Freak of nature. Those are words which come easily to mind when thinking of Ebony Flyer, who looks to be potentially very special indeed and who on Saturday easily retained her spotless record when capturing the Avontuur Estate Fillies Guineas over 1600m at Kenilworth.
Never-in-doubt victory adds value to the half sister to dam of G1 Breeder’s Cup Juvenile winner Pluck
40/1 outsider The Apache produced a storming late run to land the spoils in this relatively early test of three-year-old talent.
Hollywoodboulevard was ridden in the Fillies Mile as she was in the Ready To Run Cup by Willie Figueroa, who obviously knows how to get the very best out of Charles Laird’s Australian-bred import. The daughter of outstanding sire Street Cry earned some hugely important black type with this win and in some ways it was more valuable than her success in the much more richly endowed Ready To Run Cup.
Cool as a cucumber, the son of Western Winter posts his Guineas ambitions
Arabian Mist left most punters gawking in disbelief and all bookmakers thinking Christmas had arrived several weeks ahead of schedule when he came from absolutely nowhere to land a 40/1 surprise in the Hertz Merchants over 1160m at Turffontein on Saturday. Despite having won the corresponding race in 2009, Arabian Mist was ignored by almost all and sundry this time around
Brazil-bred 4yo looks lively stayer in the making
WFA event lives up to former reputation as glorious big race prep. Bass, regarding the course, said, “The faster the pace and the wider the false rail the fairer the Old Course is.”
Dance With Al was the solitary rose amongst the thorns when she took on 14 male rivals in the Betting World Merchants over 1200m at
Perana was by far and away the most inexperienced horse in the 16 runner line-up, and boy did it show, but even his almost complete lack of street smarts couldn’t stop him from winning the Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein (standside) on Friday evening. Racing for the first time since July and for only the fourth time in total, Perana did his level best to throw the race away but recovered his composure in time to get the better of some highly seasoned campaigners and in the process stamped himself out to be a three-year-old of very real potential.
Sunday’s Hollywoodbets Greyville feature, the non black-type Model Man Mile, won by Mike de Kock’s Artist’s Model, paid tribute to one of South Africa’s greatest turf legends of the 20th century.
A man we are privileged to have known as a loyal friend of this great game and of the Sporting Post, a personal mate, and one of South African horseracing’s great characters, Shaheen Shaw, a husband, loving Dad and Grandad, passed away suddenly at the age of 55
