The Ridgemont Racing team enjoyed a triumphant exacta in the R85 000 Computaform Online Listed Olympic Duel Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.
The Ridgemont Highlands-breds in the famous dark green, blue and white flag dominated the finish with the Brett Crawford-trained Capitana holding off the attentions of Candice Bass-Robinson’s recent Listed Mikwood Stakes winner, Iris.
In a race that local veteran Tellytrack presenter Stan Elley labelled ‘the most open on the card’, things went mostly according to plan after the consistent Capitana overtook the long-time leader Phil’s Dancer at the 250m to register her first stakes strike.
Greg Cheyne steers Capitana to victory as fellow Ridgemonter Iris (Callan Murray) flies up the outside – Phil’s Dancer (Richard Fourie) is against the rail in third (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Ridgemont Highlands sponsored jockey Greg Cheyne rode a confident race as he produced the daughter of Captain Al (Al Mufti) late at 4-1 to beat the year younger Iris (12-1) by 0,40 lengths in a time of 75,37 secs.
Snaith’s Phil’s Dancer (9-2) is a very pacy filly and she was not disgraced, 0,75 lengths back in third.
Casino Queen (5-1) could be one for the notebook. She stormed into fourth after lagging behind for much of the journey.
Interestingly, the winner packed with speed but is out of the Galileo mare Exotic, who won at 2400m in Ireland.
Capitana has won 5 races with 5 places from 11 starts for stakes of R225 060.
