The Sean Tarry machine continued with another feature success at Turffontein on Saturday when the talented Philasande Mxoli rode a copybook race to get the lightly tried Red Maple home to win the R150 000 WSB Listed Spook Express Stakes.
Following a smart third in the Oaks Trial behind subsequent SA Oaks placer Ipso Facto, Red Maple looked competitive off the 50kg and duly delivered another feature success for Mary Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift Stud.
Red Maple (Mxoli) gets the better of Kind Judy (Munger) in a good finish to the Spook Express (Pic – JC Photos)
Covered up early as the year older topweight Light Of The Moon made the pace, Mxoli delivered Red Maple with a sustained run and she stayed on best at 5-1 to beat the fast finishing Kind Judy (10-1) by a quarter length in a time of 154,13 secs.
Watch the replay here:
Apache Fighter (5-2) was 1,15 lengths further back in third, with Light Of The Moon fading to fourth.
Mary Slack said that it was an emotional and special moment as she had previously owned the daughter of Silvano in partnership with passionate racing man Michael Javett, who passed away at the age of 86 in November 2022.
Jessica Jell (2nd from left) and Mary Slack (far right) hold the trophies as WSB’s Steve Karam looks on (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein, Red Maple is by deceased multiple champion Silvano (Lomitas) out of the Fastnet Rock mare, Cherry Tree Lane.
She is a winner of 2 races with 3 places from 13 starts for stakes of R184 250.
