It was no great surprise that the Roy Magner-trained Emirate Gina defied the official merit ratings when winning the Grade 3 TAB4Racing Fillies Mile at Turffontein Standside on Friday evening.
The merit ratings of young three-year-olds are usually skewed at this time of the year, because different horses have had different levels of exposure. The numerous restrictions the handicappers are subjected to adds to the confusion.
Emirate Gina caught the eye from day one running close to the like of Fennec Fox, River Queraress and Set To Go in early two-year-old races from 800m to 1000m.
The exciting point from the connections points of view was that she is bred to go a lot further.
The Lammerskraal Stud-bred filly is by Visionaire, a sprint-miler who tends to throw sprinters, sprint-milers and milers and whose two Grade 1 winners, Takingthepeace and Good Traveller, won their respective Grade 1s over 1800m and 1600m.
Emirate Gina’s dam is the well-bred Australian-bred Dubai Gina. She is by Dubai Destination, a Kingmambo sire who beat subsequent SA sire Right Approach by more than four lengths when winning the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes over a mile at Royal Ascot.
Dubai Gina is out of a Sunday Silence mare who was placed at two and who is a half-sister to three stakes winners, including the runner up in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas Anna Salai (Dubawi).
Dubai Gina, trained by Vaughan Marshall, won four times, once apiece over 1600m and 1800m and twice over 2400m. One of the latter wins was in a Listed event.
With all those stout credentials it was mystifying that Emirate Gina was beaten by over six lengths when stepped up to 1200m and then beaten over six lengths when stepped up to 1400m.
However, she then proved those runs to be all wrong when winning a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1450m in her sixth career start.
The form of that race worked out exceptionally well with runner up Feather Boa coming out and winning the BSA Sales Cup for fillies, beating subsequent Grade 1 winner Canadian Summer. Four other winners came out of the race.
Therefore, it was not surprising when Emirate Gina won her seasonal reappearance over 1600m on September 27.
What was surprising was her opening price of 25/2 for the Fillies Mile. She had a formline through Canadian Summer, whom Friday night’s second favourite Bless My Stars had been beaten narrowly by in the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes.
Furthermore, a horse she beat in that seasonal reappearance, Gilded Butterfly, subsequently won the Grade 3 4Racing Yellowwood Handicap in good style, albeit off a 91 merit rating.
Friday night’s favourite was Bonete, a superbly bred good looker, but this was only her second career start.
Emirate Gina supporters will have been confident throughout in Friday night’s race because the underrated Raymond Danielson positioned her perfectly from draw two in a one out and one back position with cover.
She has plenty of substance and when he switched her to the outside, which appeared the favourable going on the night, it was clear she was travelling well and had plenty in the tank.
She got up to beat the progressive Lucky Houdalakis-trained None Other by 0,75 lengths, with the Thekiwini runner up, the Sean Tarry-trained Rock The Fox, beaten three lengths into third.
Ororari Gold has had bad luck with draws but she pipped Bonete for fourth place and both should be followed.
It was Roy Magner’s second stakes success of the season.
He part owns the exciting filly together with J Callaghan and SW Robinson.
Emirate Gina was bought for R250,000 at the BSA National Yearling Sale.
