Justin Snaith’s PACAYA won the Legal Eagle Stakes (Gr3) over 1800m with ever-alert jockey, Richard Fourie, making an early move to attack reluctant leader RASCALLION at the top of the straight before vigorously riding the whole length of the stretch to hold off stable mate RAPIDASH’s belated rally.
Fourie acknowledged that he’s been caught out before by PACAYA’s quirks: “He makes you work, and it’s important to see him through the flat spots and keep him in a good rhythm.” The five-year-old son of Trippi out of Ash Cloud was bred at Drakenstein Stud, who enjoyed another highly productive day at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
Trainer Snaith was nonplussed by his charge’s bewildering fail when dead last in the World Sports Betting Cape Town MET and gratified to see the talented 2023 Greyville 1900m winner come back to form. “He’s deadly at this level and 1800m is the perfect distance.”
{Image: PACAYA by Chase Liebenberg}
PACAYA started at 6/1 and was followed 1.5 lengths behind by RAPIDASH who did enough to snare second ahead of one-paced odds-on favourite, RASCALLION who came back to edge GREETING THE MASTER out the placings.
{Image: ONE STRIPE by Chase Liebenberg}
Talented juvenile, ONE STRIPE, added to his winning haul when he cruised in a length ahead of his Vaughan Marshall trained companion, LION RAMPART in the Winter Nursery (Gr3) over 1100m. Reputedly an exceptional workhorse, there is no faulting his racetrack record either, which now shows three wins in succession after a debut sighter in January.
RAMA FORCESA led early, stalked by LION RAMPART, with ROMAN AGENT held up at the rear of the five-runner field. But none could cope with ONE STRIPES’ potent finish as he quickened up from a midfield position.
The victor is yet another accomplished son of One World, out of the Silvano mare, Silver Stripe. The 7/10 odds-on favourite was ridden by Gavin Lerena and bred at Drakenstein Stud.
TIME FOR LOVE scored a 33/1 upset in the Ladies Mile (Listed) over 1600m, which forms Leg 2 of the Winter Feature Racing Season for fillies and mares three years and older. Craig Zackey had the Time Thief filly perfectly poised and moved up in mid-stretch to seize control. She belied her humble official merit rating of 82 to significantly outrun that assessment at her 8th career start, catching many bettors looking the wrong way.
{Image: TIME FOR LOVE by Chase Liebenberg}
She was bred at Nadeson Park and is conditioned by Crawford Rix Racing. MY FLOWER FATE tried hard to bridge the deficit down the inside, with RAINBOW LORIKEET and PRINCESS IZZY completing the order of finish.
Winning rider Craig Zackey said, “She showed me a good action going to post and I decided to use it in the race. She’s a nice filly.” Positioning her handily on the rail proved key, and she duly produced a career peak performance in an odd contest where many of the main protagonists ran way below market expectations.
– Written by Mark van Deventer
– Images by Chase Liebenberg
