Jack Milner: Anything Goes and Mount Pleasant proved their class and set the tone for the future with emphatic victories in their respective Grade 2 Joburg Spring Challenge races over 1450m on the Turffontein Inside track on Saturday.
Both runners were well supported to win their races with Stuart Pettigrew-trained Anything Goes going off at 9-10 and Mike de Kock’s charge, Mount Pleasant, starting at 27-20.
In winning, both runners kept their unbeaten records intact.
Equus Champion two-year-old filly Anything Goes was always travelling well from No 1 draw and sat in fifth place on the fence while Mill Queen dictated the pace from Magic School and What You Are.
Once in the straight Magic School went for home and quickly got the better of Mill Queen, but once Diego de Gouveia switched his mount into the clear down the centre of the course, Anything Goes accelerated past them and went on to put three lengths between herself and Magic School.
Third place went to Mount Laurel, but she was beaten 5.25 lengths, with Shivers 0.45 lengths further back in fourth.
Mount Pleasant was available at 3-1 on Saturday morning but the money poured on and by the time the field were sent on their way, only the Australian-bred colt and Cirillo were quoted in single figures for the Joburg Spring Challenge.
There was a slight delay to the start after Riverstown pushed the starting stall gate opened but he was pulled up quickly by Piere Strydom and the field was reloaded. Cirillo, one of three runners from the Sean Tarry yard, wasted no time in taking his usual position at the front as the field spread out with Tierra Del Fuego at the back.
Riverstown was a close-up second with Cockney Pride in third while Callan Murray had lightly weighted Mount Pleasant, who had not raced since winning the Grade 2 SA Nursery on 27 June, in fourth place.
Cirillo went for home but with the 8kg weight advantage, Mount Pleasant was able to wear him down and go on to win quite cosily at the end, by one length. Chimichuri Run got third ahead of Riverstown.
Interestingly, Anything Goes won in a 0.35sec faster time but there is little doubt Mount Pleasant beat the stronger field.
Both three-year-olds have proven their brilliance and one looks forward to their next engagements.