Following the news earlier this week that Mike de Kock’s star Gimme A Nother will not run in the Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer Gr2 SA Oaks on Derby day next month, there will be plenty of aspirants for the Oaks title – and another one may have emerged in Saturday’s R175 000 Ormond Ferraris Listed Oaks Trial at Turffontein.
Athandiwe Mgudlwa has the progressive Frances Ethel in the right place (Pic – JC Photos)
It was good to see the legend Ormond Ferraris on course to present the trophies, and owners Dyalan Chinsammy and Grant Knowles, together with the Brett Crawford team and Sporting Post-sponsored Athandiwe Mgudlwa, will be well pleased with a plan come together, courtesy of a filly who has stepped up from her maiden success in January, in the style of something decent.
After the pacesetter Forgiveness faded out at the 250m, Mgudlwa produced Frances Ethel (9-2) up the middle and she stayed on powerfully to hold off a challenge from the favourite Sukhumvit (9-4) by 1,20 lengths in a time of 126,36 secs for the 2000m.
Darling Harbour (50-1) boosted the trifecta dividend, a further 0,20 lengths back.
Originally sold on the 2022 KZN Yearling Sale for R160 000, Frances Ethel went through the Cape Racing Ready To Run & Unbroken 2yo Sale ring for R220 000.
She was bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein and is a daughter of Ridgemont kingpin Rafeef (Redoute’s Choice) out of the unraced Fort Wood mare, Daphne Garland.
A winner of 3 of her 4 starts with a place cheque into the bargain, Frances Ethel took her stakes earnings to R256 500.
