Most would say she is unfashionably bred and she only cost R20 000.
But Too Phat To Fly can run on her day and she stormed home to register her first stakes triumph to take her earnings close on R300 000 in the R150 000 Listed Sweet Chestnut Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Richard Fourie poses for the camera as Too Phat To Fly storms home to beat Rose In Bloom (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Phtography)
Former owner Warren Laird enjoyed naming some of his horses after songs and he was thus not being personal when he gave one of his favourite buys a most inappropriate tag. In fact this girl never lives up to her name and has been a game earner in the hands of Glen Kotzen ever since winning at 75-1 on her Kenilworth debut a year ago.
Twice stakes placed, Too Phat To Fly found the Cape Summer Season tough going, but after an eyecatching winning return run early in April, she was easy to back at 7’s and duly won a cracker on Saturday.
Corne Orffer and Merysagos left the stalls as if they had a plane to catch, but Richard Fourie wasn’t panicking and he had Too Phat To Fly in last and with some ten lengths to make up at the 40om.
As Merysagos started treading water in front, the classy Rose In Bloom moved up looking a winner, with Platinum Class taking off from further back.
But the action was on the outside and produced late in the race, Too Phat To Fly stormed to the front and caught Rose In Bloom flatfooted to win by 1,25 lengths in a time of 88 secs.
The 13-10 favourite Platinum Class ran on steadily without threatening to grab the third cheque a further length back, with Made In Hollywood and Raya Baya sharing the fourth stake.
Merysagos faded out to finish just under 6 lengths behind the winner.
Bred by Limestone Thoroughbred Trust and consigned by Winterbach Stud, Too Phat To Fly was purchased for R20 000 by Glen Kotzen off the 2016 CTS March Yearling Sale.
She is a daughter of Bezrin out of the one time-winner Sheisachillygirl(Jallad). Glen Kotzen has had plenty of success with this damline.
She now races in the interests of Glen Kotzen and Sean Pillay and has won 3 races with 5 places from 12 starts for stakes of R292 300.
Too Phat To Fly doesn’t seem to go much beyond a mile but she is bound to be back on 26 May for a bash at the second leg of the Fillies Winter Series – the Listed Stormsvlei Mile, which is run on the winter course 1600m.
The 2200m of the Winter Oaks on 30 June could well be a bridge too far.
