Snaith Breaks Gr 1 Drought In Paddock Stakes

Double Grand Slam storms home under Richard Fourie to win the Cartier Gr1 Paddock Stakes (Pic – Wayne Marks)

There were doubts that the Justin Snaith-trained Double Grand Slam would stay the trip in her first attempt at a middle distance race in the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m at Hollywoodbetes Kenilworth on Saturday, but she proved the doubters wrong when finishing strongly to beat her Perennial rival Red Palace and Rascova by a cosy margin.

It was the tenth time she had met Rascova and the score is now 6-4 in Double Grand Slam’s favour and it was the fith time she had met Red Palace and the score is 4-1 in Double Grand Slam’s favour.

The Sporting Post wrote the below report about one of South Africa’s most important races from a breeding point of view:

Justin Snaith and Richard Fourie combined with a very special daughter of Vercingetorix at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on L’Ormarins King’s Plate day as Double Grand Slam silenced the doubters in emphatic style.

Trying the 1800m for the first time, the Varsfontein-bred 4yo stormed home from lengths off the pace to grab a career pinnacle success with a popular victory in the R1 million Cartier Gr1 Paddock Stakes.

Giving Justin Snaith his first Grade 1 victory in close on a year, and his seventh success overall in the prestigious fillies and mares contest in sixteen renewals, Double Grand Slam (18-10) reaffirmed her status as one of the most popular members of the powerful champion yard’s equine arsenal as she showed she gets the trip, cutting down the gutsy Red Palace (11-2) in the final 150m to win going away by 1,50 lengths in a time of 109,86 secs for the 1800m.

Glen Kotzen’s Rascova (11-2) enjoyed the proverbial box seat ‘run of the race’ behind enthusiastic pacesetter Lavender Bay for 1500m of the contest, and stayed on courageously for third.

Owners Gary Player, Dave MacLean and Gaynor Rupert were on course to enjoy the win.

Richard Fourie clearly has an affinity with Double Grand Slam, who was his recordbreaking 335th season winner on 8 June 2024 when she won the East Coast Radio Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

A R1 million National Yearling Sale purchase, Double Grand Slam was bred by Varsfontein from Maine Chance kingpin Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the two-time winning Captain Al mare Princess Peach.

Double Grand Slam has now won 7 races with 6 places from 15 starts and took her stakes earnings to R1 893 088. There is plenty left, yet!