Guineas contenders stake their claims
STARS: BASS-ROBINSON AND RAMSDEN RUNNERS IMPRESS
Botha scores first win as a trainer.
Clouds Unfold marked herself down as a huge contender for the coming Cape Fillies Guineas with a going away win in the Grade 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Glen Kotzen’s Temple Grafin was backed into a marginal 28-10 favourite, and delighted her backers when she hit the front under replacement rider Anton Marcus around 300m out after pacemaker Celestial Storm had faded away.
But wider out Clouds Unfold had started to loom up threateningly, and once she got to Temple Grafin quickly asserted her dominance to win by an extending 1.25 lengths.
“She gave me a second kick once she got there,” were the impressed words of Aldo Domeyer.
Candice Bass Robinson said: “She has a great turn of foot. But is also a bit of a madam with a mind of her own, but that’s part of what makes her so good.”
Just over half an hour later Twist Of Fate similarly put his name in bold as a leading Colts Guineas player.
This Master Of My Fate colt defied top weight with a dominant start to finish win in the Grade 3 Cape Classic to record a first Graded win for his sire.
Quickly getting across from the worst draw, Fayd’Herbe always had the field on the hop, and still had 1.5 lengths to spare over Sean Tarry-trained raider Cirillo at the line.
“He relaxed up front and picked it up nicely when asked. He won a very good race” said Fayd’Herbe post-race.
Not bad for a R20,000 purchase!