Kotzen’s charge produces ‘Star’ act

Silvan Star did look well weighted to win the Grade 3 Final Fling Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth on Saturday but many felt she was lucky to have beaten Ngaga in the Listed Ladies Mile last time over 1600m and expected Andre Nel’s charge to reverse the placings. That did not happen! Perfectly ridden by Richard Fourie, Silvan Star (37-10) hit the front at the right time in the short straight and kept on resolutely to hold off A Time Top Dream by 2.50 lengths with 13-10 favourite Ngaga in third, another 0.50 lengths back.

“I thought she won well last time and she did come into this race well weighted against the opposition,” said Fourie. “She has a lovely temperament and is an easy horse to ride. She seems to staying further as she gets older.”

The daughter of Silvano, who is owned by Peter de Beyer and Georgina Jaffee and trained by Glen Kotzen, might still be looking at another season in training. “She is typical Silvano in that she is a late developer,” said De Beyer. “Maybe it’s too early to send her to stud.

‘‘I would like to see her run for another season but I will talk to the others and see what they say.”

Although they finished second in the feature, it proved to be a very good day for trainer Justin Snaith and jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe as they won four races at the meeting. They opened with odds-on favourite Kasimir finally cracking his maiden, then took Race 2 with Angel’s Trumpet, Race 4 with Turbulent Air and Race 6 with Strathdon.