Hectic storms in the North curtailed much of the racing program though a windy and dry Cape Town was unaffected. Beach Goddess won the Laisserfaire Stakes (s/s 100) on a quick track to add another listed victory after winning the Champagne Stakes in slushy ground a few months ago. Stable-mate, Chevauchee (s/s 99) who beat her narrowly in the Olympic Duel Stakes back in May ran second to complete a sharp Brett Crawford exacta.
Beach Goddess has now won four of ten starts despite suffering from major physical dramas as a youngster that jeopardised her racing career. The nimble daughter of unfashionable sire Kildonan’s tremendous heart and ability to quicken up are her best attributes.
Crawford also won with Sail South (s/s 108) in a 1400m Pinnacle Stakes run at a furious early pace. Jockey Richard Fourie was ideally positioned in third as Blarney Bay and Petty Officer scorched around the track, then swooped midway up the straight to win convincingly from deep- closer Baritone (s/s 101.)
Search Party (s/s 104) had tried extra ground before when winning over a mile in January 2016, but in-form trainer Crawford now recognises that sprinting seems to be his strength. The son of Captain Al came out in fighting trim after a 147 day rest under jockey Cele to blow away a strong field of speedballs in another Pinnacle Stakes on the Kenilworth card and bely his merit rating of only 90. Well performed mare Real Princess (s/s 100) who races off an official merit rating of 105 and gave the winner just 2kg’s did best of the rest on her seasonal debut to get up for second, marginally ahead of 2015 vintage ace juvenile, Seventh Plain (s/s 99.)