Elusive Heart makes it look easy
WHO needs Usain Bolt when you have a prawn. A bumper crowd made it to Kenilworth yesterday to sample the prawns and other seafood at the Cape Town Prawn Festival and watch Elusive Heart put one over the hot favourite Rose In Boom in the Gr 3 Vasco Pix du Cap, one of the last features of the Western Cape season.
Richard Fourie took the field on from the jump and was never challenged as Glen Kozten’s filly kept rolling to win as she liked.
Rose In Bloom, who appeared to have everything in her favour, came out of the pack with a belated effort but never threatened and instead had to work hard to hold a latecharging Miss Katalin.
Snowdance
The only filly to have beaten star filly Snowdance, Elusive Heart lost her way a little after that victory and did not feature in the Cape Fillies Guineas behind Snowdance.
“She was a very light filly and the mile was probably just too far for her,” explained Kotzen.
“She has filled out a bit now and Richard (Fourie) was super confident of her chances today.”
Asked if he had gone a little too quickly in the early part of the race by Stan concurred.
“I thought so too, but she pinged the gate and got there for free.”
“She was up against the boys last time and the Guineas was probably just too far for her but it just shows how strong the three-year-old fillies are,” said Fourie. “Now it’s off to Durban.”
Elusive Heart is headed for KZN and South Africa’s Champions Season and along with Oh Suzanna and Snowdance, the winter season filly’s classics could be at the mercy of the Cape raiders. Elly, Fourie
Mambo Mime
In pre-race panel discussions, all the jockey’s interviewed concurred that Perovskia was a tough gelding to get past, and they were on the mark as Harold Crawford’s charge kept finding in the face of a desperate challenge from Mambo Mime in the Listed Jet Master Stakes.
Meanwhile pacemaker Milton threw in the towel early in the straight handing Perovskia the lead and that’s where he stayed to score his third win on the bounce under Lucien Africa.
Mambo Mime looked all over a winner as he loomed up on Perovskia’s outside but although closing slowly, the line came too soon.
Mac de Lago, slow out of the gate and last for much of the race, carved his way through the field to take third.
A change of climate and stable have obviously done him good and there is still life in the tough old campaigner who was having his first outing for Dan Katz. Fourie may have had an armchair ride on Elusive Heart, but it was squeaky bum time aboard favourite Man About Town in the SAB Maiden Plate.
Out and clear a long way from home, victory looked a formality and Fourie was content to scrub his mount out to the line.
However, Callan Murray unleashed a telling late run on Magnificent Seven and Fourie, who never lifted his stick, kept pushing to the line.
What at one stage looked certain victory was left to the judges and the photo-finish camera with Man About Town holding on by a whisker.