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Brilliant mare Via Africa redeemed her reputation with a brilliant win in the R1 million Betting World Cape Flying Championship over 1000m at Kenilworth on Saturda

Second to champion What A Winter in the same race last year, Via Africa came back from a lung infection that struck the four-year-old early in the Cape summer season that her trainer Duncan Howells feared would cost her a start in Kenilworth’s biggest sprint race.

The flashy, white faced Via Africa had not raced since she was a beaten favorite in the Tony Taberer Stakes in December and took her tally to eight wins from 13 starts.

She has now won two G1 races, having previously landed the 2013 South Africa Fillies Sprint.

Howells, based in Kwa-Zulu Natal, was quick to praise Cape trainer Eric Sands after the race for looking after the 4YO and assisting in her comeback.

"She still had a slight cough during the week. We had her scoped and, in consultation with the vet, we felt that she was developing allergies rather than the lung infection coming back,” Howells revealed.

“The gamble of whether or not to run went on until 8am when I finally made the call."

Howells said future goals for the filly could include the G1 Computaform Sprint later in the year.

He veteran jockey Kevin Shea, riding Via Afria for only the second time, asked her to quicken at the 400m and she responded in great style run out a one length winner over the favoured Red Ray with Tevez third.

"She flew out of the gates and was immediately a length and a half clear. I could hear the others behind me but that was the last I saw of them,” Shea said.