Trying the mile for only the second time in her career, the Ridgemont-bred Gimmethegreenlight filly Going Up powered home down the inside to win the R200 000 WSB Listed Ladies Mile at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
With the bulk of the ten-horse field going down the middle outside, it was the Bass-Robinson trio who took the shortest route home and dominated the trifecta.
Aldo Diomeyer has things under control as Going Up charges home (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Relaxed some way back early, Going Up, who ran only once previously over a mile when beaten narrowly by Young Love in the 2022 WSB Listed Sweet Chestnut Stakes, stormed through under Aldo Domeyer to earn a possible berth in the Ridgemont Gr1 Garden Province Stakes on Hollywoodbets Durban July day.
Going off at an easy-to-back 11 to 2, the joint top weight beat her year younger longshot stablemate Who Do You Love (33-1) and the decent Gold Poker Game (10-1), who looked to be hampered late, rather easily.
Racing in the high-riding Hollywood Syndicate silks, Going Up clocked 99,1 secs for the winter course 1600m.
The favourite Happy Chance was given every opportunity, but got caught up in the outside traffic and was beaten into fifth.
Going Up has won 4 races with 4 places from 15 starts for stakes of R418 076.
Bred by Ridgemont, the winner was another feature strike for Varsfontein sire Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) and is out of the eight time winning Goldkeeper mare, Raise The Bar.
She is one 54 stakes winners for her champion sire, with the son of More Than Ready currently heading the South African General Sires List for 2022-2023.
Also responsible for this season’s Gr1 winners Bless My Stars (Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic) and Gimme A Prince (Cape Flying Championship), Gimmethegreenlight has two yearlings catalogued on the Cape Racing Winter Mixed Sale, and a further seven lots on sale at the 2023 KZN Yearling Sale.
Watch the replay here:
The third leg of the WSB Winter Series (fillies and mares) is the Listed Stormsvlei Stakes which will be run over 1800m on Saturday 24 June at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
