First season trainer Tony Peter celebrated his maiden graded stakes feature success when the Klawervlei-bred Rafeef filly Leaving Las Vegas turned on the jets to win the R200 000 Gr3 Pretty Polly Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday.
Under a well-balanced ride from the progressive Denis Schwarz, Leaving Las Vegas (11-2) proved too strong for fellow Vaal 1000m debut winner Elegant Ice (28-10) to win by a quarter length in a time of 65,45 secs.
Leaving Las Vegas storms home under Denis Schwarz (Pic – JC Photos)
The maiden Women Of Fame (7-1) was receiving 3kgs from the top two, but was outgunned and was a length back in third.
A R150 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale graduate, Leaving Las Vegas is now unbeaten in two starts and took her stakes bank to R181 250.
Bred by Klawervlei Stud, the winner is by high-riding Ridgemont Highlands stallion Rafeef (Redoute’s Choice) who is enjoying another terrific season. Leaving Las Vegas is out of the one-time winning Trippi mare, Seeking Venus.
South Africa’s Leading First Crop Sire of 2020-2021, Rafeef has 19 lots on offer at the 2023 National Yearling Sale, including a colt (Lot 152) out of Gr3 Track And Ball Oaks winner Zante, a half-sister (Lot 258) to Gr2 Debutante Stakes winner Montreal Mist, and a half-sister (Lot 329) to Gr3 Three Troikas Stakes queen Sprinkles.
Watch the replay:
