Princess Calla (speed score 98 +) won the G2 Western Cape Fillies Championship over 1400m after stalking the pace set by Trickster. Interbet sponsored trainer Adam Marcus has a very smart Flower Alley filly on his hands, evident in how easily Craig Zackey got her to sweep by the leader in mid- stretch.

Princess Calla won on debut when heavily punted, then performed with credit when third in the G1 Thekwini Stakes three lengths behind top class contemporaries, Anything Goes (s/s 104) and War of Athena (s/s 103.) She is on course for a dip at the Fillies Guineas.

44/1 outsider, Seeking the Stars (s/s 99) burgled the G3 Cape Classic under a clever front-running ride by Luyolo Mxothwa. Drama at the start had led to the withdrawal of Invincabelle, whilst market rival Rascallion, who also played up in the pens, got caught too far back in the early stages.

With the Kenilworth track playing fast and firm favourite, Speed Machine not firing, the situation suddenly became ripe for an upset. Linebacker (s/s 97) chased valiantly with Rascallion eventually getting underway in deep stretch, but too late to make an impact. Trainer Vaughan Marshall had the satisfaction of saddling the first three home, albeit in the opposite order to what the betting market anticipated.

The midweek performance of Fort Agopian in a handicap at Durbanville generated some controversy. He dominated from the front after being heavily backed, and questions were subsequently asked of jockeys on the well-beaten horses.

There is a crucial difference between letting a front runner get away with soft fractions which constitutes an error of judgement by opposing jocks, or trailing rivals being galloped into submission by a strong front runner sustaining a forceful tempo. I suspect the latter applied as Fort Agopian recorded a time three seconds quicker than other races over the distance on the day. After correcting for the track variant, he earned a laudable speed figure of 103, suggesting he is a genuinely talented racehorse.

Finally, the eye-catching victory of Bequest (s/s 93 +) at Turffontein is worth a mention. Alec Laird’s speedy Oratorio filly has won both her starts in October with consummate ease and appears to have a bright future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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