Purchased by Emmanuel Kaknis for just R15 000 as an unplaced-in- three starts 2yo off the Ashley Fortune Racing Sale in June 2023, Symbol Of Love registered a career peak victory in the R175 000 non black-type Glendore Sprint at Fairview on Friday.
What the Five Star Racing trainer saw in the rather plain chestnut daughter of The United States at the Fortune’s Vaal yard we won’t know. But she did hail from a top breeding establishment and her French Deputy mare had produced a number of winners.
Jason Gates has Symbol Of Love in control as Ellorix (Kabelo Matsunyane) chases hard (Pic – Pauline Herman)
On Friday, Symbol Of Love (25-1) bounded forward under Jason Gates from midfield up the home straight to beat Ellorix (4-1) to win the 10000m polytrack contest in a time of 57,5 secs.
Anuschka’s World (4-1) stayed on into third, with the topweight and 7-2 favourite Three Rocks fading to fourth.
A winner of 6 races with 14 places from her 32 career starts, Symbol Of Love took her stakes earnings to R465 625. Not half bad for a R15 000 buy!
Jason Gates gives the thumbs up, flanked by Christine and Emmanuel Kaknis (Pic – Pauline Herman)
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, the winner is a daughter of Moutonshoek’s Galileo stallion The United States out of the once winning French Deputy mare Malmaison.
Symbol Of Love’s victory was something of a breakthrough moment for the luckless Jason Gates, who broke the ice after a drought followed his 4 winners in the Mauritius International Jockeys Challenge in early October.
Gavin Smith and Calvin Habib led the standings on the day with a three timer, while Alan Greeff and Richard Fourie ended with a double.
The next Fairview racemeeting is on the polytrack on Friday 29 November.
