Miss Frankel sets record straight
DENNIS Drier generally sits quietly when watching his horses run. No bouncing up and down and bellowing his horses home by the veteran. But tucked away in front of a members lounge television, Miss Frankel came home to the mute sounds of “Go girl; Go girl,” the relief on his face there for all to see as he hugged wife Gill before heading for the winner’s enclosure.
“I’m glad she brought what she shows at home to the track. She has been off for seven months and her first run was all hype, just hype.”
Pippa Mickleburgh, the driving force behind Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm, took the bold decision to mate top sprinting mare Val Da Ra to the much-hyped unbeaten champion Frankel and Miss Frankel was the first of the sire’s progeny to race in this country.
Miss Frankel had been all the rage on her Kenilworth debut back in January, starting deep in the red.
But she ran no sort of race as she faded tamely under pressure behind Magical Wonderland who has since shown herself to be better than just average.
Yesterday at Scottsville, Anton Marcus gave Miss Frankel a confident ride having her up and in front shortly after the start.
Once he asked the filly for an effort she quickened away to win as she liked.
“I’ll be happy if we can just get her out of the maidens,” commented Drier earlier in the afternoon after winning the first two races on the card.
Dame Commander
Dame Commander returned to the winner’s circle with blood streaming from her mouth and a clearly upset Anthony Delpech was vocal in his criticism of the new loading procedure where horses are loaded in a set order in an effort to speed up the loading procedure.
Dame Commander went in the first wave and “she bashed her mouth in the gate,” complained Delpech.
According to Chief Stipendiary Steward Shawn Parker, the new loading procedure was implemented country-wide in an attempt to give all a fair chance and specifically to prevent serial offenders from hanging back in order to be loaded late.
Drier was back for a second time when Bad Attitude got the better of rank outsider Unbelievable Lad in a tight finish to the second. The first timer Drageda was sent out a shortpriced favourite but was never in the hunt, finishing unplaced.
“Very disappointing,” said a crestfallen Keagan de Melo. “He was never going well.”
Summerveld-based John Nel saddled his first winner as a trainer in his own right when On Your Life put one over the favourite Diamonds Forever in the fourth.
Cunha
Nel was a former jockey and more recently assistant trainer to Luiz Cunha before the latter handed in is licence.
Weight finally got to Nel and he hung up his riding boots in 2009 after riding 16 winners from just 56 rides.
Drageda may have come up pop for Duncan Howells but Queen’s Plain made amends when getting up late to win the fifth at rather longer odds.
“She was just a tiny little thing when I bought her,” said Cathy Rymill.
“I just hoped she would grow. I also thought this would be too short for her.”
Her full sister, Russet Roses, won over 2000 m last Sunday for Drier.