Young trainer Adam Marcus savoured his best ever day when his charges Missisippi Burning and Vardy won the G1 Fillies Guineas and G2 Green Point Stakes respectively. And, Brett Crawford, who like Marcus, is also sponsored by Interbet and contributes stable info to this website with total transparency, got amongst the winners too. Run Fox Run blasted to victory in the G2 Southern Cross Stakes, Front and Centre strode clear in a Pinnacle Stakes and Kursk shed his Maiden tag.

In the Fillies Guineas, Missisippi Burning received a perfect rail-hugging ride by Craig Zackey and used her sprinters’ turn of foot to win a false run affair. This daughter of Captain Al was trying a mile for the first time in her short career and handled the stretch out with aplomb, though the sedate early tempo played into her hands.

Vardy, meanwhile, had to contend with formidable adversaries and a torrid pace set by La Favourari in the Green Point Stakes. Zackey judged things just right here as well, coming from last to sweep past all rivals with impressive closing sectionals of 35.13 (600m to finish) and 23.0 (400m to finish.)

Vardy (by Var) earned an excellent speed figure of 112, defeating ace miler One World (s/s 110) in an appropriately high- quality showdown for one of South Africa’s most venerable races. Rainbow Bridge endured a troubled passage (wide on the turn, then squeezed and blocked in the straight) but still scored 108 + and he looks a major contender for a big prize during the Summer.

Run Fox Run (s/s 110) remains flawless after a convincing win in the Southern Cross. She tracked speedballs Princess Rebel (s/s 103) and Celestial Storm (s/s 102) before pouncing with a super-swift closing fractional of 22.0 seconds for the final 400m. This Foxwedge filly is a remarkable talent.

Pure State (s/s 96) and Rio Querari (s/s 95) ran 1-2 around the track in the CTS Ready To Run Stakes. The runner up was given every chance but could not get by the cannily ridden front-runner, as Pierre Strydom handled the Jackson colt with consummate skill to fight off all challengers down the straight.

Winter Derby winner, Dharma suddenly came to light off a low weight to take the Cape Summer Stayer’s. He stunned hot favourite Nexus back in June as a 50/1 long shot and, winless since then, suddenly delivered a similar 40/1 shock in this race where the dreaded Cape Crawl led to a clustered finish and quite a few hard luck stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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