Believing In Angels

Images Of Glory. Glen Hatt drives Reflective Image up to beat Jet Belle in a thriller. (Equine Edge)

Trainer Brett Crawford and jockey Glen Hatt were on the mark yet again when they grabbed top honours in the R400 000 Gr2 Sceptre Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday. Their good mare Reflective Image downed some decent big names to win a great race.

There was an element of serious good timing in this victory as the winner’s half sister by Var  is being offered on Day 1 of this week’s  Cape Premier Yearling Sale.

Named Miss Varlocity, she is consigned by Golden Touch Thoroughbred Services and will go through the ring as lot 13. There should be plenty of interest in her!

Saturday’s triple feature billing at Kenilworth was headed by the R400 000 Gr2 Sceptre Stakes, a race for fillies and mares run over 1200m at weight for age.

The weight terms were patently slanted in favour of the classy Welwitschia and  the former Robbie Sage trained Jet Belle, who has been sent to Glen Kotzen for the season, with the Met as her target.

After her Diadem win, Welwitschia  was posted up as an 8 to 10 favourite. But after running more prominently than she usually does, she had nothing to come late in the race and ran an ordinary fourth.

As expected the race was run at a cracker with Franny showing the way from Captain’s Lullaby and Welwitschia, with Torra Bay further back.

Right up to the 400 marker, Reflective Image was relaxed and watched the show from the back row.

Into the final 300m Franny led with Welwitschia coming under pressure as Glen Hatt angled Reflective Image out for her run .

At the same moment Jet Belle was weaving her way through traffic  down the middle under Bernard Fayd’herbe.

In an exciting climax Reflective Image caught Franny and ran on strongly to hold the late dash of Jet Belle by a head in a time of 72,92 secs.

It was an eyecatching  Met trial by Jet Belle, who showed her wellbeing. Owner Colin Bird and his new partners Drakenstein Stud could yet have some serious fun  with this talented 4yo.

Franny stayed on reasonably well a further length behind for a third cheque.

Jockey Glen Hatt, who is enjoying a top season, explained that things had gone his way:

“She drops herself out and has an explosive turn of foot. She showed such courage when I asked her and this Kenilworth 1200m is probably her optimum trip. It helps when the other jockeys play ball and avoid bunching  on the outside. It makes for good, clean and fair racing,” he said.

Trainer Brett Crawford said that Reflective Image ‘hardly goes on the grass’ and is sparingly raced. But that he was thrilled  that she had registered her  bold black type. Her previous biggest win was the Listed Olympic  Duel Stakes in 2012.

Part owners Gary and Jackie Jolliffe were on track to lead their star in. Gary Jolliffe quipped that Reflective Image was enough to ‘make me believe in Angels’.

The winner is a highly consistent daughter of Tamburlaine, a sire who didn’t really make the grade in South Africa and was relocated to Zimbabwe.

She was bred by her owners, Messrs Jolliffe and Kidd out of the very fast Goldkeeper mare, Velvet’s Image, who won her four races over sprints.

Reflective  Image took her win tally to  5 with 10 places from her 18 starts and pushed her winning stakes to R601 758.

Make a note of lot 13 on Thursday’s CPYS day one.  The sale commences at the Cape Town International Convention Centre at 18h00.