Star mare Princess Calla gave the Equus Awards panel plenty to think about in naming this season’s Horse Of The Year after storming home in the Grade 1 HKJC Champions Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday, beating home another strong candidate for the national award, See It Again.
It was a red-letter day for trainer Sean Tarry and jockey Richard Fourie, the pair in deadly form with three winners.
Taking on a field of Grade 1 winning males, Fourie was quick to place his mare a couple of lengths off pacemaker Dave The King who set a solid gallop but favourite See It Again was a tardy starter and was at the back of the field for much of the race, giving many lengths start to his rivals in the straight.
Fourie waited precious seconds before calling for maximum and Princess Calla sprinted clear of the opposition.
Piere Strydom had to weave his way through traffic and although making up some 10 lengths on Dave The King, he failed to get within striking distance of Princess Calla.
It was Princess Calla’s third Grade 1 win in succession, starting with the SA Fillies Sprint over 1200m, the Ridgemont Highlands Garden Province over 1600m and yesterday’s Champions Cup over 1800m.
Des Gonsalves, racing manager for owner Mario Ferreira, indicated that the five-year-old may stay in training next year and a win in the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes could earn her an entry to the Breeders’ Cup in the USA, export protocols permitting.
Earlier, Lucky Lad had no luck in the Grade 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes where he started favourite, but Future Pearl, racing in the same colours and trained by Tarry, landed the odds when running out a comfortable winner of the Grade 3 World Pools Gold Cup.
Future Pearl became the first three-year-old to win the Gold Cup since Ancestral Fore in 2010 and win the unofficial stayers Triple Crown that consists of the WSB Gold Bowl, the Gold Vase and now the Gold Cup.
Fourie, scoring his third win on the day, sat midfield in a race that was run at no great pace down the back stretch before speeding up over the last 1000m.
Pacemaker Sea Master was quickly swallowed up by Nebraas crossing the subway and then Future Pearl zoomed up and passed them both. Nebraas battled on but was unable to hold the late challenge from Arumugam and had to settle for third.
“Lyle’s (Hewitson) horse kicked nicely and opened up a nice smooth run for me,” said Fourie. “I know Nebraas, I’m not going to join him. I try to pass him as quick as I can. Nebraas is the kind of horse that will fight you off, so great win.”
In the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint there were some doubts about Isivunguvungu seeing out a hard-run 1200m and getting the better of the odds-on favourite Gimme A Prince but he proved all doubters wrong as Fourie rode a superb front-running race on Peter Muscutt’s charge.
Fourie had worked out there was unlikely to be a strong pace in the race and took his mount to the front before slowing it up.
In the straight Isivunguvungu was tackled first by Thunderstruck and then Surjay but Fourie and Isivunguvungu were not to be denied as the horse responded gallantly to his rider’s urgings.
“It’s been a great pleasure to ride him in these Group 1s,” said Fourie who recently rode his 250th winner of the season. “Ten minutes before the race I had an idea what to do. I just executed it and a phenomenal win. This horse came here and showed his true potential and his real class and he deserves the win.”
Those tasked with sorting out the puzzle of Equus Three-Year-Old Male were thrown another curved ball as Sandringham Summit overcame a dreaded wide gate to storm home in the Champion Stakes.
On all lines of form, there only looked to be three horses with serious chances, the unbeaten pair if Main Defender, Lucky Lad and Sandringham Summit.
Lucky Lad was the hot-pot favourite after his facile win in the Grade 1 Gold Medallion. He was drawn one inside of Sandringham Summit but his chances were compromised at the start as Pure Predator jumped awkwardly, cannoning into The Africa House who in turn impeded Lucky Lad who was then caught out wide throughout and his race was run a long way out.
Main Defender sat on the heels of pacemaker Longsword and got first run in the straight but Calvin Habib and Sandringham Summit were not to be denied as the colt stormed home up the outside to win going away from Main Defender with We Are The Logans a well-beaten third.
It was the first Grade 1 win for Turffontein-based trainer David Nieuwenhuizen.
“I was really just a passenger,” confessed Habib. “He came out the gates. He told me where he wanted to be and told me when he was ready to go. I can’t take much credit.”
Nieuwenhuizen added: “It’s all due to the horse, and to the groom, he’s got all the scars after being dragged around the parade ring.”
Tony Peter landed his first Grade 1 with Bavarian Beauty in the Douglas Whyte Stakes. It was the second win on the day for Peter and jockey Craig Zackey who had earlier triumphed with Meridius in Race 2.
Zackey punched Bavarian Beauty clear crossing the subway and she stuck gamely to her guns as Egyptian Mau and Distant Winter chased in vain. - Gold Circle