The Sabine Plattner-owned Hollywoodbets Durban July entry Saartjie bounced back with fire after a 15-week break to win the R200 000 KRA Listed East Coast Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.
Saartjie (Corne Orffer) cements her Hollywoodbets Durban July claims with a terrific comeback effort (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Coming in fresh off a sixth placed effort behind recently exported SA Horse Of The Year Princess Calla in the City Of Cape Town Gr1 Majorca Stakes on Met day, the already dual stakes-winning Saartjie (9-2) exploded down the inside under regular pilot Corne Orffer to hold off an eyecatching late challenge from longshot Future Girl (33-1) by 0,30 lengths in a time of 123,68 secs.
Barend Botes’ Ballroom Bliss (25-1) stayed on well just over a length further back for third, ahead of the runner-up’s stablemate Donna Mo (6-1) in fourth.
The weak favourite Hold My Hand (5-1) was always in the vanguard, but tired late to run seventh and 3,15 lengths off the winner.
The winner is trained by Andre Nel and was one of only two Hollywoodbets Durban July entries in the line-up, the other being MJ Odendaal’s Danse Milord, who never showed and ran 9th and 4,70 lengths behind.
A R700 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, Saartjie was bred by Shadwell Stud and is a daughter of 2003 Durban July winner Dynasty (Fort Wood) out of the twice-winning Redoute’s Choice mare Shaama, who raced under the Mike de Kock banner.
Saartjie has won 5 races with 6 places from 13 starts for stakes of R818 613.
The beautifully-bred Saartjie’s dam Shaama (Redoute’s Choice) was a classy performer and showed considerable promise at two when winning on debut, before finishing second, beaten just a length, in the Gr1 SA Nursery.
Shaama, a three-parts sister to Australian Gr3 winner Jazz Song (also sired by a son of Danehill), is out of Gr1 Winter Stakes winner Absolut Glam (Snowland), with the latter hailing from an exceptional female line.
Absolut Glam, and thus Saartjie and Shaama, is directly descended in female line from US champion Nellie Morse (Luke McLuke). The latter was one of four fillies to win the Gr1 Preakness Stakes, second leg of the US Triple Crown.
Gold Circle thanked the race sponsors, the Korean Racing Authority, for their ongoing collaboration, and it’s certainly an association that dates back many years.
