Bezanova finds best form
EZANOVA, winless for over a year and only once placed over the distance, put it all together in the Gr2 Victory Moon Stakes over 1 800m at Turffontein yesterday. Favourite Liege looked to have the race sewn up as he stalked pacemaker Arctica, taking the lead 300m out.
However, Bezanova was produced with a telling late run by Randal Simons and Liege could offer no more as Alec Laird’s gelding swept past to win going away with three-year-old Bold Rex running on strongly to take third.
Bezanova finished with something in hand but given that he was suspect over the trip, Laird did not nominate for the 2 000m Gr1 Sansui Summer Cup in a fortnight’s time.
Chances
Liege is a Cup entry and did his chances no harm.
With the meeting postponed by a day, there were a number of scratchings, most notably Master Switch and St Tropez who are also Cup entries.
Rated the best horse in the country after winning the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint, Talktothestars was a popular choice for the Reichmanscapital Pinnacle Stakes but came unstuck as the versatile Sean Tarry-trained Trip To Heaven - denied the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge in the boardroom - put the field to the sword.
Piere Strydom had no hesitation in taking Talktothestars to the lead, setting a smart early clip.
Bulleted
However, with the pressure on the gelding folded tamely as Trip To Heaven bulleted past.
Splendid Garden battled into second while Legal Eagle was doing his best work late to fill the shallow end of the purse. Talktothestars has bigger fish to fry so it would be unwise to write him off as a spent force just yet but while Legal Eagle made a pleasing return to the track, Triple Crown winner Abashiri was under pressure early and faded out to finish last.
If Green Pepper can stretch further than 1 200m Johan Janse van Vuuren’s filly will be a serious Fillies Guineas contender. The daughter of Gimmethegreenlight ran out a comfortable winner of the Listed Gardenia Stakes with seemingly plenty in hand come the line.