Another month, another feature winner for Stephen Moffatt! The Vaal-based conditioner followed up his Listed Jacaranda Stakes victory of March, when runner-up Opera Glass maintained her consistent formline to register a first stakes success in the R100 000 Racehorse Owners Association Listed Spook Express Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday.
Beautifully ridden by the in-form Smanga Khumalo, who survived an objection to win the Pinnacle Stakes a half hour earlier, Opera Glass relished the first time try at 2400m and stayed on powerfully after stalking the pacesetting Western Dance and She’s A Cracker.
Opera Glass charges clear- third placed Ontheverge (Nathan Klink) sneaks into the pic (Pic – JC Photos)
While Nathan Klink ghosted up ominously on Ontheverge and looked a danger, Khumalo had judged his ride perfectly and the daughter of Flower Alley stayed on like a soldier at 7-1 to beat a low-flying Aryaam (6-1) under the day’s 60 win milestone man Joshwin Solomons by 0,70 lengths in a time of 156,65 secs.
CK Racing stablemates Ontheverge (17-2) – who was a neck back – and Smoking Hot (10-1), rounded off the quartet.
Trainer Stephen Moffatt celebrated an exacta in the Jacaranda last month and after Opera Glass had played second fiddle to her evergreen stable companion Rouge Allure, he had the 4yo daughter of Flower Alley tuned to the minute.
Opera Glass is now a winner of 6 races with 11 places from 23 starts for stakes of R496 332.
Smanga Khumalo returns on the winner (Pic – JC Photos)
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein, the winner is a daughter of Travers Stakes winner, Flower Alley (Distorted Humor) out of Fort Wood’s three-time winning daughter Loupe.
Interestingly, Flower Alley is emerging as an increasingly successful broodmare sire, and is already damsire of international Gr1 winners Cyberknife, Lucky Lilac and Smooth Like Strait, as well high-class US 3yo My Prankster.
