Pudding on line for Tiara
SUMMER Pudding proved she is among the best three-year-old fillies in the country when she took top honours in the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday and with the Gauteng Fillies Guineas already under her belt, the daughter of Silvano will be hard to stop next month when she lines up for the Grade 2 SA Oaks over 2450m, the final leg of the Triple Tiara.
Ridden by Warren Kennedy and trained by Paul Peter, Summer Pudding beat Marygold by one length with Magic School the same distance back in third and Rio’s Winter in fourth. She drifted in the betting and went off at 13-10 from an opening call of 8-10.
Asked whether the filly would stay 2450m, Kennedy responded: “No question about it. The only reason the others got that close is that she likes a fight.
“When she gets to the front she tends to ease up a little, but she was never going to lose this race.”
One race later Got The Greenlight regained his two-year-old form to notch up his second Grade 1 victory when he beat a courageous Green Laser by 0.75 lengths with Youcanthurrylove in third and Leopold fourth.
The Gimmethegreenlight colt was allowed to go off a generous 14-1 but anybody who saw him in the parade ring would have been running off to the tote to have a bet. Joe Soma had his charge in superb condition and with Bernard Fayd’Herbe riding an equally immaculate race the outcome was on the cards.
“He had a tough two-yearold career and I decided to give him a good break and give him time to mature,” said Soma. “My plan was to run him in the Durban July but we will probably look at the Champions Challenge, the Daily News 2000 and then into the July.
“But there are other options to consider.”
The 13-10 favourite, Ikigai, looked dangerous at the 200m mark but as he started to tire he got squeezed out and apprentice Luke Ferraris stopped riding in the closing stages so he ended up in fifth place.
Buffalo Bill Cody looked a picture and was well supported to win the Grade 2 Betting World Hawaii Stakes but once again he lost man lengths at the start and will now have to be gelded.
“We have no option but to geld him now,” said De Kock. “He might be well bred but it’s no good if you can’t win races. He’s got terribly coltish and as much as we have tried to avoid it, the time has come.”
The race was won by Cirillo who led all the way and came home by 3.50 lengths. - PHUMELELA