By Mark van Deventer
QUICKSTEPGAL got a great front-running steer, going from go-to-whoa under Gavin Lerena in the World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas Gr 1 over 1600m.
This is a momentous first Gr 1 winner for journeyman trainer, Tienie Prinsloo, who toiled in Kimberley before the Flamingo Park track closed, forcing him to up sticks and cobble together a small string in Durban.
QUICKSTEPGAL (by Vercingetorix) was ridden assertively to the lead by the tactically astute Lerena, and they controlled the pace with only REET PETITE applying some pressure. They duly ran one-two around the wind-swept Hollywoodbets Kenilworth track to dominate the race. The margin of victory was three quarters of a length.
QUICKSTEPGAL, out of Jet Master mare, Victoriana, was bred by Marsh Shirtliff’s Greenacres Trust at Hemel ‘n Aarde Stud. Owned by the Wernars Family and H Wilson, she has won five of eight starts between 1100m and now over this mile trip. She attracted support at 16/1, eventually starting at 10/1.
The winner’s time was 100.14 seconds; her 400m to finish sectional passed in 23.6 seconds.
A gracious and still beaming Prinsloo summarized the career-defining triumph, “We took the bull by the horns coming here. She’s won before from the front in KZN and she can still quicken up when put on the lead. Luckily, she pinged the gates under Gavin and controlled the race from there.”
WISH LIST ran with credit against the pace profile, closing ground from midfield with a 23.2 come- home sectional to be third, beaten two lengths. PRINCESS OF GAUL clocked in fourth.
ASIYE PHAMBILI, carrying 63.5kg, defended her title in the World Sports Betting Southern Cross Stakes Gr 3 over 1000m in a sterling weight-toting performance. Sean Veale brought the accomplished mare through down the inside with impeccable timing to stave off a low flying SYMPHONY OF WHITE, to whom she was conceding 8kgs.
ASIYE PHAMBILI (by What A Winter) has won nine of 27 starts and placed second on eight occasions, was presented in fine fettle by Lucinda Woodruff. The 6YO, who eased in the betting from 9/2 out to 10/1, was bred at Hemel ‘n Aarde Stud, which is run by astute horseman, David Hepburn Brown.
CANDY TOWN and DIRECT HIT set the early tempo into a fierce headwind but faded inside the distance. This left ASIYE PHAMBILI and SYMPHONY IN WHITE as the two best “swoopers” in the field to come from off the pace and fight it out.
SHE’S MY WORLD, back down the straight in a sprint, showed sustained speed throughout to secure third position. DISTING ran on to be fourth.
HOLDING THUMBS snapped a string of placings in staying feature races during the KZN Winter to narrowly prevail over even money favourite, AHEAD OF THE FACTS in the WSB Club Prive Cape Summer Stayers Handicap (Listed) over 2500m. The two duked it out over the final furlong after pacesetter, CONGRESSMAN and TRIPLE TIME wavered out of contention in deep stretch.
HOLDING THUMBS, prominently positioned all the way in a race that went only steady early, was incredibly brave under Chad Little to stave off AHEAD OF THE FACTS, who moved past him down the inside looking like a winner. The photo finish confirmed a wafer thin margin in favour of HOLDING THUMBS, a 5YO Vercingetorix gelding who relishes tests of endurance and gamely managed to lug 63kgs around the circuit.
The now eight-time winner, another big drifter in the market blowing out to double digits odds, is trained by Glen Kotzen and was bred at Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein.
