Schwarz, Alexander deliver All At Once
Hero’s Honour proves that he’s no flash in the pan
Yes, she still has a lot to prove but, judging from her four performances, trainer Lucky Houdalakis appears to have found himself a big-race winner in speedster All At Once. The filly took full advantage of her mammoth 6kg advantage over 16-10 favourite Mighty High in Saturday’s Listed Swallow Stakes over 1160m, impressively confirming superiority over her Grade 1-winning peer, but it wasn’t easy.
This promising three-year-old daughter of Captain Al, trading at 61-20, set an honest pace upfront with Mazari (16-1), Vivir (28-1) and Mighty High right on her heels.
Houdalakis’ charge looked to be in all sorts of trouble once attacked by Mighty High passing the 200m marker, but the latter’s lead was short-lived as an animated Craig Zackey (who more than earned his riding fee) got the filly to fight back gamely – matching strides with Gavin Lerena’s mount all the way to the line – winning by the whisker margin of 0.05 lengths.
The pair were in a race of their own. Thirdplaced Blonde Vision finished 5.30 lengths behind with Cordillera, who found the trip far too short, rounding off the R156 Quartet a further 7.50 lengths back.
The jockey-trainer combination of Dennis Schwarz and Gary Alexander are firing on all cylinders, and they teamed up with Grade 1 winner, Hero’s Honour, who gutsily proved that his South African Derby triumph was no fluke when outclassing Approach Control by a narrow 0.20 lengths in an Assessment Plate over 1600m - back him wherever he features next!
It should pay to follow the career of the lightly raced Alec Laird-trained Tamarina who has won three of her five starts. This four-year-old Judpot filly proved her true worth when defeating a competitive field that included the likes of Being Fabulous, Desert Rhythm and High Seas Beauty by a commanding 1.20 lengths under Raymond Danielson.
Grand Rapid from the Cliffie Miller yard was beaten by inexperience on debut when runner-up behind League Of Her Own, and if can improve on that effort should have no trouble defeating her two-year-old peers when she lines up in Race 1, at Flamingo Park, a Fillies Juvenile Maiden Plate over 800m.
Jockey Marco van Rensburg should be seen in the winner’s enclosure with Alraune following the running of Race 6, a FM 76 Handicap over 1600m.
This daughter of Stagelight has won two of her last three starts, and there was was a lot to like about her latest 2.30-length victory under Van Rensburg. She comes into this contest with a light 56kg to shoulder. The only chink in her armour is the No 10 draw.