.The former Charles Laird-trained Solskjaer gelding and Summerhill Stud bred Ice Axe made a winning debut on the beautiful Indian Ocean Island of Mauritius, when he downed the odds-on favourite IL Saggiatore to win the Gr1 Le Trophee Du Bicentenaire Du MTC run over 1500m at the Champ De Mars on Saturday.
The bicentenary celebrations of one of the world’s oldest and most flamboyant horseracing jurisdictions ended on a high after a week of celebrations and festivities.
Every man and his dog was talking about the prospects of the Gujadhur-trained Galileo who had scored a contentious victory in the 2011 KZN Derby and had won his first four starts in Mauritius in impressive fashion.
Backed in at the exclusion of the rest, the smart former Ramsden inmate was quite some way off the pace over a distance which is probably realistically short of his best. Top rider Robbie Burke’s body language still told a story of control at the top of the short home straight as a high-riding Gaetan Faucon grabbed a crucial lead on the Ricky Maingard trained Ice Axe.
IL Saggiatore made up many lengths but was a head short at the line as the massive on-course crowd roared in agonized delight. Ice Axe set a new 1500m course record of 1 min 29,18 secs in the process. The former Dean Kannemeyer-trained National Play improved to run a fair third.
IL Saggiatore, thought to be a natural favourite already to win the Maiden Cup later this year, was having his second consecutive run in June,and the stable naturally came in for some criticism following his defeat.
A full report of the Mauritius Turf Club’s bicentenary celebrations will be carried in next week’s issue.
