Favourite backers had some nervous moments in the Gr 3 TOTE Strelitzia Stakes over 1100m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville today (Wednesday) as the odds-on favourite Querari Dancer looked to have left her run to late, but the doubters had not counted on the composure under pressure of Andew Fortune.
The veteran jockey extracted the Justin Snaith-trained filly from trouble and got up in the nick of time to win by 0,30 lengths.
The Nick Jonsson-owned Querari filly was the first two-year-old winner of the season, winning an 800m event at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on November 22.
She followed with two close up fourths at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth in a Juvenile Plate over 1000m and in the Gr 3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery over 1200m respectively, both of them behind Red Spice.
She had traffic problems in both of those starts.
She did not face a vintage field in the Strelitzia as her seven opponents had only mustered four wins in total between them and none of them had won more than one race.
So her price of 6/10 certainly looked justified.
However, yet again, Querari Dancer did not have a smooth passage.
She was squeezed between two horses at the start and in the running was placed awkwardly in behind the leading line off what looked to be a moderate pace.
She had to be switched a long way inward to get a run after going through the 400m mark.
The gap towards the rail she was going for began to close, meaning she probably interfered with Flower Tryst, who was inside of her and was going for the same gap.
Querari Dancer was already almost at the 200m mark when she could let down and go for the line.
However, she still had a couple of lengths to make up on the pacemaker Menagerie and she had not had much momentum to build on up until then either.
Menagerie had finished a close second on debut and this was just her her second career start, but she kicked on in the latter stages.
Ferrari Flair was also finishing strongly on the outside.
Punters would have been aware that the Hollywoodbets Scottsville angle usually favours horses on the outside too, so the writing looked to be on the wall for favourite backers.
However, Querari Dancer somehow managed to find the necessary extra under strong urgings from Fortune to get up by 0,30 lengths. A late change of whip hand might well have been the difference between victory and defeat and was an example of the veteran rider’s composure under pressure.
The gallant Stuart Ferrie-trained Menagerie (Rafeef) was second with Ferrari Flair (Vercingetorix) just a shorthead further back,
Rushing Chimes (Chimichri Run) and Lady Godiva (Captain Of All) were next best.
Fortune quipped afterwards that it was only his status as a “world class” rider that had got the filly home and opined that most other riders would have panicked.
Snaith admitted Hollywoodbets Scottsville had not been a happy hunting ground for him in the past, despite his family’s strong ties with the city, and he must have feared the trend was going to continue.
He said this filly had been a “class individual” from day one, but had to race against colts in Cape Town features and added she should have still beaten them had she not found trouble both times.
Fortune delivered on his prediction to the public that he would win, although not on his prediction that he would not have to move on her.
The form of the race will not look great shakes, but Querari Dancer is likely to get a much better pace in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson and will have a chance to show exactly how good she is.
Snaith and Jonsson teamed up to win the Allan Robertson in 2019 with Jonsson’s homebred Miss Florida (today a stalwart broodmare of Graded winners Miami Mountain and Good Day Sunshine).
Querari Dancer will likely be a leading candidate for the Allan Robertson on May 23 and Fortune will likely retain the ride.
The Clifton Stud-bred filly is out of the stakes-placed six-time winner Dancing Queen (Mambo In Seattle) and was purchased by Jonathan Snaith for R280 000 at the 2025 BSA KZN Yearling Sale.
Querari Dancer has earned R372 876 to date.
Glen Kotzen, Vaughan Marshall and Serino Moodley were the three double-scorers at the meeting.
