czech Republic.
Out of the group stakes-placed Seeking the Gold mare Obsessive, Excellent Art won four of 11 starts in two seasons of racing, earning $1,238,952, and was highweighted on the English Free Handicap from 1400m to 1900m in 2007.
He won the Gr1 St. James’s Palace Stakes in 2007 as well as the Gr2 Mill Reef Stakes, and he a listed stakes winner as a juvenile in 2006. He placed in four Gruop or Gr 1 races, finishing second in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Mile to Kip Deville.
Lehaaf is a winner of 4 races with 5 places from 10 starts for stake earnings of R309 900.
