Rodeo Drive gets home under Craig Zackey (JC Photos)
There was some decent racing at Turffontein Inside on Sunday and the winner of the highest rated race, a Graduation Plate over 1200m, was the classy Sean Tarry-trained The United States filly Rodeo Drive.
At this time last year Rodeo Drive looked a likely candidate for the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint as she had oozed class as a two-year-old.
However, she was never able to rise to those expected heights and her merit rating actually declined during a winless 2024/2025 campaign from 105 to 103 and she has still not earned bold black type, despite being a 0,30 length runner up in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville as a two-year-old.
She did not enjoy much luck during last season and Sunday’s win would have done her confidence some good.
Form studiers would have jumped at the chance to back her as she was bigger in the betting than the young three-year-old Nyaka Nyaka, who might have finished second to the subsequent Gr 1 winner Jan Van Goyen last time out, but on official ratings was a whopping 13,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted Bjorn Ironside and he was 10,5kg out with Rodeo Drive.
Bjorn Ironside had not run since a February 1100m outing at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and also came out worse than Rodeo Drive on collateral form through Symphony In White.
Rodeo Drive did have to overcome a wide draw of seven out of seven, which was a bit of a concern.
However, she broke well and reached the front in effortless fashion under Craig Zackey and she then responded well when Zackey settled her to set no more than a steady pace.
She then kicked well when asked the question and opened a lead that proved unassailable.
She passed the line 1,60 lengths clear of Nyaka Nyaka with Bjorn Ironside a neck further back.
The Sandown Stud-bred Rodeo Drive has a good pedigree and Tarry will be keen to get some bold black type with her in her four-year-old season.
Her sire The United States, whose sire Galileo is the most successful Gr 1 sire in history, is from one of the hottest families in the stud book.
The United States’ full-sister Salsa is the dam of this season’s G1 Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes/G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes winner Whirl, with Whirl currently second favourite for the 2025 G1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Another star three-year-old hailing from this family is Henri Matisse, winner of the G1 Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas). The latter’s third dam is Mill Princess, the fourth dam of The United States.
Rodeo Drive is out of the Listed-winning Horse Chestnut mare Crystal Cavern, whose five wins were from 1200m to 1600m and she is a half-sister to three other stakes winners, one of them being a sprinter, another a miler and another a stayer.
Rodeo Drive could stay further on pedigree, but seems to be a sprinter and she should have a good season.
Another interesting race on Sunday saw the well regarded Tony Peter-trained The Ultimate King (Vercingetorix) only just failing to carry topweight to victory in a MR 90 Handicap over 2000m. He had to give 2,5kg to the James Crawford-trained Gimmethegreenlight gelding Luce Verde and had to come from last after being dropped out from a wide draw. He made up the ground rapidly in the straight, but Luce Verde had something left in the tank and might have a suppressed merit rating, this being only his second start on the Highveld after having some decent form in the strong centre of Cape Town. Luce Verde prevailed by 0,70 lengths and denied The Ultimate King four wins in succession, although both horses look worth following as they were 2,50 lengths clear of the rest of the field.
The Candice Dawson-trained Warm Reception is another worth following. This three-year-old Fire Away filly is a half-sister to the smart but ill-fated Heather’s Boy and won on debut over 1200m by four lengths.
Later, the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Vercingetorix filly Pretty Persuasive made it two wins from three starts when winning first time out of the maidens over 1200m in a handicap off an 89 merit rating and she also looks one to keep an eye on.
The Tony Peter-trained Buffalo Bill Cody filly Rifle Queen won a handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m by 3,20 lengths off an 88 merit rating to be unbeaten in two starts and is another exciting prospect.
