Hashtag Strat registered a first stakes success for her sire Great Britain when she held on gamely under an inspired ride by Deon Sampson to win the R150 000 Listed Swallow Stakes run over the 1160m at Turffontein on Saturday.
Deon Sampson times it on a knife-edge as Hashtag Strat holds out Arissa (obscured with Muzi Yeni up) and Zaakhira(Gavin Lerena) in a Swallow Stakes thriller (Pic – JC Photos)
The speedy Hashtag Strat will now be aimed at the $500 000 CTS 1200 on Sun Met day and the flying filly looks set to give owner-breeder Anthony Maroun and his racing enthusiast son, Kaden, a lot of fun and thrills on the track.
She is loaded with ability and has a heart to match as she showed when flying out of the stalls on Saturday under Deon Sampson, who rode a masterful race.
Sampson kept his cool and then timed his run to the line to perfection, to register a personal double on the afternoon.
Muzi Yeni threw the kitchen sink at Arissa, who came to challenge with a powerful late surge down the outside – but the judge sided with the Louis Goosen runner.
Louis Goosen – trains the winner
Hashtag Strat got home by a short head in a time of 67,17 secs.
Mike de Kock’s Australian-bred Zaakhira maintained her consistent formline to grab third.
The top three were miles ahead of the rest.
Hashtag Strat was purchased for R125 000 by trainer Louis Goosen off the 2015 March Yearling Sale.
She has now won 2 races with 2 places from 4 starts for stakes of R164 050.
She was bred by Anthony Maroun’s Stud and is from the second crop of Highlands’ Green Desert stallion Great Britain.
Interestingly, the full Brother to Gr1 winner and sire Cape Cross, had 4 of the 9 runners in this speed feature.
Hashtag Strat is bred to go fast – being out of the three time winning Windrush mare, Stratisfaction.
It was a timeous winning effort by the speed queen, with the final fields for the CTS 1200 being announced on Monday and her presence will add an interesting angle to the race.
