Quid Pro Quo easily wins the Gr 2 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
The Barend Botes-trained fairytale horse Quid Pro Quo, a Gerald Kalil-trained homebred by little known sire Lance, is out to make history by becoming the first horse to win all of the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m, the Gr 2 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m and the Gr 1 Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes over 1600m.
She was backed in from 6/1 to 3/1 before winning the Allan Robertson and from 5/1 to 28/10 before winning the Golden Slipper, so it is little wonder bookmakers are taking no chances before the Douglas Whyte Stakes to be run at Hollywoodbets Greyville on July 28 and have her at even money.
Trainer Barend Botes said about her well-being, “She’s very well and her work is good. She jumped a shadow in that last race according to S’Manga, so he was a bit worried about her soundness thereafter, but she came back sound and is doing well.”
Quid Pro Quo is drawn 12 out of 13 and Barend said, “It is a problem because you don’t know how the field’s going to stretch out and how many lengths you’ll have to make up. But that’s Smanga’s job and he’s good at it.”
Asked whether she relaxed well in the running, he replied, “Last time it looked like she was keen in the early parts of the race, but I think it was just people pulling back for positions and the way the field strung back. I asked S’Manga the question, because I was concerned, and according to him there’s nothing to worry about.”
He said about the step up to 1600m, “We never expected her to be a 1200m horses, this is more her trip.”
He said about her fairytale status, “Let’s hope it carries on! You just believe in her. She’s got the capabilities and after the Allan Robertson, knowing the Golden Slipper would be more her distance, when she saw daylight it was as if you just knew it was all over. She’s got an unbelievable turn of foot and you expect it of her.”
Asked whether he had rated her from day one, he said, “As a youngster, she showed quite a bit of ability. Maybe we ran her a bit too soon the first time out, but it was also with the idea of moving to Durban. But also our lives changed the day we put the blinkers on. She was quite green her first couple of start, but the day we put the blinkers on she was a different horse. It was not something you would want to do with a two-year-old, but we did not have much of an option.”
