The SA Champions Season plan came together sweetly for Gauteng trainer Stuart Pettigrew when his unbeaten Var filly Anything Goes lived up to her name in fine style, storming to victory in the R325 000 Gr1 Thekwini Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.
Diego de Gouveia steers Anything Goes to her fourth straight victory (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
On a day of favourable results, Anything Goes (16-10) fulfilled her big reputation on her first trip to KwaZulu-Natal, when she accounted for fast-finishing fellow raider War Of Athena (13-2) in 96,90 secs – rather more easily than the 0,30 length margin suggests.
With Golden Slipper runner-up Caralluma (3-1) failing to get into the race, the door was opened to Anything Goes to deliver notice of her character and ability.
Trainer Stuart Pettigrew recently went on record, labelling Anything Goes as the best filly he has trained.
“This is a proper filly, the best filly I’ve trained, Anything Goes works with anything in my yard, she plays with the moderate ones, lifts her game and plays with the good horses too.She hasn’t won her races by big margins, but she’s had to carry to weight and if you look at her form carefully, you’ll see how good it is. In her penultimate win, she beat Paul Matchett’s filly War Of Athena by more than two lengths, no fuss. That filly was narrowly beaten in the Gr1 Allan Robertson right after that run,” he told Turf Talk a matter of weeks ago.
It was a second career Gr1 success for her regular pilot, 24 year old Diego de Gouveia, who called his mount ‘an amazing filly’.
“She showed how good she is today. I stuck to the inside as she is a bit green still. I’m honoured to have ridden Mr Anton Marx’ first Gr1 winner.”
Hollywoodbets-sponsored trainer Stuart Pettigrew sportingly also paid tribute to the runner-up War Of Athena.
Part-owner Anton Marx must be wondering about how easy this game is as he celebrated his first Gr1 winner from his first Gr1 runner!
He thanked his partner Ian van Schalkwyk and his jockey and trainer and the Pettigrew staff.
A R275 000 National Yearling Sale graduate and unbeaten in four starts, Anything Goes has now banked R329 125.
A second feature winner on the day for Varsfontein Stud, she is by evergreen champion producer Var (Forest Wildcat) out of the Parade Leader mare, Dance Domain.
