By Mark van Deventer
MON PETIT CHERIE got an inspired rail skimming ride from champion jockey, Richard Fourie to sneak home in the Gr 2 Western Cape Fillies Championships over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. She was followed in, at close proximity, by the short-headed, BEWARE THE BOMB, SYMPHONY IN WHITE and GIMME’S COUNTESS in a dramatic finish.
Winning trainer, Brett Crawford described the daughter of Rafeef out of Galileo mare, Exotic as a “very promising filly who can only get better as this is the bottom of her distance range. We’re over the moon to have earned Black Type already at her fifth start.”
GARDEN OF EDEN, FESTIVAL CHIC and MAI SENSATION duked it out in early, energetic exchanges which set things up for closers to get involved in deep stretch. 16/1 chance, MON PETIT CHERIE’s surge got her there in a nick of time; with necks separating, BEWARE THE BOMB, SYMPHONY IN WHITE (who looked the winner into the final furlong) and 13/10 favourite, GIMMIE’S COUNTESS.
The latter was dropped out to last from the outer gate of 12 before making a spirited move on the stand side and was probably left with slightly too much to do. Under the circumstances, it was a bold effort to get within half a length of MON PETIT CHERIE.
KINDA WONDERFUL, LITTLE SUZIE and WHISTLE THE TUNE were observed running on purposefully too, just behind the placings and their connections will retain hope for upcoming Fillies features during Summer, perhaps over a touch further and on the more galloping “New” Course.
MISS MARGUERITE has forged a particularly close affinity with Ashton Arries and the duo combined for their fourth win together from just six starts in the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes over 1100m.
Piet Steyn’s Master of My Fate mare had not won in 506 days and went in at a starting price of 16/1 but was all heart in staving off top weight ASIYE PHAMBILE’s sustained bid down the inside. The runner up was also neglected in the market, going off at 25/1 and triggering a R213.00 exacta dividend.
“I told Mr Steyn I was going to ride her differently with her lighter weight and rather follow one or two from a handy position than be caught far back. We made a move at the 400m as I knew she would run all the way to the line.” said Arries.
MISS MARGUERITE has now scored five times from 30 starts and seems to enjoy the intermediate distance of 1100m. The handicapper had handed her something off a reprieve with her OMR sliding from 99 in January to the current mark of 90. She received 10.5kg’s from the runner up who was sterling in defeat.
SUMMER LILY, held up at the back of the field made swift progress to weave into the trifecta slot with NORDIC QUEST, who had stalked the pace set by GOLDEN TATJANA, petering out to fourth after making an early move.
Supported into 11/2 after opening at 8/1, DAIMYO duly went all the way under a light weight in the Listed Woolavington Stakes over 2500m. On a day when the south easter was quite forceful, Jockey, Joshwin Solomons judged it neatly from the front, eliciting praise from winning trainer, Justin Snaith.
“He doesn’t panic and whip horses but rides with balance and uses his hands to keep them running.” DAIMYO, who came through an ordeal with colic as a yearling is a gutsy performer in his element over a test of stamina. The son of Vercingetorix improved his record to three victories from 11 starts and is bound to be a factor in marathon races through the Summer.
LOVE IS A ROSE stayed on into the headwind for second, with HOLDING THUMBS and CALL TO UNITE rounding out the order of finish. None could get to the “lang-asem,” DAIMYO however, who galloped resolutely to score clearly by 1.25 lengths.
