It’s been some time coming, but Gavin Smith’s 5yo Cherry Ano registered his maiden stakes success at Fairview on Friday when he rallied late to gain a courageous victory in the R175 000 Listed Memorial Mile.
With the late scratching at the start of Fairy Knight, and a weak showing by Cape raider Sugar Mountain (1-1), who failed to live up to his best form, the gate was opened for Cherry Ano (3-1) to register his eighth career success, after gaining a
late advantage over pacesetter Bush Tracker (20-1) to win by a neck in a time of 97,79 secs.
Calvin Habib gets down low as Cherry Ano comes back to nab Bush Tracker (Louis Mxothwa) in the shadow of the post – third placed Hat’s Pride gets a look-in (Pic – Pauline Herman)
Under a polished ride by Calvin Habib, course and distance specialist Cherry Ano made it five wins over the Fairview mile.
Glen Kotzen’s Hat’s Pride (8-1) was always in contention and ran a cracker, three quarters length back in third. Sequoia (14-1) ranged up looking dangerous, but steadied to round off the quartet.
Bred by Summerhill Equestrian and raced by Henning Pretorius, Cherry Ano is a son of the late triple Gr1 winning Western Winter stallion Capetown Noir out of the three-time winning Kahal mare, My Cherry.
Cherry Ano has won 8 of his 18 starts, with 6 places, for stakes of R628 638.
The Gavin Smith-Calvin Habib combination won the last race to register the double, when Dame Of Flames got the better of a titanic struggle with Spin Doctor (hase Maujean).
Summerhill Equestrian recently announced that they will be standing Celestial City, who ran in the same silks as Cherry Ano, in the new season.
The five-time winner and only son of Silvano standing in KwaZulu Natal, Celestial City is a full-brother to Hawwaam and was a R7 million graduate from the 2020 National Yearling Sale. He is out of the Jet Master dam, Halfway To Heaven.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Celestial City’s service fee in his maiden season is R30 000, live foal.
The next East Cape racemeeting is on the Fairview polytrack on Tuesday 6 August.
