Owner Dave Shawe and trainer Lucky Houdalakis celebrated a second feature success on the trot with the Act Of War filly Lady Fallon, who finished best of all to win the R225 000 4Racing Listed War Of Athena Handicap at Turffontein on Saturday.
Lady Fallon (Trent Mayhew) wins a second feature for Trainer Lucky Houdalakis at Turffontein on Saturday (Pic – JC Photos)
In a poetic twist of irony, the winner shares her sire Act Of War with the champion War Of Athena, in whose honour the former Gardenia Handicap is now run.
In a further ironic twist on a day where some jockeys chose to stand themselves down, as is their prerogative, apprentice Trent Mayhew followed in the bootprints of his colleague Malesile Katjedi, who also grabbed a Marco van Rensburg chance ride to score an unexpected feature success.
With Sukhumvit giving Philasande Mxoli a handful and half by over-racing for much of the journey as she stalked Wonderful all the way round, it was the progressive Mayhew who seized the moment on Lady Fallon (4-1), who doubled up on her Listed Summer Pudding victory of last month with a hard-earned 0,30 length win in a time of 115,85 secs.
The 17-2 Sukhumvit started tote favourite and ran a courageous race in the circumstances to bank second, ahead of My Soul Mate (20-1) who showed flickers of her better form to get third.
Now a winner of 4 races with 8 places from 14 starts, the 4yo Lady Fallon took her stakes earnings to R507 375.
Originally a R125 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, passionate owner Dave Shaw purchased her privately and she was having only her fifth run here for him, having earned at her previous 4 starts.
Bred by Blue Sky Thoroughbreds, the winner is by Act Of War (Dynasty) out of the unraced Gimmethegreenlight mare, Chartreuse.
