3 minute read

The highlight of the Golden Horse Casino Sprint Race day at Scottsville on Saturday was the R600 000, Group 1 WFA South African Fillies Sprint over 1200m and the R750 000, Group 1 Golden Horse Sprint over 1200m

The SA Fillies Sprint promised to be an exciting contest, with star mare Princess Victoria returning to action after a six-month layoff and taking on Champion Two-Year-Old Filly All Is Secret, as well as the speedy Var filly Via Africa.

Via Africa was touted as South Africa’s newest speed queen, before having her colours lowered by Equus Champion Sprinter What A Winter in the Group 1 Cape Flying Championship and again in the Group 1 Computaform Sprint.

However, in the SA Fillies Sprint, there was no room for the entire and Via Africa had the field at her mercy right from the jump. Flying out of the gate under Alec Forbes, Via Africa was in the lead within a matter of strides and once clear, Forbes steered her across to the inside rail.

There she stayed, scraping the paint, with several multiple Group winners in her wake. Entering the last 600m the chasing pack was already under pressure, while Forbes had yet to move on the filly.

And, when Forbes finally pressed the button, Via Africa extended her lead effortlessly, winning by 2.5 lengths in a time of 67.68 seconds, recording her first Group 1 victory. Festival Of Fire flew up for second, with Princess Victoria in third a further length back.

By Var(USA) out of the Qui Danzig mare Bump ‘N Grind, Via Africa recorded her 6th victory from nine starts for owners Messrs A J Boshoff & G A Hauptfleisch, taking her earnings to just over the million Rand mark.

Contador delivered a memorable double for owners, Ingrid and Markus Jooste when winning the feature, the R750 000, Group 1 Golden Horse Sprint over 1200m after Captain Of All, had stormed home earlier in the juvenile feature, the Tsogo Sun Medallion(1200m).

In a bizarre move, Cape Royal jumped on terms from the outside barrier, only to execute a perfect u-turn, ending up facing the starting stalls and taking no further part in the race. Luckily he did not cause any interference and Barbosa and Royal Zulu Warrior(Aus) took the field through the early fractions.

Piere Strydom, known as a master tactician, immediately latched on to Barbosa’s tail, allowing the colt to shield him from the slight headwind. Barbosa held the lead until the 250m mark, where Strydom smoothly pulled Contador out and once clear, the colt extended away to win by a length from a fast finishing Wild Type. Merhee(Aus) finished in third, 1.25 lengths back, with long time leader Barbosa fading to eight over the last 100m.

Trainer Charles Laird, celebrating his eight Group 1 victory on the Golden Horse Sprint day, explained that while brilliant, Contador had become extremely wayward and forcing them to geld him after a dismal run in the Group 3 Man O’ War Sprint. By Var out of the Fort Wood mare Fine Wood, Contador was recording his first Group 1 victory and his fifth overall, taking his earnings to R736 790 for the Joostes.